Dali's affair with Gala at around this time is known to have been the contributing factor to their strained relationship. Gala herself is given centre stage in this painting, though typically her form is dreamlike, in line with his surrealist style which dominates the middle and latter stages of his career. In the background we find a sprawling landscape which is entirely consistent with so many other works from his career. The tones and terrain would have been inspired by the environment in which he grew up, in a large town close to the French border in North East Spain. Catalonia possesses a strong, unique culture and Dali was always very proud to be one of its more famous sons.

You will also find similarly bright tones in the work of other artists from this creative region, which continues to enjoy certain levels of autonomy under Spanish rule. This item is believed to now be housed at the The Dali Museum, St. Petersburg (Florida), which remains the finest location in the US for followers of the artist. It provides an interesting insight into Dali's relationship with Gala which ran into early controversy because of her marriage to a French poet. Dali would always do whatever best suited him, particularly when it involved being with a woman with whom he was so entirely besotted. Ultimately, he was right to persevere with Gala because their relationship would stand the test of time and leave behind a huge influence on his development over the next fifty years.

This was an artist who some see as being the spearhead of the Surrealist movement, though he did frequently squabble with some of its fellow members. He was a strong personality who believed in his own opinion and enjoyed expressing it. Many would have had their egos challenged by his dominant character but that was just how he was, from pretty much the day he was born. Thankfully for him he was gifted enough technical ability and imagination to back up his behaviour with many extraordinary artworks, across a variety of different mediums.