Rare Early Dalí Painting Rediscovered

Long held in the family of American composer Harold Arlen, Jeune femme en robe verte à demi-allongée de dos has been confirmed by the Archives Descharnes as a newly recognized early work by Salvador Dalí. Painted during his formative years at the San Fernando Academy, the serene composition reflects the artist’s classical precision and technical command—qualities that would soon give rise to his revolutionary surrealist style.

Painted circa 1925, Jeune femme en robe verte à demi-allongée de dos captures Salvador Dalí at a defining moment in his early artistic development—on the cusp of his turn toward the surrealist imagery that would soon make him world-famous. By the mid-1920s, Dalí had already experimented with various styles of painting of the early 20th century, including Impressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism. Studying at the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, the artist began to embrace a neo-classical clarity that signaled his growing confidence and artistic maturity. In particular, Dalí’s admiration for the precision and purity of line found in the works of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres shaped the disciplined elegance that distinguishes this painting.

Works from this brief pre-Surrealist period reveal a young painter deeply absorbed in the study of form, proportion, and light, refining his technique through close observation of the Old Masters. The composition, depicting a young woman seen from behind in quiet repose, embodies the serene balance and sculptural fullness that mark Dalí’s finest works from this period. The model's softly turned shoulder, the subtle curve of her back, and the crisp fall of the green dress are rendered with exquisite control, evoking both intimacy and restraint. Stripped of narrative detail, the figure becomes timeless—an exploration of harmony, light, and form that hints at the technical assurance soon to underlie Dalí’s surrealist imagination.

With a distinguished provenance descending through the family of the American composer Harold Arlen, Jeune femme en robe verte à demi-allongée de dos has remained in private hands for decades. Examined by the Archives Descharnes, the painting has been identified as the third previously unknown work by Dalí to surface in the past eleven years. The unpainted peripheral areas suggest that Dalí was painting from a live model—a practice typical of his academic work before his permanent dismissal from the Academy in 1926. Pigment analysis further supports this dating, confirming that the medium used in both the composition and signature is consistent with those available during the 1920s. Together, these findings situate the artist in the final years of his studies at the San Fernando Academy.

Jeune femme en robe verte à demi-allongée de dos offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire an outstanding example of Dalí’s pre-Surrealist period. It stands as a testament to the technical assurance and classical sensibility that would underpin his later, more fantastical visions—a quietly powerful work offering collectors and scholars alike a compelling glimpse into the disciplined foundation of one of the twentieth century’s most visionary artists.

Important Fine Art

Auction Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 11am
Exhibition November 15 - 17

Lot 165
Salvador Dalí
Spanish, 1904-1989
Jeune femme en robe verte à demi-allongée de dos, circa 1925
Signed Dali, Oil on canvas, 18 1/4 x 21 1/2 inches (46.4 x 54.6 cm).
The Rita Arlen Trust
Est. $150,000-250,000
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