Bust of John F. Kennedy
Salvador Dalí
This sculpture by Salvador Dalí holds a distinctive place within his three-dimensional oeuvre, both for its technique and the circumstances of its creation. Originally modeled in wax, it is one of the few sculptures personally executed by the artist, lending it rare historical and artistic significance.
Dalí’s Homage to President Kennedy
The work is a deeply personal tribute to President John F. Kennedy, a figure for whom Dalí held great admiration and friendship. Conceived as a wax sketch during his visit to the White House, before the President’s tragic assassination, the piece carries a near-prophetic aura, rich in personal and universal symbolism.
Executed around 1965 at the workshop of renowned sculptor Miguel Berrocal in Verona, it is an artist’s proof and number 2 of a highly limited edition of only four, all cast under Dalí’s close supervision to the highest technical standards. Signed and numbered, it is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued in 2013 by Nicolas, Robert, and Olivier Descharnes, leading experts on Dalí’s work.
The sculpture reflects Dalí’s surrealist language: dreamlike forms and expressive green-patinated bronze textures shape a composition of striking visual impact and symbolic depth. Kennedy’s portrait merges with distorted elements evoking the fragility of power and the permanence of myth, placing the work at the intersection of art, history, and memory.
More than an artistic statement, it stands as a rare historical document that enriches Salvador Dalí’s sculptural legacy.
Technical Specifications
- Dimensions: Total 42.1 × 22 × 28 cm; Sculpture 32.1 × 22 × 28 cm; Base 10 × 16.8 × 16.7 cm
- Weight: Total 17.5 kg; Sculpture 9.7 kg
- Materials: Bronze, lost-wax casting, bronze paper clips, dark green patina; base in serpentine stone
- Edition: 4 Artist’s Proofs [EA I–IV/IV]; 6 examples [1/6–6/6], signed Dalí, foundry Gi.Bi.Esse Verona (1966–1968), supervised by Miguel Berrocal
- Markings: Signed and numbered [Dalí EA II/IV]; certificate by Nicolas Descharnes
- Provenance: Gi.Bi.Esse; Berrocal Collection; Estate of Berrocal; private collection (2023)
- Condition: EA IV/IV excellent; EA II/IV with bronze wire clips (no rust)
- Packaging: Museum crate 59 × 47 × 40 cm; tare 12 kg; gross 29.5 kg
