Spanish artist Salvador Dalí's flamboyancy and peculiarity make him one of the most recognizable artists in history and a leader in the Surrealist art movement. He is best known for his contributions to the post-WWI movement of Surrealism, which rebelled against traditional institutions and ways of thinking.
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The Museum of Modern Art in New York City hosts some of Dalí’s most recognizable works, including “The Persistence of Memory" and its famous melting clocks. MoMA acquired the painting in 1934, after it became a sensation in 1932.
Known for his adept and weird public relations stunts, Dalí kept exotic pets, such as an ocelot named Babou, as well as anteaters. The insectivorous mammal accompanied him on walks (though it may have just been for a photo op) and on talk show appearances.
When it debuted in New York in 1932, "The Persistence of Memory" captured international audiences with its absurd, dream-like reflection on time. In his later works, Dalí's work evolved and became more of a self-parody. This video breaks down the great Spanish artist's works.
Dalí's parents found the miracle of his birth nine months after his brother died to be profound, telling him he was his brother's reincarnation. Dalí carried this belief into his adult life and often cited its deep influence on him, including his preoccupation with death and mortality.
Made in 1929, the silent short film “Un Chien Andalou” ("An Andalusian Dog") marked Dalí’s entrance into the Surrealist movement. Dreamy and disturbing, the film projects images like a hand covered in ants and a razor slicing an eye, and follows no obvious structure. Watch it here.
Dalí had a fascination with Adolf Hitler and was also a fan of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. It's unclear how serious Dalí was about it; regardless, his admiration for authoritarians got him expelled by the antiwar and progressive surrealists.
Following World War I, artists used unconventional forms of expression to make sense of the death and destruction they’d witnessed for years. Life as they knew it had ended, and movements like surrealism, founded by André Breton, rebelled against tradition.
Sigmund Freud's writings on dreams and the unconscious profoundly influenced Dalí and his work, and the artist came to idolize the Austrian psychoanalyst. When they met, Freud viewed Dalí as an odd curiosity, and the artist came away disappointed, significantly lowering his opinion of the psychoanalyst.
“The Persistence of Memory” was painted on a canvas roughly the size of a sheet of paper, depicting a desolate landscape with melting clocks, ants, and a distorted figure. The piece incorporates Freud and Einstein's ideas, resulting in a haunting composition symbolizing time's fluidity and Dalí’s personal anxieties.
During this 1971 talk show episode, Dalí enters the stage with his pet anteater, flinging it onto an actress' lap. He proceeds to talk strangely about the significance of anteaters and his mustache. Many argue such public appearances were examples of Dalí’s performance art, where he made real interactions surreal.
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