Salvador Dali: His Life and Paintings

Salvador Dali is one of the most sensational artists of the XX century. He was a Spanish painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and designer. After passing through phases of Cubism, Futurism and Metaphysical painting, he joined the Surrealists in 1929.

Surrealism is an art movement that explored and celebrated the realm of dreams and unconscious mind through creation of visual art, poetry, and motion pictures. Among surrealism's most important contributions was the invention of new artistic techniques that tapped into the artist's unconscious mind.

In his book Dali wrote: "In twenty five years I wanted to become the most sensational artist in the world, and I became prominent" (Dali, Chevalier, 1993). He searched for sense outside rational perception, and searched for an output in intuitive, subconscious sphere.

The three periods are distinguished in the Dali's life. The first period - till 1928 was time of children's impressions, studies, acquaintances to classical art and to the major art directions; the second period lasted for 10 years, (1928 to 1947) was the period of program surrealistic creativity; the third period since 1948 after returning to Spain was the period of manipulation, the period of classical heritage, art and religious, creation of religious series of works.

The Dali Atomicus, photo by Philippe Halsman (1948...

Salvador Dalí Crypt in Dalí Theatre and Museum, ...

English: portrait of Salvador Dali taken in Mauric...

Dali distinguished five stages in his work: Dali-Planetary, Dali-Molecular, Dali - Monarchic, Dali - Hallucinogen, Dali - Futirity. Dali did not include the time till 1927 into these periods

The boy who became one of the greatest geniuses of surrealism epoch was born on May, 11, 1904 in a middle-class family of Don Salvador Dali. His childhood Dali prent in Catalonia, in northeast of Spain, the most beautiful place in the globe. The talent for painting Dali showed in early age. In four he tried to draw with surprising diligence for a small child. At six Dali were...