Salvador Dalí was the flamboyant master of Surrealism, a movement that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind by juxtaposing irrational imagery. His most famous painting, 'The Persistence of Memory' (1931), features melting pocket watches, which Dalí claimed were inspired by a dream of Camembert cheese melting in the sun. A recurring motif in his work is the ant, which he used as a symbol for decay, death, and immense nervous energy. Dalí was deeply influenced by the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud and used a 'paranoiac-critical' method to induce a state of hallucinatory creativity. His eccentric public persona, including his famous upturned mustache, was as much a part of his art as his paintings. He also collaborated with filmmaker Luis Buñuel on 'Un Chien Andalou,' the first Surrealist film, which remains iconic for its shocking imagery.