jjares reviewed Salvador Dalí: A Captivating Guide to the Life of a Famous Spanish Painter Who Is Known for His Surrealist Paintings and Flamboyant Personality on + 3278 more book reviews
Thank you for taking the reader through the major Spanish artists before Salvador Dali. By googling the artworks mentioned in the early chapters, it was easy to see the evolution the author was taking the reader through to get to Dali's era. He was truly a genius; Dali's artworks at 6, 9 and 12 (years-of-age) are amazing. I really like Fiesta in Figueres; it has strong similarities to Van Gogh's Starry Night.
Dali's family had an extensive impact on the young artist. His father was an atheist and his mother was a devout Catholic. Several shocking things in Salvador's family affected the artist; his parents told their young Salvador that he was the reincarnation of their first child. Salvador mentioned that he was profoundly affected by the trip to see the grave of his older brother.
The book reiterates what I remember of Dali; he was a showman, first and foremost. Dali was at least as surreal as his paintings. He was larger than life. He chose an apt companion, Gala, a promiscuous Russian emigre, who was looking for a genius to latch onto. She was 10 years older than Dali but he loved her compulsively. Gala made the break between Dali and his father easier for Dali to bear; he was a hardworking artist and she managed his life and money.
There are several threads that run through this book that I'd like to mention. Dali continued to grow and transform himself throughout his life. He was never content to rest on his earned laurels. He worked in many mediums; oils, designing jewelry, creating films, sculpture, and photography. He also wasn't shy about working with other artists in various media. He wrote books and submitted magazine articles. He was extremely prolific. He also wasn't afraid of revisiting a subject, when he had something new to say about it (see Basket of Bread vs. Basket of Bread: Rather Death than Shame).
The last few chapters were sad. However, explaining Dali's life after Gala added a whole new dimension to his humanity or human-ness. As could only happen to a master showman, the court attack by the woman swearing she was Dali's heir, could only happen to Dali. And when they found a perfect mustache to use for DNA, Dali must have howled in delight.
The meeting between Dali and Sigmund Freud and then his meeting with Coco Chanel really showed that he was just a little boy, overcome with meeting someone of renown (as if he weren't worthy to meet them). I found this book to be compelling reading; I enjoyed every minute of it.  Â
Dali's family had an extensive impact on the young artist. His father was an atheist and his mother was a devout Catholic. Several shocking things in Salvador's family affected the artist; his parents told their young Salvador that he was the reincarnation of their first child. Salvador mentioned that he was profoundly affected by the trip to see the grave of his older brother.
The book reiterates what I remember of Dali; he was a showman, first and foremost. Dali was at least as surreal as his paintings. He was larger than life. He chose an apt companion, Gala, a promiscuous Russian emigre, who was looking for a genius to latch onto. She was 10 years older than Dali but he loved her compulsively. Gala made the break between Dali and his father easier for Dali to bear; he was a hardworking artist and she managed his life and money.
There are several threads that run through this book that I'd like to mention. Dali continued to grow and transform himself throughout his life. He was never content to rest on his earned laurels. He worked in many mediums; oils, designing jewelry, creating films, sculpture, and photography. He also wasn't shy about working with other artists in various media. He wrote books and submitted magazine articles. He was extremely prolific. He also wasn't afraid of revisiting a subject, when he had something new to say about it (see Basket of Bread vs. Basket of Bread: Rather Death than Shame).
The last few chapters were sad. However, explaining Dali's life after Gala added a whole new dimension to his humanity or human-ness. As could only happen to a master showman, the court attack by the woman swearing she was Dali's heir, could only happen to Dali. And when they found a perfect mustache to use for DNA, Dali must have howled in delight.
The meeting between Dali and Sigmund Freud and then his meeting with Coco Chanel really showed that he was just a little boy, overcome with meeting someone of renown (as if he weren't worthy to meet them). I found this book to be compelling reading; I enjoyed every minute of it.  Â
