Salvador Dali was one of the leading exponents of the surrealist movement, creating paintings, drawings, sculptures, film and photographs that challenged the viewer’s perception of reality. Dali’s eccentric and iconic personality drew even more attention than his work, remembered by all with his flamboyant and highly styled moustache. Deeply influenced by Freud’s studies and his lifelong interest in science and mathematics, the controversial artist featured bizarre and symbolic images exploring the subconscious, dreams, sexuality, religion and science. Recurring symbols in his oeuvre include eggs, an allusion to birth and love; food, associated with beauty and lust; melting watches, reminding of the relativity of time; dead animals, pointing death and decay, and snails, connected to the human head. Dali remains one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, inspiring numerous pop and contemporary artists such as Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst.
