Man Buys Painting at Estate Sale for $198—Then Discovers How Much Its Worth

Newsweek

31-07-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
To most, it was just another quirky painting in a box of forgotten bric-a-brac in a London garage. But to one antiques dealer, it was worth a second glance.
Two years ago, a 60-year-old art lover had visited a Cambridge house clearance auction, simply looking for a piece to hang on his wall.
When one lot came up, he could barely believe his eyes. Stickers on the back indicated that it had been listed in an auction with Sotheby, one of the largest fine art brokers in the world, in the 1990s. Alongside this, a signature. Dalí.
A picture of the painting, Salvador Dalí's Vecchio Sultano, that was purchased for just $198 at a house clearance.
A picture of the painting, Salvador Dalí's Vecchio Sultano, that was purchased for just $198 at a house clearance.
Cheffins
The piece didn't even have a reserve price, and when nobody else in the room showed much interest, he decided to offer £150 ($198), an amount that won him the piece.
The painting, which depicts a bejeweled sultan, the 38cm x 29cm piece was still shrouded in mystery, prompting the new owner to get an expert opinion.
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"I did a little bit of research and I couldn't believe what I was looking at," the anonymous man told The Guardian.
He turned to Nicolas Descharnes, Dalí expert and son of Robert Descharnes, biographer of Salvador Dalí.
That was when things changed. In a certificate of authenticity from May 26, 2025, Descharnes confirmed the unexpected—the painting is real.
"According to my opinion and my knowledge of the work, the piece reproduced above—as well as on the front—is indeed by the hand of Salvador Dalí Domenech (1904–1989)," Descharnes wrote in the authentication document. "Vecchio sultano (Old Sultan), illustration for the collection of tales One Thousand and One Nights, 1966. Signed and dated in felt-tip pen at the bottom left: Dalí 1966."
A visitor looks at illustrations by Spanish artist Salvador Dali during an exhibit entitled "On the Human Comedy" at the Mina Image Centre in Beirut on April 5, 2024.
A visitor looks at illustrations by Spanish artist Salvador Dali during an exhibit entitled "On the Human Comedy" at the Mina Image Centre in Beirut on April 5, 2024.
JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his dreamlike, eccentric imagery and technical precision. Born in Figueres, Catalonia, he became one of the most influential and flamboyant figures of 20th-century art. With works in multiple mediums including painting, sculpture, film and illustration, Dalí's is known for his bold imagination and the enduring impact of surrealism on modern culture.
Gabrielle Downie, Associate at Cheffins in Cambridge who have been tasked with auctioning the work shared some background: She told Newsweek: "The Albarettos who commissioned this work had initially asked Dali to illustrate a bible in 1963, but upon Dali's insistence, he instead ended up illustrating scenes from 1001 Nights—a collection of Middle Eastern folktales.
"It seems Dali was fascinated with Moorish culture and believed himself to be from a Moorish line. It seems that this project was abandoned, with Dali only having completed 100 of the intended 500 works," she said.
A close-up of the signature on the painting.
A close-up of the signature on the painting.
Cheffins
Now, the Vecchio Sultano piece has been valued at £20,000 to £30,000 ($26,400 to $39,600) and will be sold at auction by fine art specialists Cheffins in Cambridge on 23 October, 2025.
Downie said: "To handle a genuine rediscovery of a work by who is easily one of the most famous artists in the world, and the godfather of Surrealism, is a real honor.
"It has been an exciting process researching and having this painting authenticated and it is a testament to the sellers' significant art knowledge that he was able to spot this picture at a house clearance sale.
"While Dali's work is often some of the most recognizable, this is an unusual piece which shows a different side to his practice when working in watercolor."