I’d like to tell you about a great Spanish artist - Salvador Dali. In my opinion, he is one of the most famous surrealists in the world who did a revolution in art.
Salvador was born in 1904 in a small town of Figueras in Spain. He was quite a strange kid and other children didn't want to be friends with him.
Salvador’s father didn’t love his son. He often got angry with little Dali and when the latter became naughty and hysterical, he punished him severely: once he locked him in the pantry for the whole day. That might have caused his future fears and fobias... He sent Salvador to school for children from poor families despite the fact that the Dalies were a prosperous family. But Salvador was a rebel and kept doing everything conversely because he wanted to stand out of a crowd. And he succeeded in it..
When he was 16, he finished school and went to college. And there, one day, he jumped down from the stairs. People were shocked and scared of it. Salvador liked this reaction very much and repeated this jump many times. He wanted to attract attention as much as possible.
In 1922 Salvador went to Art School in Madrid. But there he studied for only one year - he refused to pass exams because of his artist’s pride.
Then he began to do painting by himself. He had a good head of hair and curled mustache. Also he always wore a cloak and a hat. People said about Dali: "Man is not of this world”. All his youth he created, created and created...
When he was 25, Salvador met Russian woman Helena Dyakonova who . He fell in love with her at first sight and loved her all his life. He dearly named his muse "Gala”. He was passionate in everything he did.
Some people look at his pictures and don't understand them. But if they could think about them for some time, they would see a lot of meaning and sense .
'Landscape Near Figueras" was painted by young Salvador, when he was 6 years old. It's amazing!
And this is my favourite picture - "Swans Reflecting Elephants".
I can look at it for many hours because there are a lot of things, which you can't see at first sight.. It was painted in 1937. BTW, some years later the painting was sold for $3.7 million at auction.
Dali's last painting "The Swallow's Tail". Any ideas what it's about?
Ok, yes, he was too excentric and sophisticated. But he smashed reality and showed the mankind that there are no limits for self-expression and fantasy. That's why he's so special for me.
Salvador’s father didn’t love his son. He often got angry with little Dali and when the latter became naughty and hysterical, he punished him severely: once he locked him in the pantry for the whole day. That might have caused his future fears and fobias... He sent Salvador to school for children from poor families despite the fact that the Dalies were a prosperous family. But Salvador was a rebel and kept doing everything conversely because he wanted to stand out of a crowd. And he succeeded in it.. 
