(Part One can be found before the Intermission HERE )
As Dali’s fame increased, his commercial appeal as an artist increased (to the dismay of plenty of art critics) and this increased his ability to ‘write’ money out of thin air.
The culmination of this would be signing thousands of blank sheets of printing paper and canvases, so that they could later be turned into ‘Dali’ paintings by other people. It has been claimed that an ageing Dali was forced to sign blank canvases by his guardians, in order for them to be used after his death. It’s also been suggested he signed literally hundreds of thousands of blank sheets.
http://www.flashpointmag.com/kdali2.htm
“Dali himself frequently admitted he had made enormous sums of money by signing hundreds of quick sketches and lithographs which would then sell for thousands of pounds. He once famously remarked: “Each morning after breakfast I like to start the day by earning $20,000.” (from this article from the Indepent)
Regardless of the exact details of who signed what when, I like to imagine that Dali would have been delighted with this desecration of the artist´s integrity in the name of earning great wads of cash in an instant.
“Liking money like I like it,” said Dali, “is nothing less than mysticism. Money is a glory.”
When asked what he loved most in life, Dali replied, “Money. Le idea of money.”
Of course, Salvador Dali would say all kinds of things… It shouldn´t come as a surprise that a man who´ll take his anteater out for a walk
