Salvador Dali, an eccentric and quirky artistic genius, was born in 1904 in a tiny Spanish village, near the border of France. His brother, also named Salvador, passed away before he was born. In Dali's autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dali, he claims his parents took him to his brother's grave at the age of five and that they told him that he was a reincarnation of his dead brother...quite a bizarre concept for a young child (or anyone for that matter) to grasp.
Dali had his first public art exhibition at the age of 15. At age 18, Dali began to study art at the Academia de San Fernando (School of Fine Arts) in Madrid. He caused quite a stir by his weird and wacky dress, wearing stockings with knee-high breeches. He grew out his hair and sideburns, and played an eccentric persona. In addition to his odd behavior, Dali was also known for his explosive personality. This may be part of the reason why he was suspended from the academy, and later permanently expelled for "subversive behavior."
Salvador Dali was a master at spinning wild and crazy tales about his life. How much of it was imagination, truth, or just plain madness may never be known. Perhaps that is part of the appeal to his famous artwork. One only need look at photos of Dali with his long, waxed mustached and crazed look to know that he was a bit beyond the scope of normalcy. A few examples of his bizarre behavior include:
Dali would take walks dressed in a cape while twirling a walking cane. To call more attention to himself, he would "bounce" up to a stranger's door. After ringing the doorbell, Dali would turn and continue on his merry way. Curious onlookers and bewildered homeowners would stare after him in wonder.
Dali once delivered a lecture wearing a deep-sea diving suit.
During a television interview, he referred to himself in the 3 rd person.
On the Tonight Show, he pushed the envelope, carrying a leather rhinoceros onstage and sitting on the entire show.
Salvador Dali is arguably the most famous member of the surrealist group. The Surrealism movement began shortly after the end of World War I. The word "surreal" means "above reality". Basically, surrealism focused on psychological states that resemble dreams and fantasy. Artists in the Surrealism movement believed that the subconscious mind had an element of truth that superceded the reality of everyday consciousness. Many surrealist artists were influenced by the works of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.
Eventually, Salvador Dali was denounced and excommunicated by the leader of the surrealist movement. It was felt that he had become too commercial and that his staged events were put on only to bring more attention to himself, and not to his art. His odd and shocking behavior overshadowed the works and intentions of the surrealist movement.
Dali's health began to fade after the death of his wife in 1982. It was said that he deliberately dehydrated himself, in an effort to be put into a state of suspended animation a theory that he had read about. Was this a possible suicide attempt?
In 1984, Dali suffered burns when a fire broke out in his bedroom under suspicious circumstances. Was this another suicide attempt, or did the fire start due to carelessness and neglect by his staff?
With Dali's health failing, there are allegations that his staff had Dali sign blank canvases. After his death in January of 1989, some of these blank canvases were painted and sold as originals, which is why art dealers tend to be very wary of the authenticity of Dali's late works.
With over 1,500 art treasures to his name, Dali was the epitome of a raw, bizarre and shocking artist. Some of his works include the Persistence of Memory, The Destruction of the Persistence of Memory, The Elephants, and Rose Meditative. See more of Dalis's famous paintings at Art Smart Decor.
If you're looking for affordable oil painting reproductions that are alive with personality, expressive, impulsive, or just something that speaks to your heart, check out our other oil painting reproductions.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
