The most famous surrealist

Salvador Dalí was one of the most famous and influential artists of the 20th century. He was born in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain, on May 11, 1904, and died in Figueres on January 23, 1989.

Dalí showed an extraordinary talent for art at a young age. At the age of 16, he was admitted to the San Fernando School of Art in Madrid, where he worked with painter Luis Buñuel, among others. In 1925 he was expelled from the Academy for rebellion and insubordinate behavior. In 1927, he met Joan Miro in Paris, who introduced him to the artistic circle of Surrealists around André Breton.

In 1929, Dalí met his future wife and muse, Gala. She was a crucial inspiration for many of his works. Dalí quickly became one of the best-known exponents of Surrealism, and his works were shown in numerous exhibitions and galleries around the world.

In the 1930s, Dalí created some of his most famous works, including "The Permanence of Memory," also known as "The Soft Clocks," a symbol of Surrealism. He was also involved in the creation of films, such as Luis Buñuel's surrealist masterpiece "An Andalusian Dog."

In 1934, the break with the Surrealists occurs, and in the following years he studies in Italy the art periods of the Renaissance and Baroque. The period between 1940 and 1948 he spends with his muse Gala in the United States. Exhibitions and contributions to films such as Alfred Hitchcock's "Spellbound" make him world famous. In 1948 he returns to Port Lligat in Spain, where he concentrates on the classicist style. In 1964, Dali is awarded Spain's highest order, the Grand Cross of Isabella, for his life's work. In 1973, the Dali Museum opens in his native city of Figueras, where he dies on January 23, 1989.

During World War II, Dalí moved to the United States, where he met with many famous artists and personalities, including writers Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. In the 1950s, Dalí began to develop his art in new directions, including Pop Art and Hyperrealism.

In the later years of his life, Dalí became increasingly eccentric and unpredictable. He created many controversial works, including a portrait of Hitler as a young girl and a painting titled "The Madonna of Port Lligat," which depicts a nude woman surrounded by a rhinoceros.

Crucial to the approach to Dali's art is his self-understanding that "to be Dali" already means art. The fact that Dali is one of the greatest, yet most controversial, artists of this century is as much a part of the fascination of his work as the irresistible impact of his illusory surrealism.

Despite his controversial behavior and works, Dalí remains one of the best known and most influential artists of the 20th century. His artistic achievements and unique personality have left a lasting impression on the art world.