For many, the name Salvador Dali is synonymous with the art movement known as Surrealism, which developed in Paris during the 1920s. Yet Dali was a far more complex character than his critics and even his fans often portrayed. Born as the son of a middle-class lawyer, Dali wanted to be the center of attention throughout his childhood. An intentional iconoclast, Dali angered teachers and claimed mastery over subjects that he didn't fully understand.

For instance, at the Academy of Arts in Madrid, Dali claimed mastery over Cubism without having studied much Cubism. He angered many at the Academy by dressing like he was from the 19th century and by bowing out of his final exams, claiming to be too advanced to suffer examinations from his teachers. Of course, Dali was no slouch. He studied all art forms assiduously. His paintings quickly won the notice of the biggest art luminaries of the day, including Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso.

After studying the Surrealists for a few years, Dali moved to France and started hanging out with the movement's artists. Dali and his fellow Surrealists became renowned throughout the world for their artwork, which featured dreamlike images, depictions of unconscious moments, and weird ironic juxtapositions. One of Dali's pieces from this time, 'The Persistence of Memory,' is perhaps the most recognizable icon of the entire Surrealist movement.

However, as the Surrealists grew more and more Marxist, Dali found himself alienated from their inner circle. Eventually, he broke with the gang altogether. For the rest of his life, the surrealists spoke about Dali as if he were already dead. The Surrealists also heaped criticism on Dali for living in the fascist Spain of Franco.