This immersive dive into the life and work of Salvador Dali unlocks the secret of this creative genius and reveals for the first time how his erotically charged paintings changed the world of modern art.

In turns beloved and reviled, twentieth century art, painter, filmmaker, and designer Salvador Dali set Europe and the United States ablaze with his uncompromising genius, sexual sadism, and flirtations with megalomania. His shocking behavior and work frequently alienated critics; his views were so outrageous, even prominent Surrealists tried to ostracize him. Still, every morning he experienced "an exquisite joy-the joy of being Salvador Dali," and, through a remarkable talent that invited bewilderment, anger, and adoration, rose to unprecedented levels of fame-forever shifting the landscape of the art world and the nature of celebrity itself.

In this stunning volume, rich with more than 150 full-color images, noted art historians Jean-Pierre Isbouts and Christopher Heath Brown discuss the historical, social, and political conditions that shaped Dali's work, identify the impact of Modern as well as Old Master art, and present an unflinching view of the master's personal relationships and motivations. With their deeply compelling narrative, Isbouts and Brown uncover how Dali's visual wit and enduring cult of personality still impacts fashion, literature, and art, from Andy Warhol to Lady Gaga, and seeks to answer why, in an age of shock and awe, Dali's art still manages to distress, perplex, and entertain.

About the Author

Christopher Heath Brown is one of the most prominent collectors of works by Salvador Dali in the United States and serves as the director of Brown Discoveries, a research institute focused on Renaissance, Surrealist, and Contemporary art. Together with Jean-Pierre Isbouts, Dr. Brown is the coauthor of The da Vinci Legacy: How an Elusive 16th-Century Artist Became a Global Pop Icon (Apollo Publishers), The Mona Lisa Myth, and Young Leonardo, and the coproducer of The Search for the Last Supper and The Search for the Mona Lisa specials shown on Public Television. Dr. Brown is also a practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeon who has presented and published to both national and international audiences. Dr. Brown lives in Cornelius, North Carolina.

Jean-Pierre Isbouts is an art historian and a doctoral professor at Fielding Graduate University. He is the author of nine books, including The Biblical World, In the Footsteps of Jesus, and The Story of Christianity, which have sold nearly two million copies. Together with Christopher Heath Brown, he is the coauthor of The da Vinci Legacy: How an Elusive 16th-Century Artist Became a Global Pop Icon (Apollo Publishers), The Mona Lisa Myth, and Young Leonardo, and the coproducer of The Search for the Last Supper and The Search for the Mona Lisa specials shown on Public Television. Dr. Isbouts is also the host of the TV series In Search of Masterpieces and has directed several programs for Disney, ABC, Hallmark, and the History Channel, working with actors such as Leonard Nimoy, Charlton Heston, Dick van Dyke, and Morgan Freeman, and produced recordings with orchestras around the world. Dr. Isbouts lives in Santa Monica, California.

Reviews

"A well-researched skeleton key with which to unlock some of Dali's many mysteries."
-Kirkus Review

Book Information
ISBN 9781948062664
Author Jean-Pierre Isbouts
Format Hardback
Page Count 328
Imprint Apollo Publishers
Publisher Apollo Publishers