Salvador Dalí

Cécile Eluard, Paris (a gift from the artist in 1982)
Sale: Christie's, New York, 10th November 1987, lot 64
Purchased at the above sale by the family of the present owner

Zurich, Kunsthaus & Stuttgart, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Salvador Dalí 1904-1989 - Retrospektive, 1989, no. 253, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Robert Descharnes, Dalí, L'homme et l'œuvre, Lausanne, 1984, n.n., illustrated in colour p. 347
Robert Descharnes & Gilles Neret, Salvador Dalí 1904 - 1989, The Paintings, 1946-1989, vol. II, Cologne, 1994, no. 1061, illustrated in colour p. 473

The canvas is not lined and UV examination reveals no signs of retouching. There is an artist's pin hole to the upper and lower right corners. There are some tiny flecks of surface dirt the upper right quadrant. There is some lovely impasto to the white figures and this work is in overall very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Almost cinematic in its extraordinary detail and ambitious scope of subject, Les murs de Babylone forms part of a series of works Salvador Dalí created in 1954 on the theme of the Seven Wonders of the World. Another work from this group, Le Colosse de Rhodes, resides prestigiously in the collection of Kunstmuseum Bern. Les murs de Babylone features a distinguished provenance, having been in the collection of the artist until 1982 when Dalí gifted it to Cécile Éluard, Gala Dalí's daughter by her first husband, Paul Éluard. Although the walls of Babylon themselves are not theoretically part of this legendary septet, the towering edifice, seen in the background soaring above the walls, conceivably represents the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, a place of mythical beauty and one of the most celebrated of the Seven Wonders. The minute realism of the scene suggests that the artist arguably utilised an illustration or etching within a book as an inspiration for Les murs de Babylone, imbuing the original with his own inimitable stylistic savoir-faire.

Within the present work, Dalí depicts an attack on the walls of the ancient Mesopotamian city, employing almost microscopic intricacy of line to represent a multitude of figures besieging the walls. Arrows rain down upon the attackers from atop the crenelated safety of the walls, whilst the imposing gate – possibly the Ishtar Gate – appears close to being breached. The curious perspective of the scene encourages the illusion of remarkable depth, as though the walls stretch for an unfathomable length beyond the picture plane. The result is a work of extraordinary complexity which reveals Dalí’s absolute mastery of his medium.