Salvador Dalí (1904–1989)

Early Years
Dalí studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, where he began to develop his unique style. He interacted with other artists such as Federico García Lorca and Luis Buñuel, with whom he collaborated on avant-garde projects.

Surrealist Period
In the late 1920s, he joined the Surrealist movement in Paris, influenced by Freud and dreams. His most famous work, "The Persistence of Memory" (1931), depicts soft clocks in a dreamlike landscape and became an icon of Surrealism.

Style and Personality
Dalí combined elements of technical realism with fantastical, paranoid, and symbolic imagery. He was also an eccentric figure, known for his eccentric mustache, provocative statements, and public theatricality.

Gala, His Muse
In 1929, he met Gala Éluard, who became his muse, inseparable companion, and a central figure in his life and work. They married in 1934.

Time in the United States
During World War II, Dalí and Gala moved to the United States, where he achieved international fame. There, he collaborated with Disney, Hitchcock, and others, expanding his art to include sculpture, jewelry, film, and stage design.

Later Years
He returned to Catalonia in the 1950s. He founded the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres in 1974, one of the greatest works of art of the 20th century. After Gala's death in 1982, his health and spirits deteriorated.

Death
Salvador Dalí died on January 23, 1989, in Figueres, at the age of 84. He was buried in his museum, fulfilling his wish to be surrounded by his own art.