Artists & Artisans
Dalí, Salvador
Born in Catalonia in 1904, Dalí was formally educated in the fine arts in Madrid. He studied at the San Fernando Academy of Art in Madrid, where he fell under the influence of the Impressionists and the Renaissance masters. The Spanish artist became associated with the Madrid avant-garde group Ultrae at a young age, though he eventually grew more acquainted with avant-garde movements such as Cubism, Dada and Futurism. By the late 1920s, his mature Surrealist style had already begun to emerge, and in 1929 he officially burst onto the avant-garde art scene with his Un Chien Andalou, a short film he made with Spanish director Luis Buñuel.
An iconic Renaissance man of the 20th century, Dalí's artistic repertoire included painting, graphic arts, film, sculpture, design and photography in collaborations with other contemporary artists. Not restrained to the visual arts, he also wrote fiction, poetry, essays and criticism. Throughout these works, common motifs include dreams, the subconscious, sexuality, religion, science and his personal relationships. One project that stands out is Dalí’s Biblia Sacra series. In 1963, Dr. Giuseppe Albaretto, famous art lover and friend of Dalí, commissioned Dalí to create 100 paintings based on the Latin Vulgate Bible. Dalí’s work did not disappoint as he produced 105 unique mixed-media compositions intertwining his artistic interpretations with biblical passages. Beyond his famous mustache, his eccentric and ostentatious public behavior often drew more attention than his artwork. His boastfulness and public declarations of his genius became essential elements of the public Dalí persona: "every morning upon awakening, I experience a supreme pleasure: that of being Salvador Dalí."
Today, he is remembered as one of the most legendary and significant contributors to Surrealism. His Persistence of Memory , with its melting clocks, is arguably the most famous painting of the Surrealist movement. Two museums — one in St. Petersburg, Florida and another in Catalonia — are entirely devoted to his oeuvre; other important works by the artist can be found in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., among many others.
Throughout his illustrious career, Salvador Dalí created some of the most enchanting and captivating works of art, often telling a fantastical story in an inventive way. Known for his creative interpretations of classic literature and cultural icons, Dalí helped propel modern art to thoughtful and innovative heights.
Artists & Artisans
Dalí, Salvador
Born in Catalonia in 1904, Dalí was formally educated in the fine arts in Madrid. He studied at the San Fernando Academy of Art in Madrid, where he fell under the influence of the Impressionists and the Renaissance masters. The Spanish artist became associated with the Madrid avant-garde group Ultrae at a young age, though he eventually grew more acquainted with avant-garde movements such as Cubism, Dada and Futurism. By the late 1920s, his mature Surrealist style had already begun to emerge, and in 1929 he officially burst onto the avant-garde art scene with his Un Chien Andalou, a short film he made with Spanish director Luis Buñuel.
An iconic Renaissance man of the 20th century, Dalí's artistic repertoire included painting, graphic arts, film, sculpture, design and photography in collaborations with other contemporary artists. Not restrained to the visual arts, he also wrote fiction, poetry, essays and criticism. Throughout these works, common motifs include dreams, the subconscious, sexuality, religion, science and his personal relationships. One project that stands out is Dalí’s Biblia Sacra series. In 1963, Dr. Giuseppe Albaretto, famous art lover and friend of Dalí, commissioned Dalí to create 100 paintings based on the Latin Vulgate Bible. Dalí’s work did not disappoint as he produced 105 unique mixed-media compositions intertwining his artistic interpretations with biblical passages. Beyond his famous mustache, his eccentric and ostentatious public behavior often drew more attention than his artwork. His boastfulness and public declarations of his genius became essential elements of the public Dalí persona: "every morning upon awakening, I experience a supreme pleasure: that of being Salvador Dalí."
Today, he is remembered as one of the most legendary and significant contributors to Surrealism. His Persistence of Memory , with its melting clocks, is arguably the most famous painting of the Surrealist movement. Two museums — one in St. Petersburg, Florida and another in Catalonia — are entirely devoted to his oeuvre; other important works by the artist can be found in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., among many others.
Throughout his illustrious career, Salvador Dalí created some of the most enchanting and captivating works of art, often telling a fantastical story in an inventive way. Known for his creative interpretations of classic literature and cultural icons, Dalí helped propel modern art to thoughtful and innovative heights.
