Salvador Dali

The painter who is Surrealism

Who is he?

Salvador Dali is a Spanish painter, the most prominent representative of the Surrealism movement.

Why is he an overman?

Salvador Dali brings art to a completely new frontier. His paintings are just as beautiful as they are insane, and the viewer can see the harsh and unobvious truths of life in them.

Dali lived his life, according to his own standards. He was a piece of art himself, he never obeyed to normality and contributed much to expanding society’s view of what could be acceptable and possible.

Curious facts:

In 1936 in London, Salvador gave a lecture while wearing a deep-sea diving suit with the goal of representing the unconscious mind. However, the helmet nearly suffocated him and assistants had to remove it.

One time, he arrived at a lecture in a limousine filled with cauliflower, to show its connection to mathematical patterns and beauty.

He kept unusual pets like an anteater which he casually walked on the streets of Paris like a dog.

Quotes:

I am Surrealism.

The only difference between me and a madman is that I am not mad.

Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.

Short biography:

11 May 1904 – 23 January 1989

Born in Figueres, Spain, Salvador Dali showed significant artistic talent from an early age. He received his formal education in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid. In the late 1920s he joined the circle of Surrealist painters in Paris. He was known for his unconventional dream-like style, and later he expanded his work into sculpture, film, photography, and even commercial design.

In 1934, Salvador married Gala who was his lifelong muse. Gala had an important role in shaping Dali’s public persona. He became especially famous for his his signature waxed mustache and flamboyant behavior and was perceived as a celebrity, not only as a painter. The other important person in his life was Federico Garcia Lorca, with whom he shared deep friendship and possibly romantic feelings.

Dali’s career was shaped by many controversies. In 1934, he was briefly expelled from the Surrealism movement due to his provocative political statements and refusal to align clearly against fascism. During World War II, he moved to the United States, where he became a major cultural figure.

Dali spent his final years in increasing isolation, especially after Gala’s death. He left behind a large amount of painting which today can be seen around the world.

Important work:

The Persistence of Memory, Museum of Modern Art, New York

Swans reflecting Elephants, private collection

The Temptation of St. Anthony, Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels

Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid

Galatea of the Spheres, Dalí Theatre and Museum, Figueres