Teatre-Museu Dali, Figueres, Spain--Part I

Salvador Dali i Domenech was born in Figueres in 1904. He studied at the Escuel de Bellas Artes in Madrid and tried out Cubism, Futurism, and Metaphysical painting. He settled into Surrealism in 1929. He was quite flamboyant and a bit of a self-publicist, so it's no surprise that he was able to build his own museum in his home town. The Municipal Theatre was the place where he had his first exhibit in 1919. It was bombed out during the Spanish Civil War. Dali announced his intention to build a museum out of the ruins in the early 1960s. It wasn't complete until 1974. Not everything in the museum is by him, but most of it is his or certainly inspired by his imaginative visual style. He kept making additions and adjustments all the way up to his death in 1989.

The exterior is quite noticeable, as it is covered in golden eggs, croutons, and manikins.

Corner of the museum with eggs on top, croutons on the side, and the dome in the back

J and L by the croutons (L didn't eat them)

Front facade with mannikins

Monument to Catalan philosopher Francesc Pujols

The interior is even more exotic, featuring paintings and sketches from various periods in Dali's life and from other artists. My apologies for not identifying some of the works!

Dali sketch (click to enlarge)

Tension by Evarist Valles

Nice perspective work (click to enlarge)

The Happy Horse

50 Abstract Paintings which Seen from Two Metres Change into Three Lenins Disguised as Chinese and Seen from Six Metres Appear as the Head of a Royal Tiger  (click to enlarge)

One painter is more brilliant than the other

The next post will have a walk through of the museum!