Divine Comedy? Divine Tragedy? Or Divine Farce? - Case Study

Independent Authentication and Appraisal

While this correspondence was going back and forth, Sharon and Julian decided that they would arrange for international experts to examine the prints and determine their authenticity and real value.

With help from Fine Art Registry, Sharon Day arranged for three leading experts to meet with her and Teri Franks, CEO of FAR®, along with a FAR video team, at Mana Fine Arts in Jersey City, New Jersey, with a view to opening the crate and examining the prints, both scientifically and by Dali experts to determine the authenticity or otherwise of the prints themselves and the signatures, and to estimate their value.

Nicolas Descharnes is the son of Robert Descharnes, long-term photographer, friend and associate of Salvador Dali. The Descharnes, father and son, are the only experts used by Sotheby's and Christie’s to authenticate original Dali works before they will accept them for auction. Without the authentication of the Descharnes, no original Dali work will see the light of day at auction at these two top art auction houses. The Descharnes are experts in detecting fraudulent Dali work and have very extensive files and much experience in isolating the real from the fake in terms of original work and Dali signatures.

Frank Hunter is Director of the Salvador Dali Archives, Ltd. He met Salvador Dali for the first time forty years ago when he (Mr. Hunter) was helping Albert Field with the compilation of The Official Catalog of the Graphic Works of Salvador Dali, still the definitive reference on Dali's prints and etchings. When Albert Field died, Frank Hunter continued with the work which had occupied much of his life, and he has kept the archives and offered authentication services for Dali prints. He is looked on by government agencies, galleries, auction houses, museums, dealers and private collectors as the authority on the prints and other graphic works of Salvador Dali.

Joseph Barabe is a Senior Research Microscopist and Director of Scientific Imaging at McCrone Associates, Inc. of Westmont, Illinois, specializing in scientific examination of art and printed materials through microscopy and chemical analysis.

With video cameras rolling, the crate containing Sharon and Julian's purchase was opened by Shaul Shemesh, Operations Manager at Mana Fine Arts, and the contents carefully removed and examined by these three experts in the presence of Sharon Day and Teri Franks.

A summary and the salient points of their examination and expert opinions can be seen on video at

Divine Comedy? Divine Tragedy? Or Divine Farce? The Great Park West Dalí Half Million Dollar Swindle.

The results are summarized here.

Results of the Expert Authentication

Damage

Incidental, perhaps, to the main issues, examination of the prints, books and slip cases showed them to be damaged. Frank Hunter described the condition as "Fair" after inspecting some of the slip cases and prints. The condition of the set was a far cry from the way it was described in the sales emails and literature from Morris Shapiro to Sharon and Julian.

Note the representations as to the condition of the set:

"They were issued in 1964 in the same manner they currently exist. The individual impressions are pristine and have essentially been un-exposed for 43-44 years."

The wordage of the appraisal and certificate of authenticity for the set echoes these claims:

Note the representation here:

"In original folios as issued."

And in the "Professional Opinion" which Park West paid Bernard Ewell to write, he claimed the set was in "excellent condition" (was he talking about the same set?).

Inspection of the set that came out of the crate, untouched since it left Park West Gallery in Southfield, Michigan to be stored in the Mana Fine Arts climate controlled environment, showed a considerable amount of damage, both to the slipcases and to the prints themselves, such that Frank Hunter described their condition as "Fair".

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