Contour Drawing of Dalí in a Mixed-Media Frame by Nall (Image courtesy of The Nall Institute LLC in Fairhope)

In 1972, Dalí became Nall's mentor after Patrice—a father-like figure to Nall who claimed to know the surrealist master—introduced the two in Europe. After many close calls and missed connections, Nall grew discouraged that he still had not met Dalí, especially since he was scheduled to leave Cadaqués, Spain, the following day. Desperate to help, Patrice discovered where Dalí was having lunch in Figueres, Spain. Nall waited at a table while Patrice went to the back of the restaurant to ask if a meeting was possible. Patrice returned and explained that Dalí was busy eating, but when he finished and walked out, Nall should approach him, kindly introduce himself, and express his deep admiration for Dalí’s work. Nall protested, telling Patrice that he would have to introduce him instead, as was customary with his upbringing in Alabama. Patrice agreed, instructing Nall that right after the introduction, he should hold out his gravure and say, "This is what I do, and I would like to study with you," and then wait for a reply.

As Dalí emerged from a sea of people, Nall stood waiting. Patrice introduced him, but Nall found himself completely starstruck and unable to speak. Instead of shaking Dalí's hand, Nall stood with his mouth wide open and held out his gravure. The print featured one of two works—either The Union of Hermes and Aphrodite or Do Not Bear Too Much Reality—though Nall does not remember exactly which one. Dalí unrolled the artwork, looked at it, and then let go of one end, letting it roll up again before handing it over his shoulder to someone in his entourage. Dalí then said, "Yes, come and see me in Paris." Still entirely speechless, Nall stepped aside as Dalí and his followers seemingly vanished, marking the official beginning of Nall's mentorship with the master.

After this encounter, Nall and Patrice went back to their table. Nall remarked to himself, "My goal was accomplished; I have met, seen, and given to Dalí a piece of my work," thinking that would be the end of it. Celebrating the moment, Nall and Patrice had another bottle of wine before reality set in and Nall realized they had to leave the next day. Nall wanted to go back to the hotel to see if they could check out and pay the bill; otherwise, he was unsure how he would afford all of this. However, this was not the end for Patrice—it was only the beginning. From that moment on, Nall was Dalí’s protégé.

They got back to the hotel, and Patrice ordered another bottle of champagne. Nall had no idea how Patrice was going to pay for it. Patrice then ordered one of the garçons to fetch the owner of the hotel, Sophie. Once she came over, she ordered hors d'oeuvres and refreshments for them to eat. Patrice told her that they had just had lunch with Dalí and that Nall was his protégé, soon going to work with him in Paris. Nall was embarrassed by Patrice’s grand recollection of the prior event because Cadaqués was a small place; to Nall, it was obvious he had not had dinner with Dalí, nor was it obvious that he was Dalí’s chosen protégé.

Excited, Sophie said, "Oh yes, I would love to see some of Nall’s work!" Nall ran up to his room and retrieved a few pieces. While Nall was gone, Patrice told Sophie that if she was lucky, Nall would give her an etching to pay for their stay at the hotel. This stay included Patrice's laundry, multiple bottles of champagne, the people Patrice had entertained at the hotel, and a few other expenses Nall was completely unaware of. Sophie accepted the gravure as payment—a piece Nall later stated he "couldn’t even sell for $20 in Paris" used to clear a bill worth $600 to $700 in expenses. Patrice’s public relations tactics worked perfectly for Nall, even though he had, as Nall puts it, "gilded the lily."

Embarrassed, Nall begged Sophie to let him do something else for her, such as a portrait, to which she agreed. He later sent her another etching inspired by her portrait reference, titled "Leda and the Mind."

"Leda and the Mind" etching framed by Nall (Image Courtesy of The Nall Institute LLC. in Fairhope)

Transcription from an audio interview of Nall

Meeting Dali

A Portrait in Vence by Robin Blocker