> Which Spanish artist created the famous painting entitled "The Persistence ofMemory?"And the answer: Salvador Dalí.Created in 1931, the painting depicts a barren landscape, with a clock meltingon a tree limb, and two more clocks melting off other surfaces. It's a goodexample of Surrealism, the early 20th century literary and art movement thatexplores the inner workings of the mind.The Persistence of Memory, by Salvador Dalí. Courtesy: MoMA.orgWith one of themost referenced images in the modern canon, Dalí's "The Persistence of Memory"perhaps encapsulates the Surrealist movement better than any else. Born in 1904to a middle class family, Dalí began painting early in life, showing aconsiderable command of the Impressionist style. In his youth, Dalí had a rockyrelationship with his father, who operated on virtues of stringent disciplinedespite his unrequited support of Dalí's artistic pursuits. Ultimately, it wasDalí's divergence from tradition and controversial art that drove he and hisfather apart. Photo credit: Philippe Halsman.Dalí painted some of the first Cubist works inMadrid during his collegiate career, beginning with the geometric "CabaretScene." However, Dalí accused his professors of being unqualified to judge him,and dropped out of college in 1926. By this time, Dalí had already cultivatedhis eccentric image as an artist, and existed as living proof of the motto thatyou can get away with oddities if your work is good.Heavily influenced by Freud, Dalí went on to explore the subconscious in hisworks. He placed common objects (like clocks, for instance) within a dreamlikelandscape to manipulate the viewer's firm grip on reality and gesture to thedisconnect between perception and reality. With this technique, Dalí became arenowned Surrealist painter with technical ability and quirk to spare. Learn more about Dalí below.