What makes you the expert?

In 1980, I (Bernard Ewell) was asked to appraise two prints attributed to Salvador Dalí and my examination showed that they were not the “original lithographs” that they were represented as being. I called the gallery that had sold them and was referred to the publisher who referred me to his attorney. This man told me to “just accept the paperwork and not cause any trouble”. I was hooked and I contacted every potential source of expertise that I could. At every turn I was warned off and told that the entire Dalí print market was “a can of worms” and that no one really knew what was going on. Obviously this was an opportunity to fill a niche that no one else wanted.

From that time on, I pursued every avenue of information I could, further developed my strength of identifying print mediums and soon became the only art professional who could make determinations of authenticity about the vast number of titles and images being sold in the print boom of the 1980’s as “original prints by Salvador Dalí”.

By 1987, I was in a position to accept the first of three commissions to appraise the collection of the Salvador Dalí Museum. I was then hired as expert witness for one of the earliest art fraud court cases. During the next six years I served as expert in many such cases, working for the Federal Trade Commission, FBI, Justice Department, Postal Inspection Service, military Offices of Special Investigation, and various state Attorneys General and District Attorneys. I estimate about 65% of my time was spent on court cases during those years.

Each new case brought me an enormous amount of information through access to publishers’ files, examination of thousands of prints, interviews with various players in the market and legal investigations. I figured out how questioned prints had been produced and frequently educated judges and juries in my techniques and findings. I was associated with court cases in Federal Court, Tax Court and numerous state courts. None of my clients – whether law enforcement or regulatory agencies, insurance companies or private collectors – lost their cases. People went to jail, paid fines and were put out of business. Unfortunately, restitution for victims of this fraud was seldom paid.

The numbers of victims were huge and I heard many heart-breaking stories from people who had invested their retirement funds, their children’s college money and other resources they could ill afford to lose. All had been told they were making great investments.

I published numerous articles, gave numerous interviews, lectured extensively and served as consultant for a CBS News 60 Minutes program. Since that time, I have continued to travel to every collection I can find and have prepared many thousands of appraisals and opinions of authenticity. In addition, I have appraised the collection of The Salvador Dalí Museum three times, visited the Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dalí in Spain twice, been a guest of the Albaretto Collection in Turin, Italy (world’s largest private Dalí collection), met with publishers and dealers and pursued every source of information I could find. I have now examined over 48,000 prints and a couple of thousand unique artworks attributed to Dalí.

APPRAISER’S QUALIFICATIONS:

Bernard Ewell, ASA, an Accredited Senior Appraiser—tested and Certified in Fine Arts—has provided professional services since 1972. As a Senior Member of the American Society of Appraisers he meets recertification requirements through lecturing, writing, service as President of the Denver and New Mexico Chapters, and adherence to the Principals of Appraisal Practice and Code of Ethics as well as the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice of the Appraisal Foundation. He has also served as a course developer and instructor for the American Society of Appraisers. He has taught at the University of Missouri, Kansas City; George Washington University, Washington D.C.; the Rhode Island School of Design; and the University of California, Irvine.

Following Ph.D. studies at the University of Florida, the University of London and the University of Ghana, Mr. Ewell operated an art gallery, founded a private appraisal and painting restoration service, and Ewell Fine Art Publications. He frequently serves as an expert witness in Federal, District, and Tax Courts. He has also been a consultant to CBS News “60 Minutes” and serves as a mentor to many in his profession.

Having examined and appraised over 48,000 Salvador Dalí prints as well as the collection of The Salvador Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida and a great many private collections, Mr. Ewell is considered the foremost authority on the art of Salvador Dalí (Spanish 1904-1989). He has provided expert examinations and testimony for many state and Federal law-enforcement and regulatory agencies.

In addition to being the subject of a great many articles and a television documentary, Mr. Ewell has published over eighty magazine articles. He is Analytical Columnist for ART-TALK magazine and a contributing author for the Handbook on the Appraisal of Personal Property and the Personal Property Journal. He has lectured at numerous museums from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum to the National Gallery in Beijing.

Mr. Ewell has been an officer and Board member of numerous art and civic organizations in Colorado and New Mexico.

Bernard Ewell is currently working on a three year commission to research and write the definitive catalogue of prints attributed to Salvador Dalí. Publication is projected for 2010.



Testimonials
"Having lived through 45 years of Dalí's career as a private collector, I have yet to find a so called "Dalí Expert" who can speak with more authority than yourself. This is why I requested you to make the appraisal for us. I can assure any inquirer of its fairness and your competence."
- A. Reynolds Morse, President
The Salvador Dalí Foundation, Inc.

"I, Dr. Mara Albaretto Berio, as the original collector with my husband Giuseppe, and sole administrator of the Albaretto Collection of original Salvador Dalí artworks, declare that Mr. Bernard Ewell, ASA, Senior Member of the American Society of Appraisers, Federal Expert, and Salvador Dalí authority, has examined our entire collection and accompanying documentation. We certify him as fully competent to appraise and authenticate Dalí artworks in the collection of Mara, Christiana and Giuseppe Albaretto of Turin, Italy. Mr. Ewell has the full confidence of the Albaretto Family."

Bernard Ewell Complete Resume (download the PDF)