Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dali I Domenech was born on the 11 May 1904 in Figueres, Spain and even from a very young age, he was destined to become one of the most prolific artists of all time. Dali received formal training at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, quickly gaining attention for his Cubist work. After his expulsion for behavioral issues, he moved to Paris, where he befriended Picasso, Magritte, and Miro who assisted in leading Dali into his Surrealist phase.
Inspired by classic artists like Vermeer and Velazquez, Dali is best known for his surrealist work of dreamscapes and religious themes. His most famous piece, “The Persistence of Memory,” featured the motif of the melting clock, which can be found in many of his works. Today, Dali’s works are recognized throughout the world, and can be seen in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Modern in London, the Reina Sofia National Museum in Madrid, and the Museum Ludwig in Cologne.