Salvador Dalí was a famous Spanish painter and draftsman known for his extensive use of symbolism. Dali was a founder of the surrealist movement. However, as an artist he was not limited to any style or media. His repertoire ranged from film, theater and sculpture to fashion and photography.
Salvador Dali was also a very controversial character. On Dalí’s personality, George Orwell once remarked that ‘one ought to be able to hold in one’s head simultaneously the two facts, that Dalí is a good draughtsman and a disgusting human being, the one does not invalidate or, in a sense, affect the other.’
Dalí was a close friends of the fascist dictator Franco. Dalí publicly stated that he admired Franco for clearing Spain of ‘destructive forces’ and he praised Franco for signing the death warrants of political prisoners. Dali holidayed with the Dictator and his family and painted a portrait of the fascist dictator’s granddaughter.