Salvador Dalí's life and work were shaped by several historical influences, including the Surrealist movement, which sought to explore the unconscious and challenge rationality. His early exposure to impressionism and cubism paved the way for his unique style, incorporating dreamlike imagery and vivid symbolism. The tumultuous backdrop of World War I and the Spanish Civil War also influenced his political ideologies and artistic expressions. Furthermore, Dalí's personal relationships, especially with Gala Éluard, a significant muse, and his fascination with science and psychoanalysis, were key to his distinctive surrealist creations.