Salvador Dali' was born on May 11, 1904 in the town of Figeuras. His father was a respected notary. His whole family, father, mother, and younger sister, encouraged his interest in art. His first art studio was a room in his family's home. In 1921 Dali' enrolled at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. While in that school he joined a high-class group of friends. Among those friends was film-maker Luis Bunuel and poet-dramatist …showed first 75 words of 279 total…

…showed last 75 words of 279 total…best known members of the group. During the 1930's his paintings were included in surrealist shows in most major European cities and the United States. Under the influence of the surrealist movement, Dali's artistic style turned into the disturbing blend of precise realism and dreamlike fantasy that became his trademark. These pictures described by Dali' as "hand-painted dream photographs" are inspired by dreams, hallucinations, and other unconscious forces that the artist is unable to explain.