Dalí was a man of many contradictions –his insatiable desire for fame and notoriety led him to indulge in self-promoting activities such as delivering a lecture in a diving suit or contorting his distinctive moustache into strange positions. These kind of grandiose and eccentric behaviours sometimes drew more public attention than his artwork, annoying both those who loved his art and his critics. On the other hand, his public persona concealed a deeply serious and highly educated man whose acute intellect could grasp new and challenging ideas, particularly the complexities of modern scientific and mathematical discoveries. The diverse and constantly evolving oeuvre of Dalí, that included oils, watercolours, drawings, graphics, sculpture and jewels, is testimony to his incomparable insight and imagination. There are few who would argue with his early prediction, at the age of sixteen, that ‘I will be a genius, and the world will admire me. I may be despised and misunderstood, but I’ll be a genius, a great genius, because I am sure of it.’