Robert Descharnes, a photographer from Nevers, France, dedicated four decades of his life to protecting the artistic legacy and ultimately saving the life of surrealist master Salvador Dalí. Born on January 1, 1926, in Nevers, Descharnes would go on to become one of Dalí's closest collaborators and most trusted confidants.
Their fateful meeting occurred in 1950 aboard the passenger ship America, where the young photographer's path crossed with that of the already famous Spanish artist. This chance encounter on the ship's deck would mark the beginning of a lifelong partnership that would prove crucial to preserving Dalí's artistic integrity and, eventually, his very existence.
Descharnes quickly became one of Dalí's key collaborators, initially working as a photographer to create preparatory images for the artist's works. He later attempted to help realize Dalí's ambitious film project "The Prodigious Adventure of the Lacemaker and the Rhinoceros," though the film ultimately remained unfinished. However, his most significant contribution was his relentless 40-year battle alongside police forces across multiple countries to combat the production and distribution of counterfeit Dalí artworks.
After years of protecting his friend's artistic genius, Descharnes found himself in the position of having to rescue Dalí's actual life. Following the death of Gala, Dalí's beloved wife and muse, in 1982, the artist had lost much of his creative energy and vitality. He remained bedridden in his room at Púbol Castle in Catalonia, Spain, where he had become oddly fascinated by the spark produced by the bell he used to summon his nurses.
This seemingly harmless fascination turned into a life-threatening situation on August 30, 1984. The spark from Dalí's bell triggered a devastating fire in his castle bedroom. Descharnes, who had become the artist's private secretary, arrived at the scene just in time to rescue Dalí from the flames that threatened to consume both the artist and his surroundings.
Following his hospitalization for injuries sustained in the fire, Dalí relocated to Figueres, where he would spend his final years until his death in 1989. Thanks to Descharnes' quick action and dedication, the world did not lose one of its most iconic artists to a tragic accident, allowing Dalí to live out his remaining years in safety.
