The results of the exhumation of the remains of El Salvador were given. Scientists have explained why Dali's mustache remained safe and sound

Salvador Dali During his lifetime he was a real king of outrageousness and repeatedly found himself at the center of scandals. 28 years have passed since his death, but the name of the great surrealist is again on the front pages of the world media. Another high-profile story involves Pilar Abel, a tarot card fortune teller who claimed that she was the daughter of a famous artist. The woman achieved the exhumation of the artist’s body and finally waited for the results of the examination.

By decision of the Spanish court, the body was exhumed on July 20, 2017 famous surrealist. Experts conducted an expensive DNA test, which made it possible to determine whether Abel is illegitimate daughter Dali. Now Abel is 61 years old, according to her, since childhood she heard from her mother and grandmother that her father was famous artist. Relatives even called her “Dali without a mustache,” emphasizing her external resemblance.

Pilar is from Catalonia, and for ten years she has been trying to prove her relationship with Salvador Dali. The woman has something to fight for: the artist had no heirs, he bequeathed his entire fortune to Spain, which is about 300 million euros, of which a quarter, by law, must be transferred to Pilar (if the DNA test is positive).

Pilar's position is supported by the world famous illusionist Uri Geller. According to him, in one of the private conversations Dali admitted to him that he was the father of two illegitimate children from different women.

Pilar's statements are questionable, primarily because Salvador Dali is known as a voyeur; some of his friends even believed that he was cold towards women and doubted that he had sexual relations with them. Dali himself repeatedly admitted that he was afraid female body and only once experienced intimacy with his Russian wife Gala.

That is why Pilar's statements shocked the public. The woman claims that her mother Antonia worked as a maid in Cadaques for Dali's neighbors in the 1950s. Afterwards, she went to work in Salvador’s house, and a whirlwind romance allegedly broke out between them.

There were no children in the marriage of Dali and Gala, but whether the artist could have become a father “on the side” is an open question. Uri Geller claims that in the painting " last supper» Salvador Dali depicted his two children. “He painted his children with their heads down, so they are unrecognizable,” the illusionist emphasized.

Hearing accusations of wanting to enrich herself at the expense of the great artist, Pilar says that she started the legal battle not because of money, but simply out of a desire to find out who she really is.

In 2007, she previously conducted a DNA test using skin and hair taken from Dali's death mask, but the results were controversial. Due to a lack of biological material to conduct a more thorough study, Spanish judges agreed to exhume the body.

According to materials from the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, experts published the results of DNA tests. Pilar Abel and Salvador Dali are not related by blood.

It is not yet known for certain whether Salvador Dali had mistresses, but his wife Gala had many affairs. From our review you can find out who Gala sympathized with and even who lived with the couple as a lover.

Based on materials from thesun.co.uk

Maria Pilar Abel Martinez has been trying for ten years to prove that she is the artist's biological daughter. This summer the story reached its climax. The court ordered the exhumation of the remains and a DNA test. The results were negative.

Who is Pilar Abel

According to the newspaper El Pais, Maria Pilar Abel Martinez is a 61-year-old clairvoyant from Girona, Spain. For more than eight years she acted as a fortune teller in a program on local television. The town of Girona is just an hour's drive from Figueres, where Salvador Dali was born and raised.

According to Abel Martinez, she first heard that Dali was her father from her grandmother. One day she told her: “I know that you are not the daughter of my son and that you are the daughter of a great artist, but I love you just as much.” In addition, Abel claimed that when her grandmother scolded her, she often said: “You are strange, just like your father.”

In the 50s, according to Abel, her mother worked as a maid in Port Lligat. Nearby, the Dali family had a house, which later became the artist’s museum. Abel claims that Antonia worked for Dali’s friends, whom the artist often visited.

Pilar Abel was born on February 1, 1956. Even before this, the mother left the village and married another man. However, according to Abel, she was born precisely after secret relationship the artist and her mother Antonia in 1955.

At that time, Salvador Dali had already been living in a civil marriage with his future wife Gala (nee Elena Dyakonova) for two decades. Their official wedding took place only in 1958. The couple had no children.

Exchange of claims

Salvador Dalí died in Figueres in 1989 at the age of 84. The artist bequeathed to bury himself so that people could walk on his grave. That is why Dali’s remains were walled up under the floor of his theater-museum in Figueres.

However, the artist left no biological samples on which to conduct analysis. In 2007, Pilar already tried to conduct a DNA study to establish paternity. Then the material for examination was the remains of skin and hair, which were preserved in plaster. death mask Dali.

This mask was provided by Salvador Dali's friend and biographer Robert Descharnes. But, as Abel states, she never received these tests, because their transfer was blocked by the Dali Foundation, which controls and manages the master’s entire inheritance.

However, back in 2008, in an interview with the Spanish agency EFE, Desharnes' son Nicolas said that the doctor who conducted the paternity test told him that the test result was negative.

In 2015, Abel filed a lawsuit against the Spanish Ministry of Finance and the Gala and Salvador Dali Foundation. On June 26, 2017, a Madrid court ordered the exhumation of the artist's body.

And again a fiasco

If the test results were positive, Pilar Abel could claim to bear the surname of the great painter. Also, a woman could claim a quarter of Dali’s inheritance and copyrights to his works.

During his life, the artist, who is considered one of the most famous representatives surrealism, created over a hundred works. The most expensive on this moment his painting is a portrait of Paul Eluard. This work was sold at Sotheby's for $22 million in 2011.

On July 20, Dali's remains were exhumed. For analysis, samples of hair, nails, teeth were taken, and two long bones were also extracted. However, a DNA test showed that Pilar Abel is not the painter’s daughter. The woman herself intends to challenge this decision. She noted that she “doesn’t trust the storage network” for DNA samples.

At the same time, at a meeting on September 18, the Madrid court confirmed the results of the genetic examination. And the Spanish prosecutor's office petitioned to recover legal costs from Pilar Abel. The prosecution stated that the woman’s behavior was “capricious and unreasonable,” as well as the doubts she expressed to the Institute of Toxicology about the error of the DNA test results.

The prosecutor's office will consider the request next week. The verdict will be announced then.

Timur Fekhretdinov

FIGUERES (Spain), July 21 - RIA Novosti, Elena Shesternina. In the Salvador Dali Theater and Museum in the Catalan city of Figueres, nothing any longer reminds of the stormy night events that took place here the day before. Most tourists who enter the museum building do not even suspect that half a day ago experts exhumed the body of the great surrealist, who unexpectedly discovered an “illegitimate daughter”, Pilar Abel Martinez.

In June, a Madrid court granted the request of this woman, who makes a living by predicting the future and solving problems by removing damage, to exhume the body of Salvador Dali for DNA tests. Despite attempts by the Gala Salvador Dali Foundation and the mayor's office of Figueres to cancel or at least delay the exhumation, it was carried out.

At 09.00 on Friday - strictly according to schedule - the museum was opened to visitors. Tourists calmly walk on the slab, under which the master’s body rests at a depth of two meters - exactly as Dali himself bequeathed - “so that people could walk on his grave.” The glass dome over the grave, contrary to plans, was not closed during the exhumation. And so that no one had plans to remove the exhumation procedure from a drone through glass - which was what the museum feared - two tents were put up for the duration of the work - one over the grave, the second over the place where the specialists were working. The tents were removed for the opening of the museum.

A group of French tourists approaches the building of the house-museum. “Yes, I heard that the body was exhumed today and I find this unacceptable. I am a big fan of Dali, I came here for the second time. Disturbing the remains of the deceased and also because of some strange woman who has no evidence that Dali father? Is this possible?” Isabel is indignant.

The mayor of the city of Figueres, Marta Felip, in an interview with RIA Novosti, admitted that all this fuss about the exhumation local residents was received with great pain. “We could never in our lives think about such a situation. The exhumation of the deceased is something very intimate, but here honor, memory and respect were literally invaded. This could have been avoided. There were other ways to solve the problem of “paternity.” But it’s been three weeks now ago we understood that exhumation was inevitable,” the mayor said.

However, the mayor does not lose optimism and hopes that thanks to this situation, everything more people people from all over the world will find out exactly where Dali is buried and come to Figueres. “What happened, happened. This is the court’s decision. We complied with it. Every cloud has a silver lining. We have a chance to remind everyone once again where Dali’s grave is and where his museum is,” said Marta Felip.

The museum is also unhappy with the exhumation. The management tried to challenge the decision of the Madrid court, but they did not have time to consider the claim, and the Fund had to come to terms. “This should not have happened. For each of us who works at the museum, this is a personal tragedy,” says a museum employee who did not want to give her name.

The “seer’s” lawyer Enrique Blanques, in a conversation with a RIA Novosti correspondent, suggested that the results of DNA tests (and they will be carried out at the Institute of Toxicology in Madrid) will become known in two weeks. The museum's management is more cautious, believing that since August is a holiday period in Spain, there is no need to expect results before September.

If the results of the analysis do not confirm that Pilar Abel is Dali's daughter, the story will not end there. The lawyer is going to question the reliability and thoroughness of the examination. Blanques assured that “if the specialists manage to prove that there were no errors in the procedure, then the litigation will be terminated.”

Meanwhile, the museum's management said that in the event of a negative test result, "it will take appropriate action to bring to justice those who caused significant damage and material costs for the exhumation," the Dalí Foundation said in a statement. They are confident that “there is no indication that the plaintiff’s claims have any basis.” “The only thing she presented was a notarized statement from one lady, who says that she is a friend of her mother, and who claims that she allegedly told her that the father of her daughter was Dali,” the head of the Gala Foundation said at a press conference. Salvador Dali" Juan Manuel Sevillano.

If experts establish that Dali really biological father Pilar Abel, then Spain will face new trials. By law, a direct heir could claim 25% of the artist’s fortune, who had no legitimate children. What exactly is the amount? we're talking about, no one can say for sure now. In 1989, Dali's legacy was estimated at $136 million, since then the amount has increased several times. According to some estimates, Abel could claim 300 million. Most of Dali's inheritance belongs to the Spanish state - hundreds of paintings, as well as the artist's property in Catalonia. The Dali Foundation says that if the inheritance trial takes place, he will not participate in it. “Pilar Abel could theoretically claim 25% of the inheritance, but this would be a claim not against the Foundation, but against the Spanish state. The Foundation will not be involved in this process,” said Foundation lawyer Albert Segura.

The seer's lawyer, Enrique Blanques, claims that Pilar Abel is not interested in money at all, but in establishing the truth. “No, she’s not doing this for money. She gives interviews for free. Her mother told her that she was Dali’s daughter when Abel was little,” the lawyer recalled. However, according to another version, which was previously repeatedly voiced by the “seer,” another woman, her paternal grandmother, was the first to tell her about her “real father.” “I know that you are not my son’s daughter, you are from a great artist, but I still love you,” said the grandmother, adding that she is “as strange as her father (meaning Dali - ed.)” states the "soothsayer".

The “seer” has already passed her DNA tests. Next up are tests for her mother, 87-year-old Antonia Martinez de Haro, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

It was previously reported that during the exhumation, “samples of two large bones, hair and nails” of the artist were taken. It was noted that his body was well preserved thanks to embalming."Therefore famous mustache kept their shape,” “it was a very emotional moment,” said Luis Peñuelas, general director of the Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation.

The trial, which will finally decide whether Dali was the father of Pilar Abel, will take place on September 18.

The exhumation of the body of surrealist artist Salvador Dali, who rested peacefully under a huge slab for 28 years in the room of the Theater-Museum in Figueres, Spain (Catalonia), took place on Thursday evening, DNA samples were sent for examination, museum director Montse Aguer told RIA Novosti.

It was necessary to lift a huge slab weighing 1.5 tons, remove the coffin, exhume Dali’s body and take DNA due to a court decision made at the end of June by a Madrid court. The judge granted the claim of the “soothsayer” Pilar Abel Martinez, who claims that Dali is her blood father. Attempts to challenge or at least delay the court decision made by the mayor's office of Figueres and the management of the museum were unsuccessful.

“Everything went according to plan. The samples taken were sent for examination,” the director of the museum told a RIA Novosti correspondent.

Dozens of journalists gathered near the building of the theater-museum, created according to Dali’s design. The entrance was guarded by several members of the Catalan police Mossos d'Esquadra. At about one o'clock in the morning local time, forensic experts left the building, loaded a suitcase with DNA samples taken from bones and teeth, equipment into the car and left. The analysis will be carried out by specialists from the Madrid Institute of Toxicology.

Next to the journalists, a few tourists could be seen watching what was happening in surprise. “It all looks strange. Some kind of surrealism. Dali is probably laughing,” says David, who came to Figueres from Pamplona for a few days to see the city. In honor of this event, David decided to curl his mustache up to resemble Dali. Under bell ringing, resounding over the night Figueres, the whole action actually looked like some kind of practical joke.

The exhumation was carried out with a minimum number of people - only representatives of the court, museum and forensic experts were present. Everyone was taken away at the entrance Cell phones- so that no one takes pictures. Fearing that they would want to film what was happening from above from a drone, the glass dome was covered.

As it turned out, the coffin was preserved in very good condition. good condition, it opened exactly at 22.20 local time. Forensic experts reported that the process took much less time than originally expected. The mayor's office, the museum's management and representatives of the High Court of Catalonia thought that they would have to spend the whole night in the building.

As the mayor of the city of Figueres, Marta Felip, told reporters, the body was in good condition. The mayor admitted that she was impressed by what was happening. "It's impressive because it's going back in time and you're reliving moments from the past," she told reporters. The mayor refused to answer the question about the condition of Dali’s famous mustache.

Tourist Ana believes that the woman who calls herself Dali’s daughter and has created a stir all over the world is “crazy.” “They created a theater for the whole world,” she laughs.

The first scandal surrounding this woman broke out several years ago in connection with the lawsuit that she filed in 2005 against journalist and writer Javier Cercas, author of one of the most famous books of modern times. spanish literature"Soldiers of Salamis" She believes that she became the prototype of the book’s heroine, Conchi, and that the writer damaged her honor and dignity, since the heroine is “ignorant, stupid, hypocritical, superficial.” Pilar demanded compensation in the amount of 700 thousand euros. In 2009, the court finally refused to satisfy this claim, since Javier Cercas did not even know the “seer.”

Abel claims that her mother Antonia Martínez de Haro had an affair with the artist in the mid-1950s while working at his friends' house in Cadaqués. At this time, Dali lived there with his wife and muse Gala. Having become pregnant at 25, Antonia moved to Castellon de Empurias and married a 29-year-old man named Juan. He became the official father of Abel.

According to the soothsayer, Dali knew about the birth of his daughter. One day, she said, Dali saw António walking down the street with a baby stroller and asked: “Is this my daughter Pilar?” She first heard that she was the illegitimate daughter of an artist from her grandmother, the mother of her official father. “I know that you are not my son’s daughter, you are from a great artist, but I still love you,” the grandmother said, adding that she is “as strange as her father (referring to Dali),” the fortune teller claims.

Abel has already passed her DNA tests. All that remains is to get tests on her 87-year-old mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's, and wait for the examination of Madrid specialists.

The final decision on whether Abel can officially consider Dali his father will be made by the court. The date has already been set - September 18. The soothsayer promised: if the decision is in her favor, she will take the name Dali.

The issue of inheritance in this case will become the subject of a separate trial. By law, she could claim a quarter of the surrealist’s entire legacy, including copyrights and paintings. In 1989, Dali's legacy was estimated at $136 million, since then the amount has increased several times. According to some estimates, Abel, who is in such a difficult financial situation that she does not even have the money to pay a lawyer, could claim $300 million. Owned by the Spanish State most of the inheritance of Dali, who, according to current official data, had no children. These are hundreds of paintings, as well as the property of the artist in Catalonia.

If the court decision is not in favor of the plaintiff, she will have to pay for all the work that was carried out in the museum. But apparently the soothsayer is determined and does not intend to give up completely. "I'm not considering any other scenario," she said on the eve of the exhumation. Her lawyer, Enrique Blanques, said they would "continue to try if the tests are not carried out with due guarantee."

The body of painter Salvador Dali was exhumed on the evening of July 20 to take a DNA sample to settle a paternity case.

Samples for the test were taken from the artist's teeth, bones and nails during a four-hour operation. The exhumation took place as a result of a court order - the request of Maria Pilar Abel Martinez was satisfied, who claims that her mother had an affair with the artist, and she herself is his daughter.
If she turns out to be right, she will be able to lay claim to Dali's inheritance, currently owned by the Spanish state.

The surrealist artist, who died in 1989 aged 85, was buried in a crypt at a museum dedicated to his life and work in Figueres, north-east Spain.

On Thursday evening, shortly before the exhumation, a crowd gathered outside the museum to watch police escort experts into the building. As soon as the last visitors of the day left the museum, the 1.5-ton stone slab that lies over Dalí's grave was lifted so that experts could reach the artist's body.

Experts who exhumed Salvador Dali's body to take samples have said the mystery artist's mustache still graces his face nearly three decades after his death.

Narcisse Bardalet, an embalmer who cared for Dalí's body after his death in 1989 and helped with the exhumation process, said he was delighted to see the surrealist's most recognizable feature again.

The exhumation took place despite the objections of local authorities and the Dali Foundation, who argued that there were insufficient reasons for this.

Maria Pilar Abel Martinez, a tarot card reader born in 1956, says her mother Antonia had an affair with Dalí for a year before Abel was born. Her mother worked for a family who spent time in Cadaques, not far from the artist's home.

Last month, a Madrid judge ordered a settlement brought by the woman. The lawsuit is being disputed by the Dalí Foundation, which manages the estate of the artist, who had no children.

Pilar Abel says her mother and paternal grandmother told her early age that Dali was her real father. But the claim has surprised many, including Ian Gibson, Dalí's Irish biographer, who believes it is simply impossible. “Dali always boasted that he was impotent and that you had to be impotent to become a great artist,” the biographer said.

Pilar Abel has been trying to prove her origins for the last 10 years and says the physical resemblance to the surrealist artist is so strong that "the only thing missing is a mustache."

In 2007, she was allowed to try to extract DNA from traces of skin and hair found on Dali's funeral mask. However, the results were inconclusive. Another attempt at DNA testing was made later that year, using material provided by the artist's friend and biographer Robert Descharnes.

Although Abel claimed that she never received the results of the second test, in 2008 Desharnes' son Nicolas told the Spanish news agency Efe that he learned from the doctor who carried out the tests that they were negative.

results last test DNA is expected in one to two months. After testing the samples, they will be returned to Dali's grave.