Salvador Dali was born in 1904 in the Catalonia region of Spain. He was an excellent draftsman and his painting skills were influenced by Renaissance masters. He was a very imaginative man and had an eccentric manner. He was also famous for his unique mustache.

Dali exhibited his first paintings from his family home at the age of 15. His mother was very supportive of his talents but died when he was only 16 years old. He was friends with many other surrealist painters and artists including the famous poet Federico Garcia Lorca and the painter Joan Miró.

In his lifetime he met Pablo Picasso and experimented with Cubism and also Dadaism, artistic movements of his day. He did not limit himself to art. He was also interested in natural sciences and mathematics. He was particularly fascinated by optical effects and performed many experiments at home. He also had a lifelong fascination with film, fashion and photography.

Although Dali passed away in 1989, he continues to be a cultural icon. He has been portrayed in a number of films including the film Little Ashes (2008) featuring Robert Pattinson as Salvador Dali.