Monday, May 8, 2017

Dalí Paints a Sugar-Daddy's Daughter

Salvador Dalí (1904-1989: biography here), like many other painters resorted to making portraits from time to time in order to help earn a living.

One example is that of Dorothy Spreckels (brief obituary here), daughter of sugar magnate Adolph Spreckels and former artists' model Alma Spreckels (who according to the link referred to Adolph as her "sugar daddy"). The Spreckels donated the San Francisco Legion of Honor to the city in 1924.

Their youngest daughter, Dorothy, was also interested in art and was painted by Dalí in 1942. This portrait is in the Legion of Honor, but not always on display. The museum's link to it is here. And here is an account of Dalí's doings in the Bay Area in 1941-42.

I visited the Legion of Honor in December 2016, but didn't notice Dorothy's portrait. But I did see and photograph it three years earlier.

Gallery

Alma Spreckels in 1904.

Dalí and Dorothy at Monterey's Hotel Del Monte, 28 August 1941.

The portrait -- museum site image.

As it appeared on my camera.

Close-up of Dorothy. Not shown here are some Surrealist bits to the right.

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