A landmark work from the surrealist canon will soon reach the market as Bonhams prepares to auction Bacchanale, the largest painting created by Salvador Dalí. The work will headline the auction house’s annual spring Surrealist sale in Paris later this month.
Importantly, the monumental artwork comes from a significant private collection and carries notable historical relevance. In 1939, Dalí produced Bacchanale as a stage set for a ballet of the same name at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Moreover, the artist described the project as his first “paranoiac-critical ballet,” integrating visual art, narrative and stage production into a unified creative concept.
Collaboration across art, fashion and performance
At the same time, the production brought together several influential cultural figures. Choreography came from Léonide Massine, while fashion designer Coco Chanel contributed to costume and accessory design. Consequently, the ballet reflected an intersection of visual art, performance and fashion during a transformative period for avant-garde culture.
The artwork itself forms a monumental construction made up of 13 large components, including a vast stage backdrop and multiple sets of canvases. Altogether, the composition spans more than 20 by 30 meters, making it the largest painting Dalí ever produced. Furthermore, the work features highly detailed imagery combined with three-dimensional elements and signature surrealist symbolism. The central motif depicts the Mount of Venus topped by a swan, an image associated with themes of desire and transgression. Dalí also supervised the final curtain and backdrop designs, incorporating a faceless reclining woman similar to the motif in L’Énigme sans fin.
Auction positioning and market context
“For the fourth-year running, Bonhams celebrates the enthralling world of Surrealism with a dedicated spring auction in Paris,” stated Emilie Millon, Head of Bonhams’ Impressionist & Modern Art department in Paris. “We are happy to offer at auction Bacchanale, a stage set, but above all it is the largest painting created by Salvador Dalí for the New York Opera House, a priceless fantasy that can become a reality for any collector.”
Meanwhile, the painting recently appeared in high-profile exhibitions in Madrid and Milan. It will now go under the hammer on March 26, alongside works by other surrealist artists including Jane Graverol and Francis Picabia. Consequently, the sale underscores sustained institutional and collector interest in surrealist masterpieces within the global art market.