A message about the work of Salvador was given. Biography of Salvador Dali, interesting facts and quotes from Dali's friends

Surrealism is the complete freedom of a human being and his right to dream. I am not a surrealist, I am surrealism, - S. Dali.

Formation artistic skill Dali took place in the era of early modernity, when his contemporaries largely represented such new artistic currents like Expressionism and Cubism.

In 1929, the young artist joined the Surrealists. This year marked an important turn in his life as Salvador Dali met Gala. She became his mistress, wife, muse, model and main inspiration.

Since he was a brilliant draftsman and colorist, Dali drew much inspiration from the old masters. But he used extravagant forms and inventive ways to compose an entirely new, modern and innovative style of art. His paintings are notable for their use of double images, ironic scenes, optical illusions, dreamlike landscapes and deep symbolism.

Throughout its creative life Dali was never limited to one direction. He worked with oil paints and watercolor, created drawings and sculptures, films and photographs. Even the variety of forms of performance was not alien to the artist, including the creation jewelry and other works applied arts. As a screenwriter, Dali collaborated with the famous director Luis Buñuel, who made the films The Golden Age and The Andalusian Dog. They displayed unrealistic scenes, reminiscent of the revived paintings of a surrealist.

The prolific and extremely gifted master left a huge legacy for future generations of artists and art lovers. Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation launched an online project Catalog Raisonné of Salvador Dali for a complete scientific cataloging of the paintings created by Salvador Dali between 1910 and 1983. The catalog consists of five sections divided according to the timeline. It was conceived not only to provide comprehensive information about the artist's work, but also to determine the authorship of works, since Salvador Dali is one of the most forged painters.

These 17 examples of his surrealistic paintings testify to the fantastic talent, imagination and skill of the eccentric Salvador Dali.

1. "Ghost of Vermeer of Delft, which can be used as a table", 1934

This small picture with quite a long original title embodies admiration for Dali the great Flemish master 17th century by Jan Vermeer. Vermeer's self-portrait is executed taking into account Dali's surrealistic vision.

2. "The Great Masturbator", 1929

The painting depicts the internal struggle of feelings caused by the attitude towards sexual intercourse. This perception of the artist arose as an awakened childhood memory when he saw a book left by his father, open to a page depicting genitals affected by venereal diseases.

3. "Giraffe on fire", 1937

The artist completed this work before moving to the USA in 1940. Although the master claimed that the painting was apolitical, it, like many others, reflects the deep and unsettling feelings of unease and horror that Dali must have experienced during the turbulent period between the two world wars. A certain part reflects his internal struggle in relation to civil war in Spain and also refers to the method psychological analysis Freud.

4. "The Face of War", 1940

The agony of war is also reflected in the work of Dali. He believed that his painting should contain omens of war, which we see in a deadly head stuffed with skulls.

5. "Sleep", 1937

It depicts one of the surreal phenomena - a dream. This is a fragile, unstable reality in the world of the subconscious.

6. Appearance of a face and a bowl of fruit on the seashore, 1938

This fantastic painting is especially interesting, since the author uses double images in it, endowing the image itself with a multi-level meaning. Metamorphoses, amazing juxtapositions of objects and hidden elements characterize Dali's surrealist paintings.

7. The Persistence of Memory, 1931

This is perhaps the most recognizable surreal painting Salvador Dali, who embodies softness and hardness, symbolizes the relativity of space and time. To a large extent, it relies on Einstein's theory of relativity, although Dali said that the idea for the picture was born at the sight of Camembert cheese melted in the sun.

8. The Three Sphinxes of Bikini Island, 1947

This surreal depiction of Bikini Atoll evokes the memory of the war. Three symbolic sphinxes occupy different plans: human head, split wood and mushroom nuclear explosion talking about the horrors of war. The painting explores the relationship between three subjects.

9. "Galatea with spheres", 1952

The portrait of Dali's wife is presented through an array of spherical shapes. Gala is like a portrait of the Madonna. The artist, inspired by science, elevated Galatea above the tangible world to the upper etheric layers.

10. Melted Clock, 1954

Another depiction of a time-measuring object has been given an ethereal softness that is not typical of a hard pocket watch.

11. “My naked wife, contemplating her own flesh, which has turned into a staircase, into three vertebrae of a column, into the sky and into architecture”, 1945

Gala from the back. This remarkable image has become one of the most eclectic works of Dali, where classic and surrealism, calm and strangeness are combined.

12. "Soft construction with boiled beans", 1936

The second name of the picture is “Premonition of the Civil War”. It depicts the alleged horrors of the Spanish Civil War, as the artist painted it six months before the conflict began. This was one of Salvador Dali's forebodings.

13. "The Birth of Liquid Desires", 1931-32

We see one example of a paranoid-critical approach to art. Images of father and possibly mother are mixed with a grotesque, unreal image of a hermaphrodite in the middle. The picture is filled with symbolism.

14. "The Riddle of Desire: My mother, my mother, my mother", 1929

This work, created on Freudian principles, became an example of Dali's relationship with his mother, whose distorted body appears in the Dalinian desert.

15. Untitled - Fresco painting design for Helena Rubinstein, 1942

Images created for interior decoration premises commissioned by Helena Rubinstein. This is a frankly surreal picture from the world of fantasy and dreams. The artist was inspired by classical mythology.

16. "Sodom self-satisfaction of an innocent maiden", 1954

The painting depicts a female figure and an abstract background. The artist explores the issue of repressed sexuality, which follows from the title of the work and the phallic forms that often appear in Dali's work.

17. Geopolitical Child Watching the Birth of the New Man, 1943

The artist expressed his skepticism by painting this painting while in the United States. The shape of the ball seems to be a symbolic incubator of the "new" man, the man of the "new world".

Notable works: Influence: Works at Wikimedia Commons

Salvador Dali (full name Salvador Domenech Felipe Jacinte Dali and Domenech, Marquis de Pubol, cat. Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marqués de Dalí de Púbol, Spanish Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marqués de Dalí y de Púbol ; May 11 - January 23) - Spanish painter, graphic artist, sculptor, director, writer. One of the most well-known representatives surrealism.

Acquaintance with new trends in painting develops - Dali experiments with the methods of cubism and Dadaism. In the city, he is expelled from the Academy for being arrogant and dismissive attitude to teachers. In the same year he travels to Paris for the first time, where he meets Páblo Picasso. Trying to find own style, in the late 1920s creates a number of works under the influence of Picasso and Joan Miró. In the city, he participates with Buñuel in the creation of the surrealistic film Andalusian Dog.

Then he first meets his future wife Gala (Elena Dmitrievna Dyakonova), who was then the wife of the poet Paul Eluard. Having become close to El Salvador, Gala, however, continues to meet with her husband, starts passing relationships with other poets and artists, which at that time seemed acceptable in those bohemian circles where Dali, Eluard and Gala revolved. Realizing that he actually stole his friend's wife, Salvador paints his portrait as "compensation".

Youth

Dali's works are shown at exhibitions, he is gaining popularity. In 1929, he joined the Surrealist group organized by André Breton. At the same time, there is a break with the father. The hostility of the artist’s family towards Gala, the conflicts, scandals associated with this, as well as the inscription made by Dali on one of the canvases - “Sometimes I spit on the portrait of my mother with pleasure” - led to the fact that the father cursed his son and put him out of the house. Provocative, outrageous and, it would seem, terrible deeds the artist was by no means always worth taking literally and seriously: he probably did not want to offend his mother and did not even know what it would lead to, perhaps he longed to experience a series of feelings and experiences that he stimulated in himself with such a blasphemous, at first glance, act . But the father, grieved by the long-standing death of his wife, whom he loved and whose memory he carefully kept, could not stand the antics of his son, which became the last straw for him. In retaliation, the indignant Salvador Dali sent his father in an envelope his sperm with an angry letter: "This is all I owe you." Later, in the book “The Diary of a Genius,” the artist, already an elderly man, speaks well of his father, admits that he loved him very much and endured the suffering brought by his son.

Break with the Surrealists

After the caudillo Franco came to power in 1936, Dali quarreled with the surrealists on the left, and he was expelled from the group. In response, Dali, not without reason, declares: "Surrealism is me." El Salvador was practically apolitical, and even his monarchist views should be understood surrealistically, that is, not seriously, as well as his constantly advertised sexual passion for Hitler. He lived surrealistically, his statements and works had a wider and deep meaning than the interests of specific political parties. So, in 1933, he paints a picture of the Riddle of William Tell, where he portrays Lenin with a huge buttock. Dali reinterpreted the Swiss myth according to Freud: Tell became a cruel father who wants to kill his child. The personal memories of Dali, who broke with his father, were layered. Lenin, on the other hand, was perceived by communist-minded surrealists as a spiritual, ideological father. The painting depicts dissatisfaction with an overbearing parent, a step towards the formation of a mature personality. But the surrealists took the drawing literally, as a caricature of Lenin, and some of them even tried to destroy the canvas.

The evolution of creativity. Departure from surrealism

In 1937, the artist visits Italy and remains in awe of the works of the Renaissance. In his own works correctness begins to dominate human proportions and other features of academicism. Despite the departure from surrealism, his paintings are still filled with surrealistic fantasies. Later, Dali (in the best traditions of his conceit and outrageousness) ascribes to himself the salvation of art from modernist degradation, with which he connects his given name("Salvador" is Spanish for "Saviour").

Dali in the USA

With the outbreak of World War II, Dali, together with Gala, leaves for the United States, where they live from to. In the city, he releases a fictionalized autobiography “ secret life Salvador Dali". His literary experiences, like works of art tend to be commercially successful. He collaborates with Walt Disney. He invites Dali to test his talent in cinema - an art that at that time was fanned with a halo of magic, miracles and wide possibilities. But the Destino surreal cartoon project proposed by Salvador was deemed commercially unviable, and work on it was discontinued. Dali is working with director Alfred Hitchcock to design the scenery for the dream scene from the movie Spellbound. However, the scene entered the film very truncated - again for commercial reasons.

middle and old age

After returning to Spain, he lives mainly in his beloved Catalonia. In 1965 he comes to Paris and again, as almost 40 years ago, conquers it with his works, exhibitions and outrageous acts. He shoots whimsical short films, takes surreal photographs. In films, he mainly uses reverse-view effects, but skillfully selected subjects (flowing water, a ball bouncing on stairs), interesting commentary, a mysterious atmosphere created by acting artist, makes films unusual examples of art house. Dali starred in commercials, and even in such commercial activities, he does not miss the opportunity for self-expression. TV viewers will remember a chocolate commercial for a long time, in which the artist bites off a piece of a bar, after which his mustache twists with euphoric delight, and he exclaims that he has gone crazy from this chocolate.

His relationship with Gala is quite complicated. On the one hand, from the very beginning of their relationship, she promoted him, found buyers for his paintings, convinced him to write works that were more understandable to the mass audience (the change in his painting at the turn of the 20-30s was striking), shared luxury with him, and need. When there was no order for paintings, Gala forced her husband to develop product brands, costumes: her strong, resolute nature was very necessary for a weak-willed artist. Gala put things in order in his workshop, patiently folded canvases, paints, souvenirs, which Dali senselessly scattered, looking for the right thing. On the other hand, she constantly had relationships on the side, in later years the spouses often quarreled, Dali's love was rather a wild passion, and Gala's love was not without calculation, with which she married a genius. In 1968, Dali bought for Gala a castle in the village of Pubol, in which she lived separately from her husband, and which he himself could visit only with the written permission of his wife. In 1981, Dali develops Parkinson's disease. Gala dies in the city.

Last years

After the death of his wife, Dali is experiencing a deep depression. His paintings themselves are simplified, and for a long time the motive of sorrow prevails on them (variations on the theme of "Pieta"). Parkinson's disease also prevents Dali from painting. His most recent works ("Cockfights") are simple squiggles in which the bodies of the characters are guessed - the last attempts at self-expression of an unfortunate sick person. It was difficult to take care of a sick and distraught old man, he threw himself at the nurses with what was tucked under his arm, shouted, bit. In 1984, a fire broke out in the castle. The paralyzed old man rang the bell unsuccessfully, trying to call for help. In the end, he overcame the weakness, fell off the bed and crawled to the exit, but passed out at the door. He was taken to the hospital with severe burns, but survived. Sick, infirm, Dali died on January 23, 1989 from a heart attack. The only legible phrase that he uttered during the years of illness was “My friend Lorca”: the artist remembered the years of a happy, healthy youth, when he was friends with the poet Federico Garcia Lorca. Dali's body is immured in the floor in one of the rooms of the Dali Theater Museum in Figueres. The artist bequeathed to bury him so that people could walk on the grave.

A plaque on the wall in the room where Dali is buried

Some works

• Self portrait with Raphael neck (1920-1921) This is one of the first works of Dali. Made in the impressionistic style.

• Portrait of Luis Buñuel (1924) Like "Still Life" (1924) or "Purist Still Life" (1924), this picture created during Dali's search for his manner and style of performance, but in terms of atmosphere it resembles the canvases of De Chirico.

• Flesh on the Stones (1926) Dali called Picasso his second father. This canvas executed in a cubist manner unusual for El Salvador, like the previously written “Cubist Self-Portrait” (1923). In addition, Dali painted several portraits of Picasso.

• Fixture and Hand (1927) Experiments are ongoing with geometric shapes. You can already feel that mystical desert, the manner of painting the landscape, characteristic of Dali of the “surrealist” period, as well as some other artists (in particular, Yves Tanguy).

• The Invisible Man (1929) Also called "Invisible", the painting shows metamorphoses, hidden meanings and outlines of objects. Dali often returned to this technique, making it one of the main features of his painting. This applies to a number of late paintings, such as, for example, "Swans reflected in elephants" (1937) and "The appearance of a face and a bowl of fruit on the seashore" (1938).

• Enlightened Pleasures (1929) Reveals the obsessions and childhood fears of Dali. He also uses images borrowed from his own "Portrait of Paul Eluard" (1929), "Mysteries of Desire:" My mother, My mother, My mother "(1929) and some others.

• Great Masturbator (1929) The painting, like Enlightened Pleasures, is a field for studying the personality of the artist.

• William Tell (1930) Rethinking the role and essence of the Swiss folklore hero, presenting him in the picture as an imperious father who, with his pressure, his “dictatorship”, fetters the development and personal maturation of his son. The paternal phallus on display, the scissors in his hand, is an illustration of the Freudian idea of ​​the castration complex experienced by a son who is overwhelmed by the image of his father.

• The Persistence of Memory (1931) One of the most famous works Salvador Dali. Like many others, it uses ideas from previous work. In particular, this is a self-portrait and ants, soft watch and the coast of Cadaqués, Dalí's birthplace.

• Paranoid transformations of Gal's face (1932) Like a picture-instruction of Dali's paranoid-critical method.

• Retrospective bust of a woman (1933) surreal item. Despite the huge bread and cobs - symbols of fertility, Dali, as it were, emphasizes the price that all this is given: the face of a woman is full of ants eating her.

• The Riddle of William Tell (1933) One of Dali's outright mockery of Andre Breton's communist love and his leftist views. The main character, according to Dali himself, is Lenin in a cap with a huge visor. In The Diary of a Genius, Dali writes that the baby is himself, yelling "He wants to eat me!". There are also crutches here - an indispensable attribute of Dali's work, which has retained its relevance throughout the artist's life. With these two crutches, the artist props up the visor and one of the thighs of the leader. This is not the only known work on this topic. Back in 1931, Dali wrote “Partial Hallucination. Six appearances of Lenin on the piano.

• Mae West's face (used as a surrealist room) (1934-1935) The work was realized both on paper and in the form of a real room with furniture in the form of a lip-sofa and other things.

• Woman with a Head of Roses (1935) Rose head is rather a tribute Arcimboldo, an artist beloved by the Surrealists. Arcimboldo, long before the emergence of the avant-garde as such, painted portraits of courtiers, using vegetables and fruits to compose them (an eggplant nose, wheat hair, and the like). He (like Bosch) was something of a surrealist before surrealism.

• The Ductile Construct with Boiled Beans: A Premonition of the Civil War (1936) Like “Autumn Cannibalism” written in the same year, this picture is the horror of a Spaniard who understands what is happening to his country and where it is heading. This canvas is akin to Guernica by the Spaniard Pablo Picasso.

• Venus de Milo with boxes (1936) The most famous Dalian item. The idea of ​​boxes is also present in his painting. This can be confirmed by Giraffe on Fire (1936-1937), Anthropomorphic Locker (1936) and other paintings.

• Telephone - Lobster (1936) The so-called surrealistic object is an object that has lost its essence and traditional function. Most often, it was intended to evoke resonance and new associations. Dali and Giacometti were the first to create what Salvador himself called "objects with a symbolic function."

• Sun Table (1936) and Poetry of America (1943) When advertising has firmly entered the life of everyone and everyone, Dali resorts to it to create a special effect, a kind of unobtrusive culture shock. In the first picture, he, as it were, accidentally drops a pack of CAMEL cigarettes on the sand, and in the second, he uses a bottle of Coca-Cola.

• Metamorphoses of Narcissus (1936-1937) Or "The Transformation of Narcissus". Deep psychological work.

• The Hitler Enigma (1937) Dali himself spoke of Hitler in different ways. He wrote that he was attracted by the soft, plump back of the Fuhrer. His mania did not cause much enthusiasm among the Surrealists, who had sympathy for the left. On the other hand, Dali subsequently spoke of Hitler as a complete masochist who started the war with the sole purpose of losing it. According to the artist, once he was asked for an autograph for Hitler and he put a straight cross - "the complete opposite of the broken fascist swastika."

• Slave market with the appearance of the invisible bust of Voltaire (1938) One of the most famous "optical" paintings by Dali, in which he skillfully plays with color associations and angle of view. Another extremely well-known work of this kind is “Gala, looking at the Mediterranean Sea, at a distance of twenty meters turns into a portrait of Abraham Lincoln” (1976).

• Dream caused by the flight of a bee around a pomegranate a second before awakening (1944) This bright picture is characterized by a feeling of lightness and instability of what is happening. In the background is a long-legged elephant. This character appears in other works, such as The Temptation of St. Anthony (1946).

• Naked Dali, contemplating five ordered bodies, turning into corpuscles, from which Leda Leonardo is unexpectedly created, impregnated with the face of Gala (1950) One of the many paintings dating back to the period of Dali's passion for physics. He breaks images, objects and faces into spherical corpuscles or some kind of rhinoceros horns (another obsession demonstrated in diary entries). And if Galatea with Spheres (1952) or this picture serves as an example of the first technique, then the Explosion of Raphael's Head (1951) is built on the second.

• Crucifixion or Hypercubic Body (1954) Corpus hypercubus - a canvas depicting the crucifixion of Christ. Dali turns to religion (as well as mythology, as exemplified by The Colossus of Rhodes (1954)) and writes biblical scenes in his own way, bringing a considerable amount of mysticism to the paintings. Gala's wife is now becoming an indispensable character in "religious" paintings. However, Dali does not limit himself and allows you to write quite provocative things. Such as Sodom's Self-Satisfaction of an Innocent Maiden (1954).

• The Last Supper (1955) The most famous painting showing one of the biblical scenes. Many researchers are still arguing about the value of the so-called "religious" period in Dali's work. The paintings "Our Lady of Guadalupe" (1959), "The Discovery of America by the Force of Christopher Columbus's Sleep" (1958-1959) and "The Ecumenical Council" (1960) (in which Dali captured himself) - prominent representatives paintings of that time.

The canvas presents in its entirety the scenes of the Bible (the actual supper, the walking of Christ on the water, the crucifixion, the prayer before the betrayal of Judas), which surprisingly combine, intertwining with each other.

The biblical theme in the work of Salvador Dali occupies a significant position. The artist tried to find God in the surrounding world, in himself, presenting Christ as the center of the primordial universe (“Christ of St. John of the Cross”, 1951).

Sculptures of Dali

Salvador Dali in 1972

The image of Dali in cinema

Year	A country	Name	Director	Salvador Dali
	Sweden	The Adventures of Picasso	Tage Danielsson
	Germany Spain Mexico	Bunuel and King Solomon's Table	Carlos Saura	Ernesto Alterio
	Great Britain Spain	Echoes of the past	Paul Morrison	Robert Pattison
	USA Spain	Midnight in Paris	Woody Allen	Adrien Brody

see also

Notes

Literature

• Delassin S. Gala for Dali. Biography of a married couple. M., Text, 2008.
• George Orwell. George Orwell. The privilege of spiritual shepherds. Essay. - Lenizdat, 1990.

Links

	Dali, Salvador at Wikiquote
	Salvador Dali at Wikimedia Commons

Date of birth: May 11, 1904
Date of death: January 23, 1989
Birthplace: Figueres, Spain

Salvador Dali- eminent painter And Salvador Dali was a graphic artist, sculptor, director.

Salvador Dali was born in the Spanish city of Figueres. The firstborn born to his mother died in infancy, and hopes were pinned on Salvador for the continuation of the Dali family. Perhaps that is why already in childhood the boy was distinguished by arrogance, was little controllable, but had all the makings unusual person. Public tantrums, work for the public, constant whims - all the attention went to Salvador.

All these qualities greatly interfered with friendship with ordinary children, they treated him like a "black sheep" and were often cruel in their jokes.

Drawing was the art that reconciled the future genius with the outside world. Primary education took place in the ordinary art school Figueres. Then, in 1914, the same Academy followed, in Figueres, where the training lasted 4 years.

This was followed by the San Fernando Academy, where, already upon admission, the applicant showed his unusual disposition. The introductory drawing was not made in accordance with the requirements of the commission, but young man given a chance to make things right. Instead, Dali deviated even further from the standards. However, he was accepted for his outstanding abilities.

Soon the mother of the young student died. For him it was a big blow.
A year later, Dali is already studying in Madrid. Of course, the capital provides many opportunities for development - Dali is fond of the works of Freud, gets acquainted with G. Lorca, L. Buñuel, experiments with new trends in painting.

Snobbery and arrogance cause him to be expelled from the Academy. Then, in 1926, the first trip to Paris took place. In the French capital there was an acquaintance with several people who played important role in the life of an artist. This is P. Picasso and the wife of P. Eluard - Gala. Subsequently, the woman will become Dali's wife.

Dali's creative life is in full swing, he exhibits and by 1929 is gaining popularity. Collaboration with surrealists begins. At the same time, relations with the father go wrong, and soon there is a complete break with him.

The gap also occurs with the surrealists, who, after Franco came to power, sympathize with the "left" forces. In general, Dali was indifferent to politics, he believed that he was on a level above it.

In 1934, a marriage with Gala takes place, however, without observing official formalities.

In 1937, a journey through Italy begins. The Renaissance impressed the artist and left a mark on his work. After the outbreak of World War II, El Salvador and his wife leave for the United States, where they live for 8 years. Dali starts literary activity which becomes commercially successful. However, he managed to monetize his artistic talent. He has repeatedly acted in commercials. The artist earned money in America by mastering the professions of a jeweler, illustrator, decorator, sales representative, ballet director.

After returning from the USA to Spain in 1948, the artist continues to create and shock. He makes films and enjoys photography.

In 1965, he met the young A. Lear, who remained a life partner for 8 years. Gala did not prevent this, perhaps because the relationship was platonic.

In 1981, he fell ill with Parkinson's disease, and his wife died a year later. All this is reflected in creativity - the pictures are filled with depression, hand tremor also interferes with drawing.

Last years lives were overshadowed by both illnesses and exacerbated negative character traits.
On January 23, 1989, Salvador Dali died as a result of acute heart failure.

Achievements of Salvador Dali:

Probably the most famous surrealist artist
Created many paintings in different styles

Dates from the biography of Salvador Dali:

1914 began studying at the Academy of Brothers of the Marist Order
1921 mother's death
1926 expelled from the Academy of Arts
1929 start of collaboration with the surrealists
1934 marriage to Gala (unofficial). First short trip to the USA.
1940 went to live in the USA
1981 falls ill with Parkinson's disease
1982 death of wife
1984 Pubol Castle fire
1989, January 23, died

Interesting Salvador Dali Facts:

Full name - Salvador Domenech Felip Jacinth Dali and Domenech.
Salvador is the name that the father called the boy in childhood and it means “savior” in Spanish. Parents claimed that Salvador is the incarnation in the earthly life of his deceased brother.
The first personal exhibition took place when the artist was 14 years old.
He was inseparable from his wife for 53 years.
The body of the artist is buried under the floor of his house, now a museum.
Four films have been shot and 20 full-fledged books based on the life of the artist have been released.

We can say with confidence that people who have not heard of Dali simply do not exist. Some know him by his work, which reflected an entire era in the life of mankind, others by the outrageousness with which he lived and painted.

All the works of Salvador Dali are worth millions these days, and there are always connoisseurs of creativity who are ready to pay the necessary amount for the canvas.

Dali and his childhood

The first thing to say about the great artist is that he is a Spaniard. By the way, my nationality Dali was incredibly proud and was a true patriot of his country. The family in which he was born largely determined his life path, the features of his position. The mother of the great creator was a deeply religious person, while his father was a convinced atheist. From childhood, Salvador Dali was immersed in an atmosphere of ambiguity, some ambivalence.

The author of paintings, valued in millions, was a rather weak student. Restless character, irrepressible desire for expression own opinion, too much wild imagination did not allow him to achieve great success in education, however, as an artist, Dali showed himself quite early. Ramon Pichot was the first to notice his ability to draw, who directed the talent of the fourteen-year-old creator in the right direction. So already at the age of fourteen, the young artist presented his work at an exhibition held in Figueres.

Youth

The work of Salvador Dali allowed him to enter the Madrid Academy fine arts, however, the young and even then outrageous artist did not stay there for a long time. Being convinced of his exclusivity, he was soon expelled from the academy. Later, in 1926, Dali decided to continue his studies, but was again expelled, already without the right to restoration.

A huge role in the life of the young artist was played by his acquaintance with Luis Bonuel, who later became one of the most famous directors, working in the genre of surrealism, and Federico who went down in history as one of the most brilliant poets of Spain.

Expelled from the Academy of Arts, the young artist did not hide his own, which allowed him to organize his own exhibition in his youth, which was visited by the great Pablo Picasso.

Muse of Salvador Dali

Of course, any creator needs a muse. For Dali, it was Gala Eluard, who was on

The moment of meeting the great surrealist is married. A deep, all-consuming passion became the impetus for leaving her husband for Gala and for active creativity for Salvador Dali himself. The beloved became for the surrealist not only an inspirer, but also a kind of manager. Thanks to her efforts, the work of Salvador Dali became known in London, New York and Barcelona. The glory of the artist has acquired a completely different scale.

Glory Avalanche

As befits any creative nature, the artist Dali was constantly developing, striving forward, improving and transforming his technique. Of course, this led to significant changes in his life, the smallest of which was the removal from the list of surrealists. However, this did not affect his career in any way. Thousands, and then multimillion-dollar exhibitions gained momentum. The realization of greatness came to the artist after the publication of his autobiography, which sold out in record time.

Most famous works

A person who does not know a single work of Salvador Dali simply does not exist, but few can name at least a few works of the great artist. All over the world, the creations of the outrageous artist are kept like the apple of an eye and are shown to millions of visitors to museums and exhibitions.

Salvador Dali almost always painted the most famous paintings in a certain outburst of feelings, due to a certain emotional outburst. For example, “Self-portrait with a Raphaelian neck” was written after the death of the artist’s mother, which became a real mental trauma for Dali, which he repeatedly admitted.

The Persistence of Memory is one of Dali's most famous works. It is this picture that has several different names that coexist equally in art history circles. In this case, the canvas depicts the place where the artist lived and worked - Port Lligata. Many art researchers claim that deserted coast reflects in this picture the inner emptiness of the creator himself. Salvador Dali “Time” (as this picture is also called) painted under the impression of the melting of Camembert cheese, from which, perhaps, the key images of the masterpiece appeared. The clock, which takes on completely unthinkable forms on the canvas, symbolizes the human perception of time and memory. The Persistence of Memory is definitely one of the most profound and thoughtful works of Salvador Dali.

Variety of creativity

It's no secret that the paintings of Salvador Dali are very different from each other. certain period in the life of an artist, one or another manner, style, a certain direction are characteristic. By the time when the creator publicly declared: "Surrealism is me!" - includes works written from 1929 to 1934. Such paintings as "William Tell", "Evening Ghost", "Bleeding Roses" and many others belong to this period.

The listed works are significantly different from the paintings of the period limited to 1914 and 1926, when Dali Salvador kept his work within certain limits. early works the master of outrageousness is characterized by greater uniformity, regularity, greater calmness, and to some extent greater realism. Among these paintings, one can single out “Feast in Figueres”, “Portrait of my father”, written in 1920-1921, “View of Cadaques from Mount Pani”.

Salvador Dali painted the most famous paintings after 1934. Since that time, the artist's method has become "paranoid-critical." In this vein, the creator worked until 1937. Among the paintings written by Dali at this time, the most famous paintings were “The Flexible Structure with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War)” and “Atavistic Remains of Rain”

The "paranoid-critical" period was followed by the so-called American. It was at this time that Dali wrote his famous "Dream", "Galarina" and "A dream inspired by the flight of a bee around a pomegranate, a moment before awakening."

The work of Salvador Dali acquires more and more tension over time. Behind American period followed by a period of nuclear mysticism. The painting "Sodomic self-satisfaction of an innocent maiden" was written at this time. In the same period, in 1963, the "Ecumenical Council" was written.

Dali calms down

The time from 1963 to 1983 is called by art critics the period " last role". The works of these years are calmer than the previous ones. They have a clear geometry, very confident graphics, not smooth, melting, but clear and fairly strict lines prevail. Here you can highlight the famous "Warrior", written in 1982, or "The Appearance of a Face in a Landscape".

Lesser known Dali

Few people know, but Salvador Dali created the most not only on canvas and wood, and not only with the help of paints. The artist's acquaintance with Luis Bonuel not only largely determined the further direction of Dali's work, but was also reflected in the painting "The Andalusian Dog", which at one time shocked the audience. It was this film that became a kind of slap in the face of the bourgeoisie.

Soon the paths of Dali and Bonuel diverged, but their joint work went down in history.

Dali and outrageous

Even the appearance of the artist suggests that this nature is deeply creative, unusual and striving for a new, unknown.

Dali was never distinguished by a desire for a calm, traditional appearance. On the contrary, he was proud of his unusual antics and used them in every way to his advantage. About his own mustache, for example, the artist wrote a book, calling them "antennas for the perception of art."

In an impulse to impress Dali, he decided to spend one of his own meetings in a diving suit, as a result of which he almost suffocated.

Dali Salvador put his creativity above all else. The artist won fame in the most unforeseen, strangest ways that one can even imagine. He bought dollar bills for $2, then sold a book about the stock for a huge amount of money. The artist defended the right of his installations to exist by destroying them and bringing them to the police.

Salvador Dali left behind the most famous paintings in huge numbers. However, as well as memories of his strange, incomprehensible character and worldview.

Well, here's a biography of Salvador Dali. Salvador is one of my favorite artists. I tried to add more dirty details tasty interesting facts and quotes from friends from the master's entourage, which are not found on other sites. Available short biography artist's work - see navigation below. A lot is taken from the film Gabriella Flights "Biography of Salvador Dali", so be careful, spoilers!

When inspiration leaves me, I put my brush and paint aside and sit down to write something about the people I am inspired by. So it goes.

Salvador Dali biography. Table of contents.

Characters

The Dalis will spend the next eight years in the United States. Immediately upon arrival in America, Salvador and Gala threw a grandiose orgy of PR action. They had a costume party in a surreal style (Gala sat in a unicorn costume, hmm) and invited the most prominent people from the bohemian party of their time. Dali quite successfully began to exhibit in America, and his shocking antics were very fond of the American press and the bohemian crowd. What, what, but they have not yet seen such a virtuoso-artistic shiz.

In 1942, the surrealist published his autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dali, written by himself. A book for unprepared minds will be slightly shocking, I say right away. It's worth reading though, it's interesting. Despite the obvious strangeness of the author, it is read quite easily and naturally. IMHO, Dali, as a writer, is pretty good, in his own way, of course.

However, despite the huge critical success, Gale again found it difficult to find buyers for the paintings. But everything changed when in 1943 a wealthy couple from Colorado visited the Dali exhibition - Reynold and Eleanor Mos became regular buyers of paintings by Salvador and family friends. The couple Mos acquired a quarter of all the paintings of Salvador Dali and later founded the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, but not in the one you thought, but in America, in Florida.

We started collecting his works, often met with Dali and Gala, and he liked us, because we liked his paintings. Gala also fell in love with us, but she had to maintain her reputation as a person with a difficult character, she was torn between sympathy for us and her reputation. (c) Eleanor Mos

Dali works closely as a designer, participating in the creation of jewelry and scenery. In 1945, Hitchcock invited the master to create scenery for his film Spellbound. Even Walt Disney was captivated by the magical world of Dali. In 1946, he commissioned a cartoon that would introduce Americans to surrealism. True, the sketches came out so surreal that the cartoon will never appear at the box office, but later, it will still be finished. It's called Destino, a cartoon schizophasic, very beautiful, with high-quality art and worth it to watch, unlike the Andalusian dog (don't watch the dog, honestly).

Salvador Dali's quarrel with the surrealists.

While the entire artistic and intellectual community hated Franco, as he was a dictator who seized the republic by force. Dali nevertheless decided to go against public opinion. (c) Antonio Pichot.

Dali was a monarchist, he talked with Franco and he told him that he was going to restore the monarchy. So Dali was for Franco. (c) Lady Moyne

The painting of El Salvador at this time acquires a particularly academic character. For the paintings of the master of this period, the classical component is especially characteristic, despite the obvious surreal plot. The maestro also paints landscapes and classical paintings without any surrealism. Many paintings also take on a distinctly religious character. famous paintings Salvador Dali of this time - atomic ice, The Last Supper, Christ of Saint Juan de la Cruz, etc.

The prodigal son returned to the womb catholic church and in 1958 Dali and Gala got married. Dali was 54 years old, Galya 65. But, despite the wedding, their romance has changed. Gala turned Salvador Dali into a world celebrity, but although their partnership was much more than business, Gala loved young stallions to stand for an hour without a break, and Salvadorich was no longer the same. He no longer looked like the sexless extravagant ephebe she had known before. Therefore, their relationship by that time had noticeably cooled off, and Gala was increasingly seen surrounded by young gigolos and without El Salvador.

Many thought that Dali was just a showman, but this is not so. He worked 18 hours a day, admiring the local landscapes. I think he was in general common man. (c) Lady Moyne.

Amanda Lear, Salvador Dali's second great love.

Salvador, who had been burning all his life with burning eyes, turned into a shaking, unfortunate animal with a driven look. Time spares no one.

Death of Gala, Surrealist's wife.

Soon the maestro was waiting for a new blow. In 1982, at the age of 88, Gala died of a heart attack. Despite the rather cool Lately relationship, Salvador Dali, with the death of Gala, lost his core, the basis of his existence, and became like an apple with a rotten core.

For Dali, this was the strongest blow. As if his world was falling apart. It's a terrible time. Time of deepest depression. (c) Antonio Pichot.

After the death of Gala, Dali rolled downhill. He left for Pubol. (c) Lady Moyne.

The famous surrealist moved to a castle bought for his wife, where the traces of her former presence allowed him to somehow brighten up his existence.

I think it was big mistake retire to this castle, where he was surrounded by people who did not know him at all, but in this way Dali mourned Gala (c) Lady Moyne.

Once a famous party-goer, Salvador, whose house was always full of people drunk on pink champagne, turned into a recluse who allowed only close friends to visit him.

He said - well, let's meet, but in complete darkness. I don't want you to see how gray and old I've become. I want her to remember me young and beautiful (c) Amanda.

I was asked to visit him. He put a bottle of red wine on the table, a glass, put an armchair, and he remained in the bedroom with closed door. (c) Lady Moyne.

Fire and death of Salvador Dali

Fate, which had previously spoiled Dali with good luck, decided, as if in retaliation for all previous years, to throw a new misfortune to El Salvador. In 1984, a fire broke out in the castle. None of the nurses on duty around the clock responded to Dali's cries for help. When Dali was rescued, his body was 25 percent burned. Unfortunately, fate did not give the artist an easy death and he recovered, although he was exhausted and scarred from burns. Salvador's friends persuaded him to leave his castle and move to a museum in Figueres. The last years before his death, Salvador Dali spent surrounded by his art.

5 years later, Salvador Dali died in a hospital in Barcelona from cardiac arrest. So it goes.

Such an end seems too sad for a man who was overflowing with life and so different from others. He was incredible person. (c) Lady Moyne

You tell Vrubel and Van Gogh.

Salvador Dali enriched our lives not only with his paintings. I'm glad he let us get to know him so intimately. (c) Eleanor Mos

I felt that a huge, very significant part of my life had ended, as if I had lost my own father. (c) Amanda.

Meeting with Dali for many was a real discovery of a new vast world, unusual philosophy. Compared to him, all these modern artists who are trying to copy his style just look pathetic. (c) Ultraviolet.

Before his death, Salvador Dali bequeathed to bury himself in his museum, surrounded by his works, under the feet of his admiring admirers.

Surely there are people who don't even know he's dead, they think he just doesn't work anymore. In a sense, it doesn't matter if Dali is alive or dead. For pop culture, he is always alive. (c) Alice Cooper.