The Descharnes' Undying Commitment to Salvador Dali

Protecting the Reputation of the Life's Work of the Artist for Well Over Half a Century

by Theresa Franks for Fine Art Registry®

Salvador Dali created a foundation for himself in Spain with the directive to:

promote, encourage, popularize, honor, and defend within the Spanish territory, as well as in other countries, the artistic, cultural and intellectual works of Salvador Dali.

For decades Robert Descharnes has seriously pursued Dali's decree to "honor" and "defend" the artist's body of work. There is no one that can dispute that Robert Descharnes was more than a secretary to the great painter. He was a cherished friend.

Face à face, Robert Descharnes et Salvador Dalí tenant respectivement un oursin et une corne de rhinocéros d'Asie, deux emblèmes du film L'Histoire prodigieuse de la Dentellière et du Rhinocéros, Paris, Hotel Meurice 1957.

Face to face, Robert Descharnes and Salvador Dali holding respectively a sea urchin and an Asian rhinoceros horn, two (emblèmes) of the film "The Prodigious Adventure of the Lacemaker and the Rhinoceros", Paris, Hotel Meurice 1957.

Courtesy © 2009 Descharnes & Descharnes sarl / daliphoto.com

With few exceptions, Robert Descharnes is probably the closest the art world will ever come to understanding the immensity of who the great artist really was. The elder Descharnes and his son, Nicolas Descharnes, maintain the world's largest archive of primary source documentation and information concerning the artist. Save Enrique Sabater, predecessor to Robert Descharnes, there is probably no one alive today that can lay claim to having "been there" at Dali's side when it mattered most. Though Salvador Dali is no longer with us, Robert Descharnes remains steadfastly devoted to his dear friend's memory and continues to honor Dali's life by persevering in what has become a seemingly unending battle to win the war against the proliferation of Dali fakes and forgeries on the market. Robert Descharnes and his son Nicolas work with the world's largest auction houses in the authentication of original Dali works of art.

Paris, 27 juin 2001. Robert et Nicolas Descharnes au cours de l'expertise d'une oeuvre de jeunesse.

Paris, 27 June 2001. Robert and Nicolas Descharnes during the examination for the authentication of a painting of the youth period.

Courtesy © 2009 Descharnes & Descharnes sarl / daliphoto.com

Aside from having intimately known the Dalí family (a distinct recognition about which few individuals can legitimately boast), Robert Descharnes was and is an artist himself - an accomplished photographer, film producer and author who has published scores of books where his photographic brilliance is illustrated. Robert Descharnes managed to uniquely capture Dali's genius and creativity - the rarest and most elusive moments from the artist's life - in a kaleidoscope of emotive, marvelously composed photographic images. In his photography, Robert Descharnes poignantly preserved and archived Dali's life, which culminated in a vital and very important contribution to art history. Robert Descharnes is a living icon in his own right and deserves to be recognized for his dedication and his unselfish commitment to the man he adored and called his friend.

Musée du Louvre, Paris samedi 20 novembre 1954. Scène de tournage pour le film de Salvador Dalí et Robert Descharnes l'Histoire prodigieuse de la Dentellière et du Rhinocéros.

Musée du Louvre, Paris Saturday 20 November 1954. Footage for the film of Dali and Robert Descharnes, "The Prodigious Adventure of the Lacemaker and the Rhinoceros". Robert Descharnes is filming while Dali is copying the Lacemaker of Vermeer.

Courtesy © 2009 Descharnes & Descharnes sarl / daliphoto.com
unpublished

Robert Descharnes, now 83, is still waging war on fraud for his good friend, Dali, along with his son Nicolas Descharnes, who has been working with his father diligently for more than two decades cataloguing, maintaining, and preserving the massive archives and documentation that Robert Descharnes has collected over the years including photographs, film, letters, journals, and an incredible host of other tangible objects and media that make up the wonderful world of Salvador Dali. The rich history of this monumental archive of information will no doubt serve future generations, especially as it relates to preventing Dali fakes and forgeries that proliferate here in the U.S. and abroad.

21 octobre 1959. Salvador Dalí, Gala et Robert Descharnes dans le dressing de la maison de Port Lligat choisissant des clichés photographiques.

21 October 1959. Salvador Dalí, Gala and Robert Descharnes in the dressing room of the house of Port Lligat choosing photographs.

Courtesy © 2009 Descharnes & Descharnes sarl / daliphoto.com
unpublished

There is a great deal to know about the man, Robert Descharnes, and his tremendous gift to the art world through his perpetual and everlasting commitment to the Dalí world of art. We are certain that Robert Descharnes’ life story would fill volumes. His efforts are reflected in the assistance he has freely given Fine Art Registry®, scores of individuals, and law enforcement authorities over the years - all in an effort to "honor" and "defend" and protect Dali and his work from those that seek by sheer greed to erode and diminish the reputation of Dali and the value of his work. The Fine Art Registry readership may not know that Robert Descharnes served the U.S. Department of Justice in one of the most famous Dali art fraud cases in history known as the U.S. v. Center Art Galleries, -- Hawaii, Inc.

In fact, it was Robert Descharnes alone who discovered that the two paper manufacturers (Rives and Arches) on which the vast majority of Dali prints were being manufactured had changed their watermarks in 1980 by adding an infinity symbol, leading to the incontrovertible conclusion that the prints with the infinity watermark bear the forged signature of Dali. After this remarkable discovery by Robert Descharnes, Dali issued a notarized, sworn statement that he did not sign in series after 1979.

On May 4, 1990, following a five-month trial before Judge Harold M. Fong, a jury convicted Center Art Gallery's William Mett and Marvin Wiseman of numerous counts of mail and wire fraud in connection with the sale of fraudulent Dalí art works. After the case had concluded, the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii (the U.S. Department of Justice) wrote a letter to Mr. Descharnes, dated May 10, 1990, inviting Robert Descharnes to submit his opinions to be reflected in the pre-sentencing report of the perpetrators (Mett and Wiseman). The letter went onto state that they couldn't have succeeded in a conviction against the fraudsters without Robert Descharnes' willing assistance. The letter is published here in its entirety, courtesy of Descharnes & Descharnes. Specifically, the Assistant U.S. Attorney states, in part:

Letter provided courtesy Descharnes & Descharnes sarl

Since the conclusion of the Hawaii Center Art Gallery case in the late 1980s, and with the advent of the Internet and the digital age, the explosion of fakes and forgeries being produced and distributed in the Dali art market continue to spiral out of control - with seemingly no end in sight and ostensibly few that are willing to help fight the ongoing fraud. While the Center Art Gallery scam was one of the largest art fraud cases in history, it pales in comparison to what we are dealing with today in the 21st century with thousands upon thousands of potential victims and potentially billions of dollars in losses worldwide.

Historically, the Descharnes have fought against the fraud and forgery in the Dali market and there is no doubt that as long as they live, the two, father and son, will continue to devote themselves to preserving the legitimate body of work of Salvador Dali in addition to preventing the production and distribution of Dali fakes and forgeries.

Fine Art Registry is honored to have Robert and Nicolas Descharnes fighting with us, accompanied by Frank Hunter of The Salvador Dali Archives to help in ensuring a more robust Dali art market and to protect Dali's good name and reputation for the ages.

Port Lligat, 1er novembre 1959. Robert Descharnes, Dalí et Gala au cours d'une séance de travail pour le film L'Aventure prodigieuse du Rhinocéros et de la Dentellière.

Port Lligat, 1st November 1959. Robert Descharnes, Dalí and Gala during the making of the film "The Prodigious Adventure of the Lacemaker and the Rhinoceros".

Courtesy © 2009 Descharnes & Descharnes sarl / daliphoto.com

Fine Art Registry plans to publish more articles in the near future featuring Robert Descharnes and his son Nicolas Descharnes and their important and selfless commitment to eradicating the fakes and forgeries on the Dalí market, especially in the United States where much of the fraud seems to be centered.

Article by Theresa Franks for Fine Art Registry®, October 20, 2009   |   Discuss Story on FAR® Forum   |   Print   |  

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