A couple now owns an original Salvador Dali work of art thanks to a woman’s sharp eye at a thrift store.
Wendy Hawkins volunteers at Hotline Pink thrift shop in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. She said, when a painted wood engraving caught her eye, she took it to Seaside Art Gallery to be appraised by owner Melanie Smith.
“I said, ‘This is old,'” said Hawkins. “This is something special.”
Smith’s research indicated the piece was from Dali’s series “The Divine Comedy.”
According to The Coastland Times, Hawkins noticed some small drawings in the top left-hand corner of the painting, which led her to believe it could be an original.
“It’s rare to find anything like this, and, thanks to Wendy, it was rescued and brought to light so people in the art world can really enjoy it,” Smith said.
A couple paid $1,200 for the piece, which is one of 100 different images in the series. According to artsy.com, the series illustrates hell, purgatory and paradise.
