Salvador Dalì

Salvador Dalì didn't always have the funny mustache. In his early years he almost cut a conventional and even conservative figure.

One of the greatest artists of all time in both originality and technique, Dalì also was one of the greatest eccentrics of all time. Either that or he was the greatest put-on of all time.

His most famous paintings are often set in what he himself called a "Dalían Universe". This is a desert-like environment populated with the surrealistic elements that became his trademark. But other paintings and drawings often defied this convention and his work ranges from caligrahic lithographs to a strange blend of surrealism and photographic realism. The most famous examples of the latter genre are "The Last Supper" and "Corpus Hypercubus".

Dalì knew the commercial value of his art full well and was always willing to accept commissions from virtually anyone who could pay his quite steep fees. It's largely forgotten but he painted the cover for an edition of TV Guide. When the Guide reporters interviewed him about the symbolism, particularly why he put the television images of Hugh Down on a thumb, he simply said thumbnails gave him the same shape as a television screen. And if you think TV Guide (or anyone else) who commissioned a painting for a magazine got to keep the painting, think again. Originals were always sold in individual transactions.

The surrealistic world of Salvador Dalì was hit with a scandale terrible when it was claimed he had possibly signed hundred of thousands of blank sheets of papers that were later used for - quote - "original" - unquote - Dalì prints and drawings. However, this is still a controversial claim. According to one estimate the ailing octogenarian signed (or was made to sign) 350,000 pieces of paper at a rate of 1800 an hour. Which seems a bit hard to buy.

But Dalì was not by any means always mercenary. Once he was visiting his fellow artists Gregory D'Alessio and Vladimir Bobritsky in New York City. At that time Gregory and Bobri were publishing the then shoe-string magazine "Guitar Review". Before he left for the airport, Dalì whipped off a quick drawing for their cover. So Gregory and Bobri got Dalì coverart for their magazine, and they got to keep the original.

Très bien.