Dalí: Life in School
In 1922, Dalí enrolled in the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. It was at this time that he embraced his eccentric side, wearing long hair and sideburns, and dressing in the style of English Aesthetes of the late 19th century. He had a troublesome academic career, getting expelled for allegedly causing a riot, and stating that none of the professors were compentent enough to teach him.
In between 1926 and 1929, Dalí made several trips to Paris, and met with influential painters and intellectuals including Pablo Picasso, whom he revered. During this time, Dalí painted a number of works that displayed Picasso's influence. He also met Joan Miro, the Spanish painter and sculptor who, along with poet Paul Eluard and painter Rene Magritte, introduced Dalí to Surrealism. Dalí was working with Impressionism, Futurism, and Cubism. Dalí's paintings became associated with three general themes: depicting a measure of man's universe and his sensations; the use of collage; and objects charged with sexual symbolism, and ideographic imagery.