Salvador Dali’s Coeur-Sacre de Jesus (1962) is due to cross the block at Bonhams on June 22.
The work is clearly inspired by the work of renaissance era religious artists, albeit executed in Dali’s inimitable style.
Dali returned to Catholicism in the 1940s
It’s valued at £1.2m ($1.5m).
While Dali was raised a Catholic, he rejected religion in his teens and early 20s.
Several of his works from this time were playfully blasphemous.
However, in the 1940 his opinion began to shift.
After a private audience with the Pope in 1949, he publicly announced his return to the fold.
India Phillips, Bonhams' director of impressionist and modern art, said: “Salvador Dali’s Coeur-Sacre de Jesus is a wonderful illustration of the artist’s theory that heaven is to be found in the heart of the individual, attained through the very act of belief.
“Following on from the success of his Figura de perfil (La Hermana Ana Maria) in Bonhams recent Impressionist and Modern Art sale, we are delighted to offer another unique example of Dali’s work, hailing again from a private collection in Spain and painted during such a significant period in his career.”
As one of the world’s most popular artists, Dali is in high demand – although the majority of his most famous works are in permanent collections.
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