Salvador Dalí: The Argillet Collection

The Russell Collection Fine Art Gallery
March 10 – 24

With the dust still settling in the Russell Collection’s new gallery, an immensely unique set of works is going up on the walls. Recognizable to almost anybody, the style of Salvador Dalí can be dark, distorted, grand, erotic, and sometimes incomprehensible. But while he is perhaps best known for his paintings, this upcoming exhibition has more to offer. The person behind this look into Dalí’s collection is Christine Argillet, daughter of the artist’s own publisher, Pierre Argillet. With Madame Argillet’s intimate connection, this collection provides an opportunity to see some of Dalí’s most masterful pieces, from his work in etchings, tapestries, and watercolors.

Open every day in the month of March, this exhibition shows the capabilities not only of Dalí but also of Pierre Argillet, who was trusted by the artist not just in business but in art and life. The two worked together for the greater part of their lives, and while Argillet was an important part in the production of many surrealist and dada artists, his most notable efforts as a publisher were on Dalí’s etchings. For an art enthusiast, this is a look into some of the more-rare permutations of Dalí’s unmistakable imagination. For an art historian, it’s a window into a collaboration between two of the most important people in their school of thought presented by the person who embodies their legacies.

_{Read more from the Music + Film Issue | March 2018}