Imagine stumbling upon a quirky, otherworldly sketch that looks like something between an alien invasion and a Wookiee’s wild hair day—only to discover it’s a long-lost Salvador Dalí masterpiece. But here’s where it gets controversial: Could this bizarre watercolor and felt-tip creation, initially dismissed as a novelty, really be worth a small fortune? The answer is a resounding yes. Purchased just two years ago for a mere £150, this peculiar piece recently fetched a staggering £47,700 at auction after experts confirmed its authenticity as a missing illustration from Dalí’s 1966 Arabian Nights series.
The tale begins in Cambridge, where local antiques dealer John Russell* (name changed for privacy) chanced upon the artwork during a house clearance sale. Amidst the clutter, his eye caught Dalí’s signature in the corner and Sotheby’s stickers on the back. And this is the part most people miss: Despite initial doubts about its legitimacy, Russell impulsively bid on it, outlasting a single rival bidder who dropped out at £150. 'It was a once-in-a-lifetime feeling,' he later told The Guardian. Fast forward to Friday, when Cambridge auctioneers Cheffins sold the piece to an overseas buyer, validating it as the 501st painting in Dalí’s intended Arabian Nights collection.
Brett Tryner, director at Cheffins, admitted the artwork isn’t for everyone. 'It’s definitely a Marmite picture—you either love it or hate it,' he said. 'But that’s the beauty of art.' The sale sparked 'incredible' interest, Tryner added, noting the rarity of Dalí originals hitting the market. For Russell, who invested over £4,000 in authentication and provenance research, the payoff was surreal. 'I felt over the moon when the hammer went down,' he recalled. 'After all the uncertainty and doubt, the journey was just extraordinary.'
Here’s the controversial question: Is this painting’s value a testament to Dalí’s genius, or does it highlight the art world’s obsession with provenance over aesthetics? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—do you see a masterpiece, or just a lucky find?
