SALVADOR DALI
TITLE: POUR MON AMI KLEIN (1979)
SIZE: 8” x 11” (20cm x 28cm) Paper size
MEDIUM: Black ink on paper
DETAILS: From Collection of the late Dr. Edmund Klein (Dali’s personal skin-care physician). Here is a positively delightful sketch that places a bold Dali signature upon a leaf, from whose tip we see three drops-tears of joy, perhaps? For we know Dali was overjoyed indeed over his relationship with Dr. Klein, who some have said may actually have cured Dali of a form of skin cancer, though it remains speculation and was really only known for sure by doctor and patient. In any case, this inscribed work, “For my friend,” as Dali wrote in French, is one of the few that includes the month written in Dali’s handwriting, as well as the year. The ubiquitous trademark figure of the man holding the child’s hand-known to represent Dali and his father- makes another appearance in this truly charming little work in ink. The large Dali signature somewhat loosely resembles a large snail- a favorite element of Dali’s iconography- and he produced at least one work showing an over-sized snail crawling on a leaf. This Dali sketch was made on the back of the cover page of a technical paper written by Dr. Klein. There is a small tear in the upper right portion of the paper, not affecting the image.
