Bonhams to Auction Salvador Dalí's Largest Masterpiece in Paris

Summary

• Bonhams has announced that it will offer Salvador Dalí’s Bacchanale at its annual Surrealist sale in Paris
• The artwork is a 13-panel stage set measuring more than 20 by 30 meters, making it the largest painting ever created by the iconic Spanish surrealist
• The masterpiece, which features Dalí’s signature dreamlike and paranoiac-critical motifs, is estimated to fetch between €200,000 and €300,000 EUR

A staggering piece of surrealist history is officially heading to the auction block. Bonhams has announced that Bacchanale, the largest painting ever created by legendary Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, will headline its annual spring Surrealist sale in Paris later this month.

Coming from an important private collection, Bacchanale was meticulously executed in 1939 as a stage set for the eponymous ballet at the New York Metropolitan Opera. Dalí defined the ambitious project as his first “paranoiac-critical ballet,” pouring all of his ideas into a total work of art by writing the libretto, designing the costumes, and conceiving the monumental set. The ballet brought together key international figures, including choreographer Léonide Massine and legendary designer Coco Chanel, who collaborated on the costumes and accessories.

The artwork itself is a monumental construction comprising 13 large pieces, including a massive backdrop and four sets of canvases, spanning a total size of more than 20 by 30 meters. Painted with almost photographic precision, the piece incorporates three-dimensional elements and quintessential Dalí motifs. The central focus is the Mount of Venus, overlaid with a large swan—a symbol of sin and desire. Dalí personally oversaw the key details of the final curtain and backdrop, weaving in imaginative elements such as a faceless reclining woman, a motif also famously seen in his 1939 painting L’Énigme sans fin.

“For the fourth-year running, Bonhams celebrates the enthralling world of Surrealism with a dedicated spring auction in Paris,” stated Emilie Millon, Head of Bonhams’ Impressionist & Modern Art department in Paris. “We are happy to offer at auction Bacchanale, a stage set, but above all it is the largest painting created by Salvador Dalí for the New York Opera House, a priceless fantasy that can become a reality for any collector.”

Following recent high-profile exhibitions in Madrid and Milan, Dalí’s breathtaking Bacchanale will officially go under the hammer on March 26, alongside notable works by other surrealist masters including Jane Graverol and Francis Picabia.