Salvador Dali was born in Figueres, Spain 108 years ago. He left quite an impact on his home town and areas along the Costa Brava. We visited the coastal area of Spain this past November and were able to see the areas where he spent much of his time. Dali credits the landscape and light of Catalonia Spain for influencing his works. The small villages of the Costa Brava and city of Figueres embraced their most famous artistic son and seem to have dealt with his rather strange and frequently absurd antics. Dali seems to be omnipresent.
Dali was born on May 11, 1904 in the small city of Figueres. He had an older brother also named Salvador who died 9 months before he was born. Salvador Dali’s parents told him when he was 5 years old that he was the reincarnation of his brother. It is said that he believed this concept. At an early age he took up drawing and attended drawing school. Dali’s father held exhibits of his works in their home in Figueres when he was a young teenager. On a family vacation in Cadaques, Dali was exposed to modern painting styles due to the artists that came to the area every summer. He went to the Fine Art School in Madrid where he had a reputation as a “dandy” for his behavior and style of dress. He was expelled from the school right before his graduation because he was supposed to have caused unrest. In 1929 Dali meets his life-long muse Gala. Dali’s father does not approve and bans him from the family homes. Undaunted, Dali moves to the next village over, Portlligat, rents a fishing house. Over the years, Dali purchases several of these fishing houses and makes them his primary residence. Eventually Dali and his father reconcile their differences.
Salvador Dali’s reputation throughout his life remains one of controversy. He was not one to clearly state his political views, and leaves Europe during WWII. He comes to the United States, settles in New York City and is welcomed by the arts scene there. After WWII and when things settle after the Spanish Civil War, Dali moves back to Spain. His career is managed financially by Gala, who is wise with the money and they are able to have quite the elaborate jet set life.
Dali is not only a painter, but a sculptor, a jeweler, a furniture designer, a fashion design consultant and dabbled in film. He also fancied himself as a scientist and mathematician. His was said to have been intrigued by the great minds of his day: Einstein, Freud and others. His art was influenced by celebrities like Mae West and also scientific events like the atomic bombs and discoveries of DNA structure. He also did early work in holographics. His studio in Portlligat shows many ingenious modifications. Many of the mirrors in the house help to build optical illusions and a mirror on a wall was placed such that he was able to catch the first morning light from his bed. The walls of his studio were built so that the canvass was able to move along the easel so that the area he was working on was easily reached from his favorite chair.
Dali was one of the ultimate self-promoters. He designed three museums for himself to display his works. The main museum is in Figueres. It is a theatre and museum of paintings, sculpture and jewelry. His mausoleum is there. Dali set the visiting schedule such that only certain numbers of people would be in the museum at a given time. Hence the very long line the day we were there. We did not get into the museum, but enjoyed the building and sculptures all around town. The second museum is nearby, and is dedicated to Gala. The Castell Gala Dali holds many of their belongings and much of Gala’s haute couture clothing.
And third is his home in Portlligat. Originally several fishing houses, Dali purchased them over time and connected them in a bizarre labyrinth. Tickets are ordered online, however we did not have a ticket. Since it was November, we thought that maybe we could get in anyway. We were told to wait to see if everyone showed up, and if not could go in with the next group. Luck was with us and we were able to tour the museum. It was a strange mixture of everyday rooms and insights into some of the wildest imagination. We saw living quarters and studios, works that were never completed and many things that were. Most interesting was that every location both inside and outside had wonderful views of the sea and surrounding mountains. The day we visited, the weather was windy with scattered showers. We were able to see a bit of the wild landscape that the Costa Brava is famous for.
Dali’s health deteriorated in the 1980’s. It is thought that Gala, who by this time was senile, may have been giving him his medicine. She may have given him dosages of medicines and other things that caused tremors and a Parkinson’s like condition. After Gala died in 1982, Dali lost much of his will to live. He has several suspicious incidents that could have been suicide attempts. His friends take him to Figueres to care for him until his death in 1989. Rumor has it that during his final years some people had him sign a number of blank canvases; so much of his later work may be forgeries. Dali is an interesting figure and still dominates much of the local area where we visited.
