Salvador Dali Domingo Felipe Jacinto (1904-1989). Spanish, more accurately Catalan surrealist painter known for his distinctive and often bizarre paintings. His work frequently features elements of symbolism. Dalí created more than 1,500 works, including paintings, drawings, book illustrations, designs for costumes and furniture, sculptures, cartoon animations and more. Among his most famous paintings are The Persistence of Memory (1931), The Elephants (1948), Christ of St. John of the Cross (1951), Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937), and The Dream (1944).