Albert Field Art

L.T.S. (Lettre dactylographiée signée) Typewritten letter signed by Albert Field. Headed paper with double heading: in the center “The Salvador Dalì Catalog”, on the upper right “Compiler Albert Field, 20-25 29th Street, Astoria 5, N.Y.” addressed to the Countess Anna Laetitia Pecci - Blunt. Dated: 18th March 1958. One page, only front. In English. Very good conditions with usual folds in the paper and a rip on the higher left corner. Very interesting and amusing letter signed by Albert Field, the official compiler of Dalí’s work, for the Countess Anna Laetitia Pecci-Blunt. A thank-you letter for her "prompt and informative reply" to the previous Field letter of the 8th March 1958. "I must play detective all the time, and of course while this irritates me as a scholar, it fascinates me at the same time". The background: The Surrealist Dalí commissioned to Albert Field the creation of his Official Catalogue of Graphic Works, a guide to the artist’s works for collectors, dealers, gallery owners and museums: an opus magnum encompassing 40 years of production and comprising 1900 illustrations, of which 1500 in color. Albert Field was Dalí’s official archivist, besides the topmost authority regarding the artist’s work, who discovered approximately 17 types of falsification, as he reported to the St. Petersburg Times in 1987. Therefore, the catalog had the function of uncovering false Dalís scattered throughout the world. Nevertheless, Dalí himself reacted to the falsification phenomenon by saying: “Someone who is subjected to forgery the way I am must really be fantastically good''. An eccentric genius like Dalí thus found a kindred spirit in Mr. Field, an English, science, and maths teacher, as well as collector of playing cards, who had a passion for nudism and rambling, and who combined all of his interests by climbing the Appalachian Trail completely naked. At the sight of “Dream of Venus...

L.T.S. (Lettre dactylographiée signée) Typewritten Letter Signed by Albert Field, on letter headed paper with double heading, central “The Salvador Dalì Catalog”, top right “Compiler Albert Field, 20-25 29th Street, Astoria 5, N.Y.” addressed to the Countess Anna Laetitia Pecci -Blunt. Dated 8th March 1958. One page (27.8 x 21.5 cm). In English. Perfect condition with usual folds in the paper. With some pencil and blue ink notes by the Countess. With this letter, in formal terms and on headed paper, Albert Field, as official compiler of Dalì's work, asks to the Countess make the catalogue complete with some information concerning "Instrument masochiste" and "Ossification prèmature d'une gare", bought by the Countess in 1934. The background: While the Catalonian artist was exhibiting his work at the National Gallery in Washington, he commissioned to Albert Field the creation of his Official Catalogue of Graphic Works, a guide to the artist’s works for collectors, dealers, gallery owners and museums: an opus magnum encompassing 40 years of production and comprising 1900 illustrations, of which 1500 in color. Albert Field was Dalí’s official archivist, besides the topmost authority regarding the artist’s work, who discovered approximately 17 types of falsification, as he reported to the St. Petersburg Times in 1987. Therefore, the catalog had the function of uncovering false Dalís scattered throughout the world. Nevertheless, Dalí himself reacted to the falsification phenomenon by saying: “Someone who is subjected to forgery the way I am must really be fantastically good''. An eccentric genius like Dalí thus found a kindred spirit in Mr. Field, an English, science, and maths teacher, as well as collector of playing cards, who had a passion for nudism and rambling, and who combined all of his interests by climbing the Appalachian Trail completely naked. At the sight of “Dream of Venus...