Missing since 1952, Dali's infamous portrait of French scat-singer, Joyce Rigaut, Le tronc du désir (1940) was discovered yesterday at an abandoned warehouse in Lodi, New Jersey. The original oil on canvas was stolen from a gallery in Paris, yet never appeared on the black market. While alive, the artist refused to comment on the theft or the work itself. It was widely believed that Dali based the portrait on a painting of Rigaut by artist Norman Conquest (shown above right).Despite being a self-proclaimed "devout lesbian," Joyce Rigaut had affairs with both artists and wrote several scathing torch songs about the relationships.
The lyrics to "Dadali-dobabba-rom" go as follows:
Shoo-doo-shoo-bee-ooo-bee-Dali était un tisket élégant-âne, un pensée-âne itsy-bitsy, un fatale-oof; dobabba-romma-boma... Grinçant de femme de hokey-hokey cowboy..gabba-doooba-walla-ooh-ooh-lubba franalabba... wadda-binkyblankyboda, skedooo-skezam dadi dadi dadi-doowa mula-mula; bacoba cowba-dabba-wabba-skeedanzee, babylooba-nana-alama...deedeedalabbada-whammm!
