*Salvador Dalí
Bio
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, and writer, and one of the most emblematic figures of Surrealism. Born in Figueres, Catalonia, he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid. From his earliest works he demonstrated exceptional technical skill and a strong interest in exploring imagination, the unconscious, and dream imagery. His painting combined almost academic precision with strange and symbolic imagery, creating mental landscapes of intense visual power. Works such as The Persistence of Memory (1931) became icons of 20th-century art. Throughout his career he also worked in film, stage design, photography, and design, collaborating with artists such as Luis Buñuel and Alfred Hitchcock. Dalí created a unique visual universe where reality and fantasy merge into a deeply personal narrative, establishing him as one of the most influential artists of Surrealism.
Statement
Salvador Dalí’s artistic practice developed through a systematic exploration of the unconscious, dreams, and imagination. Associated with Surrealism, he created a visual language based on symbolic associations, ambiguous imagery, and highly detailed mental landscapes. Through his “paranoiac-critical” method, Dalí sought to expand the possibilities of perception and reveal hidden realities beneath the everyday. His work articulates a tension between academic rigor and overflowing fantasy, transforming painting into a space where rational and irrational forces coexist.
2.5 x 4m / 98.4 x 157 in
