CAMBRIDGE.- An original work by Salvador Dali which was discovered in a Cambridge-based house clearance sale and cost only £150, was sold for £45,700 at the Cheffins Art & Design Sale on 24th October. Titled Vecchio Sultano the work had a pre-sale estimate of £20,000 - £30,000 and was sold to an overseas buyer.

Measuring 38cm x 29cm, the painting is a mixed media piece, made with watercolour paint and felt tip, and is an illustration of a scene from The Arabian Nights, a series of 500 pieces which Dali intended to create of Middle Eastern folktales which was commissioned by wealthy Italian couple, Giuseppe and Mara Albaretto.

The piece was sold by a local Cambridge-based antiques and art dealer, who wishes to remain anonymous, and who bought the work from a house clearance sale in Cambridge in 2023 before it was identified and authenticated by Cheffins. He comments: “I am over the moon with this result and am appreciative of everything which Cheffins has done in the lead up to the sale. It was genuinely very exciting to see it go under the hammer, and I am glad that it has reached the recognition which it deserves. The final price is around what we expected, and I was glad to see it sell after all the hard work and research which went into it.”

Brett Tryner, Director at Cheffins, comments: “This work was a significant rediscovery for Dali scholars, and the picture saw incredible amounts of interest in the lead up to the auction. It had previously been offered at Sotheby’s in the 1990s, attributed to Dali, and subsequently disappeared from public record – an unusual occurrence in the modern art world. Researching and cataloguing this piece has been an exciting journey, and we’re thrilled that it achieved above its estimate.”

Giuseppe and Mara Albaretto, who commissioned the Arabian Nights works had intended to publish the pictures through Italian publishing house, Rizzoli. However, Dali was thought to have abandoned the project after completing only 100. Half of these remained with Rizzoli and were damaged or lost, while the other half stayed with the Albarettos and were inherited by Christina, their daughter, who was also Dali’s goddaughter. The remaining 50 illustrations which were retained by the Albaretto family were published in 2014 by the Folio Society, which sparked new interest in the project and the whereabouts of the unpublished pieces. It is believed that the present work was part of the batch which were retained by Rizzoli.

Brett Tryner from Cheffins continues: “The seller was told the painting had been stored in a garage in London before appearing at the house clearance in central Cambridge. Thanks to his extensive knowledge and sharp eye for authenticity, this important piece has been reintroduced to the art market. Following research by the seller and our team, the work was examined by leading Dali expert Nicolas Descharnes, who confirmed its authenticity and consistency with other known examples in both style and paper quality.”

*The price reported is inclusive of buyers’ premium and VAT