How much is The Persistence of Memory worth?

No one can say for certain how much The Persistence of Memory is currently worth. The painting has been part of the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York since it was given by an anonymous donor in 1934, so its potential worth at auction has not been determined. However, experts estimate that the painting by Salvador Dalí is likely worth at least $150 million. Dalí is an icon of the 20th-century avant-garde Surrealist movement, whose dreamlike images, drawn from the depths of the unconscious, he deployed in paintings, sculptures, prints and fashion, as well as in film collaborations with Luis Buñuel and Alfred Hitchcock. Dalí's use of hyperrealism in conveying Surrealist symbols and concepts that subvert accepted notions of reality is epitomized in The Persistence of Memory (1931), in which he depicts the fluidity of time through melting clocks, their forms inspired by Camembert cheese melting in the sun. Explore a collection of Salvador Dalí art on 1stDibs.