Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Experiencing A Supreme Pleasure

When the photograph above was taken by Carl Van Vechten on the streets of Paris in 1934, the man who looks more like a wax mannequin was 30 years old. He had painted his most famous work, "Persistence Of Memory", when he was 26.

Born in Catalan, Spain, in 1904, he grew to be a skilled draftsman who became best known for his surrealist paintings. The 1st Marquis of Pubol, his full name was Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dali i Domenech, known to the world as Salvador Dali. Less known is that in addition to his more than 1,500 paintings, he collaborated with Walt Disney on a short cartoon, "Destino", which was nominated for an Academy Award and further dabbled in film when he worked with Alfred Hitchcock. He also sculpted, worked in costume design, created logos and television advertising.

Considered an eccentric, known for his waxed moustache, walking cane, cloaks and flamboyance, he is famous for having said, "Every morning upon awakening, I experience a supreme pleasure: that of being Salvador Dali".

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