Salvador Dali The Unicorn, 1977

Salvador Dali (1904 – 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship and the striking and bizarre images in his work. Born in Figueres, Catalonia, Dali received his formal education in fine arts in Madrid. Influenced by Impressionism and the Renaissance masters from a young age, he became increasingly attracted to Cubism and avant-garde movements. He moved closer to Surrealism in the late 1920s and joined the Surrealist group in 1929, soon becoming one of its leading exponents. His best-known work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in August 1931, and is one of the most famous Surrealist paintings. Dali lived in France throughout the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939) before leaving for the United States in 1940 where he achieved commercial success. He returned to Spain in 1948 where he developed his "nuclear mysticism" style, based on his interest in classicism, mysticism and recent scientific developments. Dali's artistic repertoire included painting, graphic arts, film, sculpture, design and photography, at times in collaboration with other artists. He also wrote fiction, poetry, autobiography, essays and criticism. Major themes in his work include dreams, the subconscious, sexuality, religion, science and his closest personal relationships. Some trends in Dali's work that would continue throughout his life were already evident in the 1920s. Dali was influenced by many styles of art, ranging from the most academically classic, to the most cutting-edge avant-garde. His classical influences included Raphael, Bronzino, Francisco de Zurbaran, Vermeer and Velazquez. Exhibitions of his works attracted much attention and a mixture of praise and puzzled debate from critic