Original signature of Salvador Dali on a portrait by British Beatles photographer Robert Whitaker.
- Photograph of Salvador Dali taken by Robert Whitaker, with an original autograph by Dali.
- 19.6 cm x 30.1 cm.
- Spain, 1967.
- Good condition of conservation.
- Unique piece.
On the back, a note by Robert Whitaker
Salvador Dali: the mad genius of the 20th century. Dali poses with his gold laurel wreath, a white flower balanced on the bridge of his nose. He says: "I adore the simple purity of flowers, particularly as I am such a vegetable as a human being." Please acknowledge: photograph by Robert Whitaker. Camera press (text and illustrations) London T/I 1297-13.
Salvador Dali (1904 - 1989) was one of the most important surrealist artists in Spain, working as a visual artist, painter and sculptor. His work was influenced by several artists, including Pablo Picasso, whom he met in Paris in 1929, and the psychological works of Freud. In the 1930s, a period of great artistic production, Dali joined the artistic movement known as surrealism. His works, with extraordinary artistic quality, are almost always representations of a bizarre universe, such as the famous “Persistence of Memory” (1931), “Soft Building with Cooked Peas: Premonition of Civil War” (1936), “Sleep” (1937) and “Giraffe on Fire” (1937).
Robert Whitaker (1939 - 2011) was a famous British photographer, internationally known for his photographs of the Beatles. Taken between 1964 and 1966, he began during the second American tour and spent the next two years traveling with the Beatles and taking pictures at work, at rest, at play, on their tours, at home, in the recording studio, in private moments and in formal photo sessions.
Whitaker later moved away from the pop scene and returned to the art world, where he began his photography career. One of his most famous subjects from this period was Salvador Dali, whom he photographed several times between 1967 and 1972. He met Dali at his Spanish mansion and told him that he wanted to use his camera "to get inside his head".
We contacted Robert Whitaker's son, Benjamin, who gave us some information about this document:
This photograph was a test print for an article called "Salvador Dali: The Mad Genius of the 20th Century". Test prints were made before a final selection, as the images are easier to see that way than looking at the 35mm film negatives. The original image was in color. I have attached it so you can see what it originally looked like. It was taken in 1967 at Dali's home in Cadequez, Spain. I believe it was also used in an Encore magazine article in the early 1970s.
What makes this document more interesting than many others is that it is signed by Dali himself. This dedication adds great value to the document.
