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About Elliott H. King
Expertise
As a professional art historian, I can answer questions related to the art and life of Salvador Dalí. I am neither an art broker nor an appraiser, so I cannot answer questions regarding a work's value or authenticity; however, I can refer you to individuals who work in the Dali market.

Experience
I am an art historian specializing in Salvador Dalí. For over ten years, I have been a pioneer in the critical study of ‘Late Dalí’ (i.e., the artist's work after 1940). I have presented extensively on aspects of Dalí’s production at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Tate Modern, L’Université de Lausanne, Cerisy la Salle, the University of London, and Harvard University, and I have been a guest lecturer at Cambridge University and the University of Chicago. I have published several essays about Dalí in addition to my book, 'Dalí, Surrealism, and Cinema' (Kamera Books, 2007). I have also contributed to major international exhibitions of Dalí's work, including the Dalí Centenary Exhibition (2004-05) and 'Dalí & Film' (2007-08).

Publications
BOOKS "Dalí, Surrealism and Cinema", Kamera Books, Herts (UK), 2007. ESSAYS, ARTICLES AND CHAPTERS • “Little Black Dress, Little Red Book: Dalí, Mao, and Monarchy (with Special Attention to Trajan’s Glorious Testicles)”, in Michael R. Taylor (ed.), The Dalí Renaissance: New Perspectives on His Life and Art after 1940, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 2008, pp. 90111. • “The Prodigious Story of the Lacemaker and the Rhinoceros”, in ibid, pp. 190204. • “Crazy Movies That Disappear”, in Matthew Gale (ed.), Dalí and Film, Tate Publishing, London / Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2007, pp. 214229. Published also in Spanish as "Dalí y el cine", Electa, Madrid, 2008. • “Le temps dalínien fait mouche: Réflexions sur les « montres molles »”, in Astrid Ruffa, Philippe Kaenel, Danielle Chaperon (eds.), "Salvador Dalí à la croisée des savoirs", Éditions Desjonquères, Paris, 2007, pp. 3752. • “Winged Fantasy with Lead Feet: The Influence of Llullism and Hiparxiologi on Dalí’s Mysticism”, in Hank Hine, William Jeffett and Kelly Reynolds (eds.), "Persistence & Memory: New Critical Perspectives on Dalí at the Centennial", Bompiani Arte, Milan, 2004, pp. 189193. EXHIBITION CATALOGUES: ENTRIES • Dawn Ades and Michael R. Taylor (eds.), "Dalí", Bompiani Arte, Milan, 2004. EXHIBITION CATALOGUES: BIBLIOGRAPHIES, FILMOGRAPHIES AND CHRONOLOGIES • “Dalí Filmography”, published in Matthew Gale (ed.), "Dalí and Film", op.cit., pp. 230231. • “A Cinematic Chronology of Dalí, 19411989”, in ibid, pp. 160163. • Compiled the most complete bibliography of Dalí resources todate, published in Dawn Ades and Michael R. Taylor (eds.), "Dalí", op.cit., pp. 568598.

Education/Credentials
Ph.D, Art History and Theory (Anticipated 2009) University of Essex, Colchester, England Doctoral Thesis: The Tragic Myth of the Two Dalís: Re-evaluating “late Dalí” M.A. with Distinction in Dissertation, History of Art (2001) Courtauld Institute of Art, London, England M.A. Dissertation: Black and White and Red All Over: Maoism, Fascism and Contradiction in Salvador Dalí’s Mysticism B.A. summa cum laude, Art History (hons., Phi Beta Kappa) University of Denver, Denver, Colorado

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Fine Art - Dali painting

Expert: Elliott H. King - 10/16/2009

Question

dali

Elliott, I have found a Dali work that Iam interested in. Can you tell me anything about this work? Thank you!

Sorry, I forgot to attach the pic on my first email.

Answer
Dear Jon,

Thanks for your question. The painting is Allegory of an American Christmas. It is an oil and gouache on cardboard measuring 40.5 cm x 30.5 cm. it is in a private collection. Dali wrote the date 1934 on the painting, though this is very strange as it looks much closer to his work of the early 1940s, such as Poetry of America (1943) and Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man (1943); most likely Dali reversed the numbers (as he did on occasion) and the painting should be dated 1943. It is dated 1943 in Robert Descharnes and Gilles Neret's book, Dali: The Paintings, and is not listed under the date 1934 in the Dali catalogue raisonne being compiled by the Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali. The plane is very likely an allusion to the US in World War II (another painting with a soft plane and vague political allusion is Daddy Longlegs of the Evening - Hope! [1941]).

All best,
Elliott

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