By: Geoffery Masters

 Salvador Dali was born on this date to Salvador Dali Cusi and his wife Felipa Domenech Ferres.  He was born in the small agricultural town of Figueres, Spain.  ml

Figueres Spain – where salvador was born

 Salvador was enrolled in a State Primary School, under the teacher Esteve Traytor  due to that the first option failed, his father decided to enroll Salvador at the Hispano-French School of the Immaculate Conception in Figueres, where he learned French, the language that was to become his cultural vehicle 

The French Flag – A language that would become very important in Salvador's life

 In 1916 Salvador spent periods on the outskirts of Figueres, at the Moli de la Torre estate owned by the Pichot family, a family of intellectuals and artists.  In the Autumn he began his secondary schooling at the Marist Brothers’ school and at Figueres grammar school. He also attended the classes taught by Juan Nunez at the Municipal Drawing School in Figueres.  - dali.org/dali/en_biografia.html

Moli de la Torre estate- Where Salvador discovered impresionalism

 In 1919 he took part in a group exhibition at the Societat de Concerts rooms in Figueres’ Municipal Theatre (which was years later to become the Dali Theatre-Museum.  In 1920 his father made it a condition that he go to Madrid to study at the Fine Arts School, in order to qualify as a teacher. Dalí accepted to do so.  In 1922 He took part in the Students Original Art Works Competition Exhibition of the Catalan Students’ Association, held at Galeries Dalmau in Barcelona, where his work Market was awarded the University Vice Chancellor’s prize  In 1928 he became internationally known when three of his paintings including the basket of bread were shown in the third annual Carnegie International Exhibition in Pittsburgh.  

Figueres’ Municipal Theatre where Salvador attended a group exhibition (now the Dali Theatre Museum)

 In 1929 Dali helped Luis Bunuel on the short film Un chien andalou. He helped write the script and also played a significant role in the filming.  In august of 1929 he met his wife Gala, A Russian Immigrant.  Dali also joined a surrealist group in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris.  Meanwhile his relation ship with his father was about to rupture, his father disagreed with Dali marrying Gala and joining the surrealist group. 

Salvador Dali and his wife Gala

 In 1931, Dalí painted one of his most famous works, The Persistence Of Memory, which introduced a surrealistic image of soft, melting pocket watches. The general interpretation of the work is that the soft watches are a rejection of the assumption that time is rigid or deterministic.  In 1934 Dali was introduced to America by art dealer Julian Levy  He was also expelled from the surrealist group in 1934  #Madrid_and_Paris

The Persistence Of Memory one of Dali’s most famous works

 Dali spent his remaining years back in Catalonia.  Late in his career he didn’t focus on painting mainly, but experimented with bulletist works, optical illusions and he was one of the first artists to employ holography in a artistic manner.  In his later years, young artists such as Andy Warhol proclaimed Dali an important influence on pop art.  Dali was also fascinated with hypercube figures.  #1929_through_World_War_II

An example of one of Dali’s hypercube works (crucifixion)

 In 1960 Dali began work on the Dali Theatre and Museum, in his hometown of Figueres. It was his single largest project and the main focus of his energy through  In 1968 Dali filmed a television advertisement for Lanvin chocolates  In 1969 he designed the chupa chups logo.  Also in 1969, he was responsible for creating the advertising aspect of the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest and created a large metal sculpture that stood on the stage at the Teatro Real in Madrid.  ugh_World_War_II

The front of the Dali Art Museum

 On June 10, 1982 Dali’s wife Gala died, after Gala died Dali lost much of his will to live, he deliberately dehydrated himself, possibly as a suicide attempt.  On January 23, 1989, while his favorite record Tristan and Isolde played, Dali died of heart failure in figueres at the age of 84, he is buried in the crypt of his Teatro Museo.  #1929_through_World_War_II

The place Dali’s funeral was held