Book excerpt: Salvador Dali (1904-1988) was one of the most popular and most visible artists of the last century, known for his provocative, hallucinatory works and his dramatic, eccentric personality. Raised and educated in Spain, he later moved to Paris, where he played a major role in the Surrealist movement. He created an astoundingly diverse body of work, including paintings, drawings, and graphic works, as well as writing and illustrating books and collaborating with director Luis Bunuel on two films. Dali later experimented with other forms of creative expression, conceiving the decor and scenarios for several major ballets, designing stage sets for operas and plays, working on special sequences for Hollywood movies, and designing jewelry. In this fascinating account, journalist and art historian Jean-Louis Gaillemin focuses on the intimate details of Dali's life, especially his intense relationship with his longtime partner, Gala Eluard, and discusses how the artist's psychological views and state of mind influenced his work.