Salvador Dali Biography

Salvador Dali is a Spanish artist. He is best known as the surrealist icon, the artist who painted one of the most prominent pictures in the history of Europe called The Persistence of Memory. Before understanding the life and the legacy of the artist it is important to know about Surrealism, it was a movement after world war one in Europe which primarily focused on the creation of visual artworks and writings and the juxtaposition of distant realities to activate the unconscious mind through the imagery. The most famous work of Salvador, The Persistence of Memory is the painting of the molten clocks in a landscape setting. 

Apart from being known as the icon of surrealism paintings his artistic repertoire also includes works in the field of graphic arts, film, sculpture, design and photography. According to Salvador Dali biography, he was also an author, he primarily worked on fiction, poetry, autobiography, essays and criticism.

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An image of Salvador Dali

Early Life and Family of Salvador Dali

He was born on 11 May 1904, in Spain in a small village near the Empordà region, which is close to the French border in Catalonia. He was given the name of Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí I Domènech at his birth, which was shortened to Salvador Dali as he gained fame. His parents were, Salvador Rafael Aniceto Dalí Cusí and Felipa Domènech Ferrés. His father, Salvador Rafael Aniceto Dalí Cusí worked as a lawyer, he was also a notary of his town. He was a firm atheist and was a Catalan federalist. He was very strict with his anti-clerical atheist ideologies, he was also a firm supporter of federalism, his mother on the other hand, always supported her son’s artistic endeavours. 

It is mentioned in Salvador Dali biography books that he and his father had a strained relationship because of the differences in ideologies and principles, Dali also was noticed having an angry outlook towards his father and other schoolmates.

Dali had a nine moth older brother, who was also named Salvador, he died when he was only a few months old.  He suffered from gastroenteritis which led to his demise. It is often mentioned in the biographies of the artist that he was considered as a reincarnation of his dead brother. This sentiment was often reflected in his works of metaphysical prose where he mentions his brother as “the first version of myself but conceived too much in the absolute." 

Most of Salvador’s childhood was spent with his sister. They spent most of their time in the coastal village of Cadaques, his younger sister was named Ana Maria. It was here in the summer house that he primarily focused on his art and paintings, his work and interest were always supported by his parents. Despite having a strained relationship and ideological differences, his father always supported his devotion to the arts. It is also known that he made him a ert studio in the house at Cadaques, before his enrolment in the study of fine arts.

Dali’s mother Felipa Domènech Ferrés died at an early age, he was only 16 years old when his mother died of uterine cancer on 6 February 1921. The death of his mother left young Dali in emotional turmoil. He later described the tragic incident as the hardest part of his life. Following the death of his mother his father, Salvador Rafael Aniceto Dalí Cusí married his aunt (his mother’s sister). Dali had great respect and love for his aunt.

While growing up Dali had two close friends who remained his good friends throughout the years. They were  Sagibarba and Josep Samitier, who grew up to be star footballers of Barcelona. During his childhood, the trio used to play football together during his stay at the summer house of Cadaques.

Early Education

As mentioned in the Salvador Dali short biography books he was a talented student of arts and music from early childhood. His mother particularly encouraged his artistic studies. His early education of painting took place in the Colegio de Hermanos Maristas and the Instituto in Figueres, which he attended in 1916. His interest in painting was created and heavily influenced by a prominent local painter named Ramon Pichot, he painted particularly in the impressionist style. 

Dali learnt the art of charcoal painting, his first exhibition was organised by his father in the year 1918. His exhibition was organised in the  Municipal Theatre in Figueres. By the starting of 1919 Dali had earned his reputation as an eminent painter. He was introduced to futurism by his uncle  Anselm Domènech, and Ramon Pichot.

Life At Art School

Following his passion, Dali was enrolled on the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando presently known as the Academia de San Fernando. The school is located in Madrid. Upon enrollment, in the school, he moved to Madrid and lived in Residencia de Estudiantes. He was described as a student with great potential but he gained attention and was often demeaned for his eccentric ways. Although he performed averagely at the school he is one of the most prominent alumni. 

During his term in art school, he was influenced by several different artistic styles, including Metaphysics and Cubism. Some of the artists that influenced the style as mentioned in Salvador Dali biography books are classical painters like Raphael, Bronzino and Diego Velázquez. One of the interesting aspects of Dali’s life was the influence of avant-garde art movements such as Dada, which was a post-World War I anti-establishment movement. Although the artist was strictly apolitical during his time at the school and remained so during his life the influence of Dada can be easily seen in the various artistic works.

Although Salvador Dali was a great artist he never found himself comfortable in the environment of the school, his views and painting style varied greatly from his mates and contemporaries. His interest in Cubism was one of the major distinguishing factors among his peers.  As mentioned in Salvador Dali short biography, he was temporarily expelled from the school for criticizing his teachers and allegedly starting a riot among students over the academy's choice of a professorship in 1923. He was then permanently expelled from the school in 1926 for criticizing his teacher.

Surrealism And Salvador Dali’s Work

The artist is eminently known for his surrealistic style of painting. He was one of the most prominent figures of the Surrealism movement. His journey to the discovery of this art form began in the year of 1926, after his expulsion from the art school. From 1926 to 1929, he made his name in the world of art, during this time primarily travelled to Paris, where he met painters and intellectuals like Picasso, whom he revered. He also made acquaintance with Joan Miró, the Spanish painter and sculptor who, along with poet Paul Éluard and painter Magritte introduced Dali to Surrealism. During this time his works mainly had a constant theme of man's universe and sensations, sexual symbolism and ideographic imagery.

It was these experimental works that ultimately led him to surrealism. In 1929 he painted oil paintings that were small collages of his dream images. This was considered his first surrealist work. His painting was influenced by the meticulous classical technique, influenced by Renaissance artists. According to the Salvador Dali brief biography, his major contribution included the "paranoiac-critical method," a mental exercise of accessing the subconscious to enhance artistic creativity.

He expanded his work in surrealism in 1929 by exploring the art of filmmaking, he collaborated with a filmmaker called Luis Buñuel on two films, Un Chien Andalou (An Andalusian Dog) and L'Age d’Or (The Golden Age) which was released in 1930. His paintings were also used in films like Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound, to shoot a dream sequence. 

His most prominent work called The Persistence of Memory was published in 1931. This led him to global recognition, but this time he had made his name as an eminent painter and artist. The painting is also referred to as the Soft Watches, the painting is believed to convey the theme that time is not rigid and everything is destructible.

As war approached Europe, Dali had clashing views with his contemporaries, he was eventually cast out of the movement in 1934, despite the fact he continued attending and presenting his work in various surrealistic exhibitions. At the opening of the London Surrealist exhibition in 1936, he delivered a lecture titled "Fantomes paranoiaques athentiques."  he continued to be known as the Surrealistic painter throughout his life.

Salvador Dalí’s Personal Life

Salvador Dali was married to Elena Dmitrievna Diakonova, who was also known as Gala Dali. according to the Gala Dali biography book, she met Salvador in 1929. The couple got married in 1934 in Spain. Gala Dali was considered a muse and inspiration for the painter. She managed the finances of Salvador and negotiated contracts with dealers and exhibition promoters. The couple moved to The United States during world war II, where he continued his work. The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York gave him his retrospective exhibit in 1941. He also published his autobiography called The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí published in 1942. The couple moved back to Spain in 1948 at the end of the second world war.

Death 

Salvador died on January 23, 1989, at the age of 84. He suffered from cardiac failure which caused his death. He also suffered from a motor disorder from 1980, that caused permanent trembling and weakness in his hands, which caused him to retire from his work. His funeral was held at the Teatro-Museo, where he was buried in a crypt. 

Salvador Dali was one of the most iconic artists in history, he is known for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in his work, which is the jest of surrealism. Most of his work is exhibited in The Dalí Theatre-Museum.