The Spanish painter Salvador Dali is undoubtedly one of the most known Western artists of all time. He was famous for both his technical skill and imaginative, striking, and often bizarre paintings.
Paintings such as “Persistence of Memory”, with its iconic melting clocks, is one of the most famous works of Salvador Dali and was referenced in pop culture countless times and is arguably one of the most-known artworks in the world.
Salvador Dali was also famous for his eccentric persona, such as walking with a pet anteater on a leash or wearing full heavy diving gear; the painter ensured that the Salvador Dali artist matched the whimsical Salvador Dali art.
Early Life
To know more about paintings by Salvador Dali is also important to know a little about Salvador Dali artist.
Salvador Dali i Domenech was born on May 11, 1904, in the city of Figueres, in the region of Catalonia, Spain. Dali’s mother supported her son’s artistic inclinations from a young age. When Dali was around 12 years old, the young artist was enrolled at his hometown’s Municipal Drawing School. By that time, through the family of the Impressionist painter Ramon Pichot, he also came in contact with modern art.
Dali had his first public exhibition in 1918 at the Municipal Theater of Figueres. By 1821, his uncle gave him many books and magazines about Cubism and contemporary art. In the following year, 18-year-old Dali went to Madrid to study at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts and lived at the Students’ Residence. He befriended distinguished young artists, such as the filmmaker Luis Bunuel and the poet Frederico Garcia Lorca.
Salvador Dali – Crystalline Still Life
Becoming an Artist
During this period, Dali’s artworks were mainly influenced by Cubism and Futurism, such as his “Night-Walking Dreams”. In 1925, Salvador Dali held his first solo exhibition, which included more realistic artworks such as the beautiful “Figure at a Window” before the artist was exposed to Surrealism.
By 1927, Dali’s artworks began to show Surrealist influences and take the form that it became famous for. Indeed, in that same year, he became an official member of the Surrealist group, led by Andre Breton. However, as an avid admirer of artists such as Vermeer, Raphael, Velazquez, and Francisco de Zurbaran, Salvador Dali’s technical execution was deeply rooted in the masterpieces of the Old Masters.
Salvador Dali – Figure at a Window
Mature Career
In 1931, the artist created what is arguably one of the most famous paintings by Salvador Dali, “The Persistence of Memory”. It shows his famous melting or soft pocket watches, which led to interpretations that the artist was exploring concepts of the relativity of time and space, theories proposed by Albert Einstein. However, the artist stated that his main reference for the melting watches is the image of Camembert cheese melting in the sun.
Salvador Dali participated in the MoMA exhibition Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism, held in 1936. There, his striking Soft Construction with Boiled Beans was especially praised. By that time, Dali had achieved massive success, even being featured on the cover of Time magazine. However, three years later, due to his still undeclared sympathy for the Francoist regime and support of a fascist political party, Dali was expelled from the Surrealist group.
By 1945, Salvador Dali art was in its Nuclear Mysticism period, nourished by the artist’s interest in atomic physics and the recent discoveries and developments in that area, including the atomic bomb. Paintings of the time include “Leda Atomica”.
Later Life and Death
Salvador Dali continued to be a highly famous figure throughout his life. His later works include
In 1974, the Salvador Dali gallery, known as the Dali Theatre and Museum, was established, dedicated to house and exhibit the painter’s artworks. It is also the artist’s resting place since he was buried in a crypt there. Due to its relevance, it’s interesting to find info about Salvador Dali gallery and learn more about Salvador Dali artist.
Salvador Dali died in January 1989 in his hometown of Figueres.
Symbols
Salvador Dali art shows many recurring symbols, such as soft figures, food, expansive and empty spaces with distant mountains. These elements often instigated many different theories and are among the most debated and interesting elements about artist Dali.
Ants
In Salvador Dali’s artworks, ants represent death and decay and an unbearable sexual desire; they are present in countless artworks by the artist. As a child, after seeing ants consuming the bodies of other animals, these images were imprinted in the young boy’s mind and were the main inspirations to these recurring images.
Drawers in Human Bodies
The idea of the human unconscious and memory are represented by human bodies with drawers, where each drawer would home some elements of a person’s psyche. The inspiration for this symbol can be traced back to Freudian concepts, which greatly influenced the artist during his early career.
Crutches
Crutches are present in Salvador Dali’s artworks early in his career and remain a strong and almost permanent symbol in his production. It can represent one’s necessity for both physical and emotional support.
Conclusion
Salvador Dali left a mark in the world with his unusual personality and unique artwork. His beautiful and also grotesque images will be forever imprinted in the history of art and humanity itself. Even decades after the artist’s death, his imagery is still iconic and recognizable anywhere in the world.
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