Salvador Dali was born Salvador Dali y Domenech May 11, 1904 as in Figueras, Spain. He was born the third Salvador Dali after his father and brother, who died 9 months before Dali's own birth. Dali lived in the shadow of his brother all of his life. This had a great impact on his artwork. A lot of his works were an expression of how he felt towards his brother. These works included decay, putrefaction, and other disturbing images. Dali began painting at the age of 10. His more notable works were produced by the age of 13 and by the age of 18, the had made connections with other intellectuals including: Luis Buneul, Frederico, Garcia Lorca, and Picasso. In 1928, Dali first obtained true international exposure when his oil painting, "Basket of Bread", was shown at Carnegie International Exposition in Pittsburgh, PA. This was one example of his mastery. Dali was determined to become one of the world's greatest painters. He was always aware of his own talent and in many eyes, accomplished the status of a master. Salvador Dali died January 23, 1989 but will still remain one of the greatest artists and whose paintings will always remain La vie secrete de Salvador Dali. Spanish painter, sculptor, graphic artist and graphic designer, Salvador Dali was one of the most celebrated and influential figures in the twentieth century avant-garde art. Dali is best known for is surrealist art of the 1930's and according to Joann Prosyniuk, "[Dali's] surrealist paintings expressed his childhood fears, obsessions, and dreams in a meticulously realistic style wherein objects from the rational world are set upon vast, dream like landscapes and juxtaposed with bizarre images." Although Dali was found at fault for his commercial tendencies and deliberate "cultivation of an exhibitionistic public image," he was admired for his flamboyant imagination and his exemplary craftsmanship. James Thrall Soby commented: "With extraordinary invention, ...
