The eccentric Spanish artist and surrealist icon Salvador Dalí is synonymous with his melting clocks painting, The Persistence of Memory. His artistic genius and uniqueness is ever present in all his works, his slightly lesser known jewellery designs and creations are no exception. In a few weeks, on the 20th March three of his designed and created pieces go under the hammer at Sotheby's Fine Jewels auction.
There are two gold necklaces and an intricate ruby and diamond heart brooch, all three present Dalí's typical surrealist take on traditional objects. Dalí himself described his inspiration for his jewellery, "In jewels, and in all my artistic activity, I create what I love most. In some of them one can discern an architectural meaning, as it also happens in some of my paintings. Once again, the logarithmic law is highlighted, as well as the interrelation between spirit and matter, between space and time."
As a leading figure in the Surrealist movement, Dalí was fascinated with widely-celebrated images such as the Heart, the Cross, the Crown and the Madonna; and these charming and delicate pieces are no exception to this pattern. His real skill was to reinvent famous motifs with his inquisitive eye. Dalí would often distort a figure until it became abstract, yet still recognisable. He was seduced and inspired by the female form, a theme to which the artist returned time and again. Whilst painting was the medium for which he was most famous, Dalí experimented with design, film-making and costume design throughout his career, relishing the opportunity to investigate the creative world around him, and to collaborate with the most innovative minds in the arts.
The Carmen La Crotalos necklace was designed to celebrate the Metropolitan Opera House performance of Carmen. Accompanying this piece is the Madonna of Port Lligat - another pendent and named after his 1949 painting of the same name. This crossover between painting and jewellery was something explored in considerable depth by the artist, from 1941 right up until the 1970's.
Ruby and diamond Honeycomb heart CIRCA 1953. ESTIMATE: £12,000-18,000.
Yellow gold pendent necklace, ESTIMATE: £3,000-5,000.
Yellow gold pendent necklace Madonna of Port Lligat ESTIMATE: £7,000-9,000.