Salvador Dalí
Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí Domènech, better known as Salvador Dali, was a Spanish (Catalan) artist and one of the most important painters 20th century. He was a trained draftsman, best known for his striking, bizarre and wonderful paintings and other works of art of a surrealist orientation. His painting skills are often attributed to the influence of the Renaissance masters.
His most famous work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in 1931. Salvador‘s artistic oeuvre includes also film, sculpture and photography. He sometimes collaborated with other artists, writing fiction, poetry, essays and criticism. The main themes of his work are dreams, the subconscious, sexuality, religion, science and the closest to him – personal relationships. To the dismay of those who appreciated his work and the outrage of critics, his eccentric public behavior often attracted more attention than the artworks themselves. Public support for the Francoist regime, his commercial activities and the quality of his late works were also controversial. The life and work of Salvador Dalí had a significant influence on other surrealists, pop art and contemporary artists such as Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst.
Salvador Dali died on January 23, 1989 in Figueres from cardiac arrest.