A new book claims that Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali approved the production of forgeries in his name in order to fund his lavish lifestyle. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

A new book by a controversial former art dealer and one-time neighbour of Salvador Dali has raised the ire of the artist's estate and namesake foundation.

In his new book Dali And I: The Surreal Story, released in Spain this week, Stans Lauryssens claims that, in his later years, the painter authorized assistants to produce thousands of forgeries in his name, in order to fund his lavish lifestyle.

Because of this, the Belgian-born Lauryssens claims, a large percentage of the Dali works on display today — including in major museums — are fakes. In the book, he also alleges that Dali participated in orgies and accuses Dali's wife Gala of theft.

In light of Lauryssens' allegations about the revered Spaniard, both in his book and in related interviews, the Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation has pledged that it will take the "necessary legal action" against the author.

Before his death in 1989, Dali set up the foundation to administer his estate and the intellectual rights of his work.

Lauryssens himself has courted controversy in the past: he claims to have penned faked interviews with Hollywood stars for a Belgian magazine before entering the world of art dealing.

At one time Dali's neighbour in a village in Catalonia, Lauryssens has also spent time in prison in Spain for selling forged artworks.

More recently, he has established himself as a crime writer, with a handful of titles under his belt since 2002, including his debut thriller, Black Snow.

Lauryssens has netted a movie deal based on his Dali book, with New Zealand screenwriter-director Andrew Niccol signed on to helm the drama. Al Pacino and Cillian Murphy are reportedly to star as Dali and Lauryssens, respectively.