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Glenn and Devon Harte, Are Knighted by the Duke of Braganza of the Portuguese Royal House

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Published
07/07/2022 by

Glenn Harte and Devon Harte, co-owners of Harte International Galleries, a fine art gallery specializing in rare, museum-quality masterworks located in Maui, Hawaii, were honored as gentlemen of merit by the Portuguese Duke of Braganza. The duke granted them the title of Knights in the Portuguese Royal and Distinguished Order of Saint Michael of the Wing on May 8, 2022, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain for outstanding contributions to the Portuguese Royal House.

"When we discovered the wax bas-relief created by the late Salvador Dalí entitled "Christ of St. John of the Cross" we sought world-renowned experts to help us validate the work of art," said Glenn Harte, co-owner of Harte International Galleries. "Devon and I enlisted Nicolas Descharnes, the most recognized Dalí expert and final authority for many of the top auction houses, to inspect and authenticate the wax sculpture and Nicolas requested Carlos Evaristo, Vice-Chancellor of the Portuguese Royal Charities, an iconography expert and author, to assist him."

Wanting to honor the authentication work done by Descharnes and Evaristo, Harte International Galleries donated a bronze bas-relief of "Christ of St. John of the Cross" by Dalí to the Portuguese Royal House. In return, Glenn and Devon Harte were asked to return to be knighted for their contribution to the arts.

"To be knighted by the Portuguese Royal House is something we could have never imagined," said Glenn Harte. "We are excited to continue to share the work of Salvador Dalí through this original sculpture – "Christ of St. John of the Cross". Decades after his death, his legacy lives on."

Descharnes and Evaristo are known for combining their unique skills to authenticate and then characterize the intent of Dalí's religious works. Created in 1979, the wax sculpture was used as the model for an edition of bas-reliefs entitled "Christ of St. John of the Cross." This rare work of art was hiding in the vault of a private collector for 43 years before its discovery by Harte International Galleries. 

"We met for a week in Avila, Spain, where Descharnes and Evaristo spent hours researching and discussing the symbolism and orientation of the work," said Harte. "The meeting resulted in an unequivocal authentication of the original "Christ of St. John of the Cross" wax bas-relief and some extraordinary discoveries of Dalí's work on the piece. It has been an honor to work with these two incredibly dedicated men and watch them work tirelessly to validate, authenticate, and even explain a 43-year-old discovery."

Descharnes and Evaristo's conclusion on this newly discovered sculpture was that it represented the evolution of Dalí's meditation on the crucifixion of Christ. They also concluded this was the reason Dalí named the work after his most important religious painting, done in 1951, "Christ of St. John of the Cross."

Currently, Harte International Galleries, has the wax bas-relief on display in Maui, so art and history enthusiasts may experience this remarkable piece of art.

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