Salvador Dalí
(1904-1989)
Le Sacre du Printemps (1966)
Signed lower right
Signed and annotated With kisses for both of you by Catherine Perrot-Moore and Dalí's secretary Peter Moore lower left
Signed and dated 1966 in the stone
An unsigned proof (aside from the edition of 150)
Lithograph in colors on cream wove paper, 76 x 56 cm
Provenance:
Collection Albert van Dam, Amsterdam, acquired directly from the artist, then by descent
Literature:
Field 66-4
Note:
Moore, who was referred to as “Captain Moore” due to his service in the British Navy, claims to have worked as a secret agent during World War II. According to his own statements, he also served as an advisor to Winston Churchill. In 1955, he met Salvador Dalí, who appointed him as his private secretary and manager. Moore played a significant role in Dalí's career and became a millionaire himself. In 1975, Dalí and Moore's collaboration ended at the insistence of Dalí's wife, Gala. Moore stated that he was tired of Gala's jealousy and intrigue.

Dalí and Moore formed a harmonious partnership in promoting the brilliant surrealist artist. The artist himself knew very well “what I have in the Capitano.” Even after their separation, Moore remained devoted to Dalí, who was experiencing deteriorating health. There are no ill words known from him about the successors appointed by Gala as advisors and confidantes.

One of Moore's great accomplishments from an art historical perspective was his wholehearted dedication in helping realize Dalí's heartfelt desire until the end of 1975: The museum in Figueres. Prior to that, Moore and his wife Catherine Perrot had established a Dalí museum in Cadaqués, which was inaugurated in the presence of the artist. Without Moore's administrative support, the official Dalí Museum in Figueres would not have come to fruition during Dalí's lifetime.

However, their shared intention to create a tomb for the painter at Dalí's castle in Púbol could not be realized, nor could Dalí's wish to mount his portrait bust, created by Arno Breker, monumentally on a skyscraper in New York as an “eternal light. ” Peter Moore served as Dalí's manager and co-publisher of important graphic and bronze editions during their 20 years of collaboration. Ideas such as jewelery collections, Dalí's leopards, scandalous happenings and societies, as well as fascinating figures in Dalí's court, including Amanda Lear, were born out of the collaboration between Moore and his master.

Moore made headlines ten years after Dalí's death when the Spanish justice system accused him of circulating forged lithographs by Dalí. A clear definition of what and how things were forged was never made public. Years before, Moore had given the surrealist artist the idea to sign blank sheets, which would then be printed with lithographs. During a house search, thousands of allegedly forged Dalí lithographs were found at Moore's residence. However, he was not criminally convicted as Moore was suffering from dementia. Nevertheless, he and his wife had to pay 1.2 million dollars to the Dalí-Gala Foundation.

In the dispute among the self-proclaimed heirs of Dalí regarding the person of Captain Moore, he was no longer able to publish his memories of the 20 eventful years of time and art history with Dalí, partly due to his advanced age. Moore had already chosen the title for his memoirs: “Soft Watches – Hard Time.”

Second illustration: a photo of a print in Van Dam's family collection, confirming the friendship between the artist and Van Dam.
* Condition report available upon request