Barcelona is about to host an unprecedented event in the art world: the historic auction of an original sculpture by Salvador Dalí. The work in question, entitled “Femme en Flamme” (Woman in Flames), is the third in a series of eight sculptures created by Dalí in 1980.
This exceptional auction will take place next Thursday, December 21, 2023, at the Estudi Notarial Mallorca 264 notary’s office in Barcelona.
What makes this auction even more special is its starting price, a staggering €1,019,500. The sculpture is currently owned by two Russian partners, Lidia Salgus Volkova and Georgy Korolev Novikov, represented by the company Ten Equs SL.
The auction presents a unique opportunity for collectors, art dealers and art lovers in general to acquire a unique work by the surrealist master.
Historic auction of Salvador Dalí’s sculpture
The work itself is a unique expression of Dalí’s recurring obsessions: fire and the female figure.
The sculpture, made in bronze, depicts a slender female figure stretching skyward, faceless, with flames symbolizing passion and mysterious drawers emerging from the chest and one leg, representing the mystery that Dalí attributed to women. The work is inspired by Dalí’s 1937 painting, “The Burning Giraffe”.
This auction event is presented as a lawsuit between two parties who put the sculpture as collateral in a business deal and now it is being auctioned.
Although similar situations have occurred before, they are not common and add a layer of intrigue to the auction.
The notary’s office has pointed out that this type of auction usually attracts high-powered collectors and art dealers, but in this case, the auction is public, open for anyone to participate.
The world of contemporary art auctions has witnessed significant events, but the starting price of this sculpture by Dalí puts it in an exceptional category.
The work by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, auctioned last June, fetched 300,000 euros, reflecting the magnitude of the Salvador Dalí auction.
Conservation of Dalí’s legacy
The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation, in charge of preserving and disseminating the artist’s legacy, has remained reserved about the possibility of bidding at the auction.
While the foundation has invested significant sums to acquire unique Dalí paintings and jewelry, it appears that it does not typically acquire serial sculptures, raising questions about the direction this auction will take.
The auction of Salvador Dalí’s “Femme en Flamme” promises to be an extraordinary event on the Barcelona art scene that will capture the attention of collectors and art lovers worldwide.
