Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali is possibly the most well-known artist of the Surrealist movement of the early 20th century. Born May 11, 1904 in the small town of Figueras, Spain, the artist showed an early interest in art. Encouraged by his family, Dali began his artist career at the prestigious San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. After dropping out right before graduation, the artist joined the Surrealist movement, falling into the likes of Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Yves Tanguy, and Max Ernst.

In 1934, Dali was expelled from the Surrealists for having no interest in politics. As a result, he countered the refusal with his famous quote, “The difference between me and the surrealists is that I am Surrealism.” In the same year, Dali met young art collector Pierre Argillet and began a life-long friendship. These two men would go on to create and publish some of the finest etchings of Dali’s career.

Towards the end of his life, Dali opened the Teatro Museo Dali (Dali Museum Theatre) in his birthplace of Figueras, Spain. Six years later in 1970, the Salvador Dali Museum opened in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Ultimately, this granted the artist the honor of being the only artist in history to have two seperate museums dedicated to his work during a lifetime.

Pierre Argillet and The Argillet Collection

The Argillet Collection of Salvador Dali Drawings and Original Etchings is a collaboration between Surrealist Salvador Dali and art collector and publisher Pierre Argillet. This collection demonstrates the highest standards of quality, superb draftsmanship, and artisanship. As a result, this body of work is possibly the finest work produced by Dali during his career. Between 1934 and 1974, the two men subsequently created and published nearly 200 works. Ultimately, many of which have been displayed in some of the best known museums around the world.

Argillet would only accept etchings done in the traditional method on copper. Thus he refused to go along with Dali’s desire to make photo-based lithographs. As a result, in 1974 the two partners went their separate ways professionally, yet remained life-long friends.