Salvador Dalí

Private Collection, France
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Karin von Maur, Salvador Dalí, 1904-1989, Stuttgart, 1989, no. 284, illustrated in colour p. 375
Robert & Nicholas Descharnes, Dalí, The Hard and the Soft, Spells for the Magic of Form, Sculptures and Objects, Paris, 2004, no. 178, illustrated in colour p. 79


The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Robert & Nicolas Descharnes.

Mottled gold brown patina that is in very good condition. The tree and three cauliflowers on the side of the wheelbarrow have a polished reflective surface. There is a hole on the top of the tree's base where an element would have been previously screwed on. This missing element was never part of the artist's original composition. There are no significant scratches or abrasions on the surface. A fresh application of wax serves as a protective coating for the patina. This work is in 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."

La Brouette was created in 1960 during a particularly extravagant and experimental period in Dalí's art. Influenced by early Pop Art, the artist used an incongruous group of found objects, including wire-cutters, a broken candelabra and cauliflower (cast in bronze), as well as an actual iron wheelbarrow, to create this striking assemblage.

Yet La Brouette had a deeper meaning to Dalí than a reexamination of everyday objects. In describing this object, Robert and Nicholas Descharnes write that, 'Dalí was born in the age of the wheelbarrow. It was an indispensable daily tool: each fisherman had his own wheel barrow to transport his nets to a meadow next to the beach of Port Lligat and every village woman had one to transport the wash to the public washhouse' (Descharnes, op. cit., p. 73). Preparatory sketches reveal that Dalí believed the wheelbarrow to be an erotic symbol, a position he justified by citing numerous examples in Millet's work and popular images of peasant sexuality. La Brouette can further be seen as an erotic symbol since Dalí was known to compare cauliflower to the female reproductive organ (Robert Descharnes & Gilles Néret, Salvador Dalí 1904-1989, vol. II, Cologne, 1994, p. 626).