A garage holds what time forgot, but the art market might not. Resurfacing fifty years after their original purchase, a collection of 10 lithographs by Salvador Dalí will go to the block after their rediscovery in a London garage. Alongside five lithographs by Théo Tobiasse, the French painter and engraver, the pieces are expected to bring in several thousand dollars at the Hansons Richmond auction on September 30.
Chris Kirkham came across these works following an invitation to the consignor’s property located in Berkeley Square, an area known for its historic charm. The consignor purchased the lithographs for £500 EUR (approximately £2,400 or $3,100 EUR today) from a London gallery before it went under in the late 1970s. Today, this collection is set to fetch ten times their original investment. Each Dalí piece is valued around £300 to £500 EUR ($394 to $656 USD), while a Tobiasse lithograph will bring in £100 to £300 EUR ($131 to $394 USD).
The lithographs were identified as precursors to the Spanish painter’s 1978 series ‘L’Art d’Aimer d’Ovide (Ovid’s Art of Loving).’ In their ethereal imaginations of the poet’s work, subjects are captured in scenes of mythology and nature.
“He purchased them with a view to framing them for his home in Berkeley Square but never got round to it, so the prints ended up in his garage,” Kirkham says. “He’s looking to retire and move abroad, so now his lithographs will finally see the light of day at auction.”
