Dalí Atomicus (1948) – Philippe Halsman

Photographer Philippe Halsman was fond of spontaneity and capturing his subjects’ reality, which gained many fans. So he thought of a clever and creative way to snap a portrait of his good pal, Salvador Dalí, by using the artist’s Leda Atomica painting as an inspiration.

Halsman, who had 26 takes before he got the perfect shot, elaborately staged a flying chair and floating easel and asked his wife and daughter to throw cats and a pail of water. Apart from Dalí, the lensman had captured portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Albert Einstein.