Following André Breton's invitation to join the Surrealist movement in 1929, Dalí quickly established himself as the leading Surrealist artist. He spent a great deal of time in Paris over the ensuing decade, where he established friendships with wealthy Parisian patrons and artists. The beginning of Dalí's Surrealist period marked a growing confidence in his own style. The establishment of the representation of 'hard' and 'soft', which formed the foundation of his aesthetic, and the creation of motifs and symbols which became part of his artistic vocabulary throughout his oeuvre, were consolidated at this time. Ants, crutches, keys, watches, lobsters, bread, eggs and other Dalinian clues were all painted to be interpretable through the lens of Freudian psychology. Dalí's most striking works combined this dream imagery with echoes of the majestic plains of the Empordà, or the fantastical rock formations found at Cap de Creus, near Cadaqués.