Salvador Dalí was one of the most prolific and talented surrealist artists of the 20th century. Dalí was known for his singular persona and precise, imaginative paintings. He also worked across a wide range of media, including printmaking, film, and sculpture.

Born in Figueres, Spain, the artist moved to Paris in 1929. Dalí joined the surrealist movement, sharing its interest in Freudian psychoanalysis. He brought new life to the group, establishing what he called the “paranoiac-critical method.” In this approach, the artist entered a self-induced paranoid state to create works of art.

One of Dalí’s most famous works is The Persistence of Memory (1931). It demonstrates the painter’s ability to capture bizarre, grotesque, and strangely beautiful images that surface from the subconscious. Dalí’s Sacrament of the Last Supper (1955), which is in the National Gallery’s collection, is one of his most ambitious paintings. It reflects the artist’s devotion to Catholicism in his later years.