Salvador Dalí:

 

Here’s an overview of Salvador Dalí:

Full Name: Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech
Born: May 11, 1904, Figueres, Catalonia, Spain
Died: January 23, 1989, Figueres, Spain
Nationality: Spanish
Movement: Surrealism

Biography

Salvador Dalí was one of the most prominent and eccentric figures of 20th-century art. From an early age, he showed exceptional artistic talent. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid but was expelled shortly before graduation due to conflicts with faculty.

Dalí became famous in the 1920s and 1930s for his work with the Surrealist movement, collaborating with poets, writers, and filmmakers. He was known as much for his flamboyant personality as for his art, often using shock tactics to draw attention to his work.

Artistic Style

Dalí’s style is characterized by:

• Surrealism: Dreamlike, bizarre, and fantastical imagery.

• Precision: Highly detailed, almost photographic realism.

• Symbolism: Recurring motifs like melting clocks, ants, eggs, and long-legged elephants.

• Influences: Renaissance painting techniques, Freudian psychoanalysis, and Catalan culture.

Famous Works

1. The Persistence of Memory (1931) – iconic melting clocks in a dreamlike landscape.

2. The Elephants (1948) – surreal elephants with long, spindly legs.

3. Metamorphosis of Narcissus (1937) – a surreal reinterpretation of the classical myth.

4. Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937) – a double-image painting, a hallmark of Dalí’s optical illusions.

5. Christ of Saint John of the Cross (1951) – a dramatic perspective on the crucifixion.

Legacy

Dalí’s work transcended painting; he also designed jewelry, theater sets, and collaborated on films (notably with Luis Buñuel on Un Chien Andalou). His house in Figueres became the Dalí Theatre-Museum, one of the most visited museums in Spain. His eccentric personality, with the iconic mustache and flamboyant public persona, remains as famous as his paintings.