Salvador Dali
1904 – 1989
Salvador Dali is the world’s best-known Surrealist artist. Superficial painter of wild and hallucinatory states, he depicted unforgettable dream spectacles of his sub consciousness. He painted his objects in scrupulous, realistic detail, usually placed within sunlit landscapes that were reminiscent of his Catalonian homeland.
Dali was born on May 11, 1904, in the small town of Figueres, Spain. As a young artist, he absorbed a number of artistic styles and exposed technical virtuosity as a painter. In the late 1920s, his discovery of Freud’s theory, particularly writings on the erotic elements in subconscious imagery brought him to affiliation with the Paris Surrealists Group, led by former Dadaist, Andre Breton. This was crucial for the development of his mature artistic style.
Same year Dali met Gala and she became Dali’s lover, muse, business manager, and chief inspiration. Dali soon became a leader of the Surrealist Movement. His painting, Persistence of Memory (1931), is still one of the best known surrealist works. Dali also made two Surrealistic films. Both films are filled with grotesque and highly suggestive images.
During war turbulences the apolitical Dali was expelled from the Surrealist in 1934. Dali and Gala escaped from Europe during World War II, spending 1940-48 in the United States. These were very important years for the artist. Dali was moving into his “classic period.” He began his series of 18 large canvases, switching to more academic style under the influence of the Renaissance painter Raphael. He demonstrated a concern with science, history and religion.
After the death of his wife, Gala, in 1982, Dali’s health began to fail. He died January 23, 1989 in Figueres.
