Icons of the Art World: Salvador Dali

Salvadore Dali is one of the most celebrated and well-known artists of all time. His paintings, sculptures, films and photography have been a major inspiration and have influenced many generations of artists and creatives, as well as culture. Dali’s methods opened up new modes of creative expression and he was a leader in the artistic movement called Surrealism. His most famous painting, The persistence of memory, is practically ubiquitous, being familiar to many who don’t know of the artist himself.

Dali’s antics became a legend as well as his art. He was an eccentric, often engaging in very bizarre behavior, but this was all part of what “Dali the Legend” was to become. He was focused and very confident, once saying, “Each morning, when I awake, I experience again a supreme pleasure – that of being Salvadore Dali.”

The BBC created a documentary about Dali and we thought it was an excellent resource to find out about Dali, his life and his art.