Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
SURREALIST STYLE
In the wake of World War I’s ravaging of Europe, artists delved into the unconscious mind to confront and grapple with this reality. Poet and critic André Breton, a leader of the Surrealist movement who authored the 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, called this approach “a violent reaction against the impoverishment and sterility of thought processes that resulted from centuries of rationalism.” Surrealist art emerged in the 1920s with dreamlike and uncanny imagery guided by a variety of techniques such as automatic drawing, which can be likened to a stream of consciousness, to channel psychological experiences.
Although Surrealism was a groundbreaking approach for European art, its practitioners were inspired by Indigenous art and ancient mysticism for reenvisioning how sculptures, paintings, prints, performance art and more could respond to the unsettled world around them.
Surrealist artists were also informed by the Dada movement, which originated in 1916 Zurich and embraced absurdity over the logic that had propelled modernity into violence. Some of the Surrealists had witnessed this firsthand, such as Max Ernst, who served in the trenches during World War I, and Salvador Dalí, whose otherworldly paintings and other work responded to the dawning civil war in Spain.
Other key artists associated with the revolutionary art and literary movement included Man Ray, Joan Miró, René Magritte, Yves Tanguy, Frida Kahlo and Meret Oppenheim, all of whom had a distinct perspective on reimagining reality and freeing the unconscious mind from the conventions and restrictions of rational thought. Pablo Picasso showed some of his works in “La Peinture Surréaliste” — the first collective exhibition of Surrealist painting — which opened at Paris’s Galerie Pierre in November of 1925. (Although Magritte is best known as one of the visual Surrealist movement’s most talented practitioners, his famous 1943 painting, The Fifth Season, can be interpreted as a formal break from Surrealism.)
The outbreak of World War II led many in the movement to flee Europe for the Americas, further spreading Surrealism abroad. Generations of modern and contemporary artists were subsequently influenced by the richly symbolic and unearthly imagery of Surrealism, from Joseph Cornell to Arshile Gorky.
Find a collection of original Surrealist paintings, sculptures, prints and multiples and more art on 1stDibs.
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Style: Surrealist
Mandolin - Unique Drawing Pencil on Paper Hand Signed Surrealism, 1930
Located in New York, NY
Salvador Dalí
Mandolin, ca. 1930
Graphite on paper
6 × 8 in l 15.2 × 20.3 cm
Frame included - 11 x 13 in l 28 x 33 cm
The authenticity of this artwork has been confirmed by Mr. Desc...
Category
1930s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Graphite
Holiday End - Color Pencil Drawing, Surreal Christmas Scene, Framed
By John Hrehov
Located in Chicago, IL
The artist is a master at storytelling. He sets the stage for the viewer to bring the events to a particular scene. Here, the artist presents us with a curious scene. The Holidays are over and the thought of getting rid of the tree is always a chore. Hrehov has chosen to show how to quickly eliminate the tree (and everything around it!). His sense of humor comes out in this small, highly detailed drawing that is matted and framed measuring 14.5 x 16 inches.
John Hrehov
Holiday End
colored pencil on paper
6.50h x 8w in
16.51h x 20.32w cm
JHR005
John Hrehov
Education
1985 MFA-Painting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1981 BFA-Painting, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH.
Solo Exhibitions
2017 John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Tom Thomas Gallery, Indiana University East, Richmond, IN.
2012 Shades from White to Black, New Drawings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
2011 John Hrehov: Charcoal. Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne.
2009 John Hrehov: A Survey 1999-2009 Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
Paintings and Drawings. Seerveld Gallery, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, IL.
2004 John Hrehov: Drawings and Paintings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
2002 Paintings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
2001 Charcoal. Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne.
John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Wood Street Gallery, Chicago, IL.
2000 The Picture Proper. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
Fearful Symmetry. Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN.
Allegories in Contemporary Life. Yvonne Rapp Gallery, Louisville, KY.
1999 Paintings and Working Drawings. Adams Hall Gallery, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL.
1998 John Hrehov. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
John Hrehov: Paintings and Drawings. Wood Street Gallery, Chicago, IL.
1997 Object Lesson, Paintings, and Drawings by John Hrehov. Yvonne Rapp Gallery, Louisville, KY.
1995 John Hrehov. Trinity Art Gallery, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, IL.
1993 John Hrehov: Selected Works 1980-1992 Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Group Exhibitions
2019 2019 Alumni Exhibition. Reinberger Gallery at The Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH.
Out Of The Closet. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
1026 West Berry Street: The Fort Wayne Art School. Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN.
2018 Artlink Regional Exhibition. Artlink Contemporary Art Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN.
2017 Sola Grace-Faith-Scripture: An Exhibition of Sacred Visual Art. Good Shepherd Institute at Concordia Theological
Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN.
Norman Bradley...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Color Pencil
"Le combat des poissons "Pencil study with annotations , cm. 30 x 20 1940 ca
By André Masson
Located in Torino, IT
André Masson ( 1896-1987)
Pencil study with annotations on the right side, acquired by the previous owner from Luis Masson son of Andrè Masson
Category
1940s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Pencil
Fernando Botero, Original drawing of a woman, marker on paper, signed, inscribed
Located in New York, NY
Fernando Botero
Original drawing of a woman, 1997
Drawing done in marker, signed and inscribed
Boldly hand signed, dated and inscribed in black marker
Unique
This is an original, uni...
Category
1990s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Permanent Marker
Ver las estrellas
Located in Columbia, MO
Leonora Carrington (English, 1917–2011)
A visionary artist, writer, and sculptor, Leonora Carrington created worlds steeped in magic, mythology, and the subconscious. Originally from...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Engraving
Dante and Beatrice - Original WATERCOLOR, Signed (Descharnes #d6970_1951)
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador Dali
Divine Comedy : Dante and Beatrice, 1952
Original watercolor
Signed in lower center
Dated 1952
On vellum lined on thin board 42 x 30 cm (c. 17 x 12in)
REFERENCES :
Th...
Category
1950s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Ink, Watercolor
Que Font Ces Gens - Ink Drawing by Salvador Dalì - 1945
Located in Roma, IT
Que font ces gens is a beautiful modern artwork realized by Salvador Dalì in 1945.
China Ink Drawing on paper.
Original outstanding drawing realized to illustrate the book "The Labyrinth" by Maurice Sandoz, published in 1945.
Signed and dated on the lower right recto.
Executed on thick cream wove paper, not laid down and taped to the mount along the upper edge. The upper, right and lower edges are slightly unevenly cut. There are two pinholes towards the upper right and upper left corners. The sheet is time stained and there is a spot of foxing beneath the lower edge of the drawing. There are some remnants from previous mounting at the upper two corners not visible when framed. There are handling marks to the perimeter of the sheet. The ink is strong and well preserved.
The artwork is accompanied by authentication of Robert P. Descharnes, Paris 2003, reference archive: D-3461.
Prov. Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Sale...
Category
1940s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Surrealist painting on board, bright colors and green shadows, diptych
Located in Carballo, ES
Ventura A. Pérez (1992) is one of the most seductive artists on the contemporary Spanish scene. After earning a doctorate in contemporary art from the University of Vigo, he moved to...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Animal Painting Surrealist Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Blue Birds
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
Mandolin - Unique Drawing Pencil on Paper Hand Signed Surrealism, 1930
Located in New York, NY
Salvador Dalí
Mandolin, ca. 1930
Graphite on paper
6 × 8 in l 15.2 × 20.3 cm
Frame included - 11 x 13 in l 28 x 33 cm
The authenticity of this artwork has been confirmed by Mr. Desc...
Category
1930s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Graphite
Small surreal house, green and yellow, oil on board
Located in Carballo, ES
Ventura A. Pérez (1992) is one of the most seductive artists on the contemporary Spanish scene. After earning a doctorate in contemporary art from the University of Vigo, he moved to...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Animal Painting Surrealist Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Birds Circle Life
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. Hugely inspired by Paula Rego, Isabel Rock is part of a formidable group of women artists (Leonora Carrington and Eileen Agar amongst others) working with Surrealism.
In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
Holiday End - Color Pencil Drawing, Surreal Christmas Scene, Framed
By John Hrehov
Located in Chicago, IL
The artist is a master at storytelling. He sets the stage for the viewer to bring the events to a particular scene. Here, the artist presents us with a curious scene. The Holidays are over and the thought of getting rid of the tree is always a chore. Hrehov has chosen to show how to quickly eliminate the tree (and everything around it!). His sense of humor comes out in this small, highly detailed drawing that is matted and framed measuring 14.5 x 16 inches.
John Hrehov
Holiday End
colored pencil on paper
6.50h x 8w in
16.51h x 20.32w cm
JHR005
John Hrehov
Education
1985 MFA-Painting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1981 BFA-Painting, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH.
Solo Exhibitions
2017 John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Tom Thomas Gallery, Indiana University East, Richmond, IN.
2012 Shades from White to Black, New Drawings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
2011 John Hrehov: Charcoal. Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne.
2009 John Hrehov: A Survey 1999-2009 Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
Paintings and Drawings. Seerveld Gallery, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, IL.
2004 John Hrehov: Drawings and Paintings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
2002 Paintings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
2001 Charcoal. Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne.
John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Wood Street Gallery, Chicago, IL.
2000 The Picture Proper. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
Fearful Symmetry. Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN.
Allegories in Contemporary Life. Yvonne Rapp Gallery, Louisville, KY.
1999 Paintings and Working Drawings. Adams Hall Gallery, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL.
1998 John Hrehov. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
John Hrehov: Paintings and Drawings. Wood Street Gallery, Chicago, IL.
1997 Object Lesson, Paintings, and Drawings by John Hrehov. Yvonne Rapp Gallery, Louisville, KY.
1995 John Hrehov. Trinity Art Gallery, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, IL.
1993 John Hrehov: Selected Works 1980-1992 Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Group Exhibitions
2019 2019 Alumni Exhibition. Reinberger Gallery at The Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH.
Out Of The Closet. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY.
1026 West Berry Street: The Fort Wayne Art School. Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN.
2018 Artlink Regional Exhibition. Artlink Contemporary Art Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN.
2017 Sola Grace-Faith-Scripture: An Exhibition of Sacred Visual Art. Good Shepherd Institute at Concordia Theological
Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN.
Norman Bradley...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Color Pencil
Skull and Ornament - Vanitas, Still Life, Color Pencil Drawing, Framed
By John Hrehov
Located in Chicago, IL
Drawings of skulls are often called vanitas, which often contain collections of objects symbolic of the inevitability of death and the transience and vanity of earthly achievements and pleasures; it exhorts the viewer to consider mortality and to repent. This still life vanitas drawing is matted with a heavy white mat and framed in a bronze toned wooden frame measuring 15.75 x 16.25 inches.
John Hrehov
Skull and Ornament
colored pencil on paper
7h x 8w in
17.78h x 20.32w cm
JHR006
John Hrehov
Education
1985 MFA-Painting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1981 BFA-Painting, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH.
Solo Exhibitions
2017 John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Tom Thomas...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Color Pencil
Surreal intimate scene, green and blue, boat and fashion magazine
Located in Carballo, ES
Ventura A. Pérez (1992) is one of the most seductive artists on the contemporary Spanish scene. After earning a doctorate in contemporary art from the University of Vigo, he moved to...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Skull and Ornament - Vanitas, Still Life, Color Pencil Drawing, Framed
By John Hrehov
Located in Chicago, IL
Drawings of skulls are often called vanitas, which often contain collections of objects symbolic of the inevitability of death and the transience and vanity of earthly achievements and pleasures; it exhorts the viewer to consider mortality and to repent. This still life vanitas drawing is matted with a heavy white mat and framed in a bronze toned wooden frame measuring 15.75 x 16.25 inches.
John Hrehov
Skull and Ornament
colored pencil on paper
7h x 8w in
17.78h x 20.32w cm
JHR006
John Hrehov
Education
1985 MFA-Painting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1981 BFA-Painting, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH.
Solo Exhibitions
2017 John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Tom Thomas...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Color Pencil
Face III - Ink on Paper Unique Signed Drawing Surrealist Woman Painter, c. 1960
By Leonor Fini
Located in New York, NY
Leonor Fini
Face III, ca. 1960
Ink on paper
11 x 8.5 cm 4 1/3 x 3 1/8 in.
23 x 20 cm 9 x 7 7/8 in. (Frame included)
Unique work
Exhibition History: Leonor Fini: Small Faces, April...
Category
1960s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Sorcière - Ink on Paper Unique Signed Drawing Surrealist Woman Painter, c. 1960
By Leonor Fini
Located in New York, NY
Leonor Fini
La Sorcière, ca. 1960
Ink on paper
21 x 15.5 cm 8 1/4 x 5 7/8 in.
41.5 x 36 cm 16 1/8 x 14 1/8 in. (Frame included)
Unique work
Exhibition History: Leonor Fini: Small ...
Category
1960s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Surrealist wardrobe of suits for buildings, Vriesendorp, original oil on board
Located in Carballo, ES
Ventura A. Pérez (1992) is one of the most seductive artists on the contemporary Spanish scene. After earning a doctorate in contemporary art from the University of Vigo, he moved to...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
UNTITLED
Located in Portland, ME
Drawing, Ink and colored pencil or Watercolor and color pencil, 2013-2020. 6 x 7 5/8 or 7 5/8 x 6 inches. Signed and inscribed, verso. One of a series of untitled drawings on various...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Color Pencil
Fresh Sketch - Red Ink Drawing by Wifredo Lam - 1970
By Wifredo Lam
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful fresh sketch in red ink on an ivory-colored paper, with an autograph dedication "Per Pino Fasio amicia Pittore Wifredo Lam Albissola 1970" . Dated and signed in red ink. V...
Category
1970s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Animal Painting Surrealist Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Birds Circle Life
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
"Foxglove" (2024) By Ania Mohrbacher, Original Fantasy Watercolor Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Foxglove" (2024) Is an original watercolor fantasy painting, which depicts a young witch and her black cat in the center of a clearing in a forest, rife with magical flora and fauna...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Archival Paper
Face and Flowers
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris, in the full swing of the Surrealist movement....
Category
20th Century Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Etching
Desert Flower
By Pierre Roy (b.1880)
Located in London, GB
'Desert Flower', gouache on coloured paper, by Pierre Roy (circa 1930s). The artist has skilfully captured the beautiful white flowers extending from the ma...
Category
1930s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
Untitled (Surrealist rendering of Pyramids at Giza with alligator)
By Beni E. Kosh
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled (Surrealist rendering of Pyramids at Giza with alligator)
watecolor and gouache on paper, 1960
Unsigned
Beni Kosh estate stamp No. 717 verso, unsigned.
(see photo)
Condition: Minor condition issues
minor folds
Not objectionable
Image/Sheet size: 18 1/4 x 24 inches
Provenance:
Estate of the Artist
Bingham Vance, Shaker Heights...
Category
1960s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Gouache
Chroessi Schnell - "Schizophrenic Landscape" - surrealist landscape drawing
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Chroessi Schnell - "Schizophrenic Landscape".
Surrealism, abstract forms, dream universe.
It is an extended version of the Alienations of the maps of "Münsterland" where my mother ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper
'The Holy Grail', Last Supper, Egyptian Iconography, Seattle Art Museum, Surreal
By Leo Kenney
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower center, 'Leo Kenney' (American, 1925-2001) and dated 1947.
A seminal figure in the second generation of Northwest School artists, Leo Kenney was, like many of his conte...
Category
1940s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, India Ink, Watercolor
Surrealist Painting on Paper, 'Godot', Artefacts of Civilisations Lost
Located in Cotignac, FR
A late 20th century watercolour, gouache and acrylic on paper by British artist Derek Carruthers. Signed to the bottom right and dated 1985 and titled, 'Godot' to the reverse.
A charming and slightly satirical painting of thousand year old figures which have been humanised. The Egyptian basalt figures are looking around the space clearly waiting for something or someone (hence the title taken from the play, 'Waiting for Godot' in which someone is expected to arrive but never does). The African tribal figures...
Category
Late 20th Century Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache
Untitled
Located in Dallas, TX
Pencil drawing of a furry structure with an eye. Surrealist artwork.420
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Pencil
Penguin & Cactus, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A prickly cactus stands on an angular plane while a baby penguin rests in the foreground. Artist Heejin Sutton placed these two v...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Huge Triptych Surrealist Royal College Art Painting LGBTQ+ Artist Oranges Blues
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences whi...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media, Paint, Archival Paper, Pen
"Study for Ladders" Juanita Guccione, Abstract Surrealism, Female Artist
Located in New York, NY
Juanita Guccione (1904 - 1999)
Study for Ladders, 1948
Gouache on paper
17 x 13 inches
Signed lower left, dated, and inscribed “Study for Oil Painting...
Category
1940s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
Figurative Painting on Tile, "Alberta"
By Cheryl Tall
Located in San Diego, CA
This is an original painting on glazed tile by Southern California artist, Cheryl Tall. Its dimensions are 8.8" x 10.8" x 1.5". It is framed as pictured. A certificate of authenticit...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media
"The Famished Vampire" (2024) By Timothy Von Rueden, Original Graphite Drawing
Located in Denver, CO
"The Famished Vampire" (2024) by Timothy Von Rueden is an original handmade graphite drawing that depicts an imprisoned vampire, who's hands are bound and has a cage on his head.
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Surrealist Painting on Tile, "Harlequin Griffon"
By Cheryl Tall
Located in San Diego, CA
This is an original painting on glazed tile by Southern California artist, Cheryl Tall. Its dimensions are 8.8" x 10.8" x 1.5". It is framed as pictured. A certificate of authenticit...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media
untitled, original
By Paul Colin
Located in Belgrade, MT
This piece is a limited edition, pencil signed by the artist on the print and in the plate. It is part of my private collection of artists from the School of Paris era. It is in very...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Engraving, Lithograph
Animal Painting Surrealist Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Circle of Life
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
Animal Capers (Black Surrealist Artist)
By Roland Ayers
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Surrealist proto-Afropunk drawing by African-American artist, Roland Ayers (1932-2014).
Animal Capers, ca. 1970 .
Ink on illustration board, image measures 20 inches. inches; illustration panel measures 21.5 inches. Unsigned.
Minor staining evident in detail photos
Artist and art educator, Roland Ayers was born on July 2, 1932, the only child of Alice and Lorenzo Ayers, and grew up in the Germantown district of Philadelphia. Ayers served in the US Army (stationed in Germany) before studying at the Philadelphia College of Art (currently University of the Arts). He graduated with a BFA in Art Education, 1954. He traveled Europe 1966-67, spending time in Amsterdam and Greece in particular. During this period, he drifted away from painting to focus on linear figurative drawings of a surreal nature. His return home inaugurated the artist’s most prolific and inspired period (1968-1975). Shorty before his second major trip abroad in 1971-72 to West Africa, Ayers began to focus on African themes, and African American figures populated his work almost exclusively.
In spite of Ayers’ travel and exploration of the world, he gravitated back to his beloved Germantown, a place he endowed with mythological qualities in his work and literature. His auto-biographical writing focuses on the importance of place during his childhood. Ayers’ journals meticulously document the ethnic and cultural make-up of Germantown, and tell a compelling story of class marginalization that brought together poor families despite racial differences. The distinctive look and design of Germantown inform Ayers’ visual vocabulary. It is a setting with distinctive Gothic Revival architecture and haunting natural beauty. These characteristics are translated and recur in the artist’s imagery.
During his childhood, one of the only books in the Ayers household was an illustrated Bible. The images within had a profound effect on the themes and subjects that would appear in his adult work. Figures in an Ayers’ drawing often seem trapped in a narrative of loss and redemption. Powerful women loom large in the drawings: they suggest the female role models his journals record in early life. The drawings can sometimes convey a strong sense of conflict, and at other times, harmony. Nature and architecture seem to have an antagonistic relationship that is, ironically, symbiotic.
A critical turning point in the artist’s career came in 1971 when he was included in the extremely controversial Whitney Museum show, Contemporary Black Artists in America. The exhibition gave Ayers an international audience and served as a calling card for introductions he would soon make in Europe.
Ayers is a particularly compelling figure in a period when black artists struggled with the idea of authenticity. A questioned often asked was “Is your work too black, or not black enough?” Abstractionists were considered by some peers to be sell-outs, frauds or worse. Figurative* work was accused of being either sentimental or politically radical depending on the critical source. Ayers made the choice early on to be a figurative artist, but considered his work devoid of political content.
Organizations such as Chicago’ s Afri-Cobra in the late 1960‘s asserted that the only true black art of any relevance must depict the black man and woman...
Category
1970s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Ink, Archival Paper
Surrealist Painting Royal College Art LGBTQ+ Female Artist Banana Blue Heads
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination.
In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024.
Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you, that that you decide to follow.
Artwork Details:
(A), 48x60cm, acrylic ink and acrylic paint on paper, 2011
Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio
photo credits, Isabel working, black and white shots, James Brown
In Isabel's own words:
Banana Boat...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen
Antonio Monasterio – Woman with a Large Hat and Table with Vase. Nr.2
Located in Firenze, IT
Antonio Monasterio – Woman with a Large Hat and Table with Vase. Nr.2
• Technique: Mixed media on paper (pastels, wax, and red pen)
• Dimensions: 56 x 44 cm
• Signature: Lower ri...
Category
Late 20th Century Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Crayon, Wax Crayon, Wax, Pen
Face III - Ink on Paper Unique Signed Drawing Surrealist Woman Painter, c. 1960
By Leonor Fini
Located in New York, NY
Leonor Fini
Face III, ca. 1960
Ink on paper
11 x 8.5 cm 4 1/3 x 3 1/8 in.
23 x 20 cm 9 x 7 7/8 in. (Frame included)
Unique work
Exhibition History: Leonor Fini: Small Faces, April...
Category
1960s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Female Artist Blue Pink
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination.
In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024.
Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you, that that you decide to follow.
Artwork Details:
Porthole to Another Dimension, 168x153cm, woodblock print, acrylic ink, acrylic paint, 2020
* Please note this artwork is on two separate pieces of paper that have been joined together. The join is not obvious when looking at the work. At the time Isabel was desperate to make the piece but did not have a large enough piece of paper in the studio, so she joined two together.
Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio
photo credits, Isabel working, black and white shots, James Brown
In Isabels own words:
Porthole to Another Dimension
The legend said, that down by the river, beneath the purple hills, where the black iris...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen, Woodcut
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Women artist Red Green
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination.
In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024.
Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you, that that you decide to follow.
Artwork Details:
Isabel Rock , 'Maud' 200 x 107cm, collaged woodblock print and acrylic ink on 410gsm Somerset Satin paper.
*Please note we are happy to ship this work rolled in an art tube. Whilst the work is on heavy duty art paper and mixed media, the artist is happy that the painting will be fine rolled in a tube. This is a more cost effective and environmentally sound method of shipping. Shipping via this method is free
In Rock's own words,
Maud
'Maud was a legend in the city. A legend that walked the streets and lived and breathed in the minds of the townsfolk so strongly that no one was sure any more if she was real or not.
The tap...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen, Woodcut
Plumb, Original Painting
By Dwight Smith
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A towering stack of pancakes, topped with butter and dripping syrup, balances as a plumb line ensures its perfect level. The precise measurement keeps the foo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Surrealist landscape with animal and figures
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Surrealist landscape with doorway, animal and figures
Watercolor on heavy paper, n.d.
Unsigned
Stamped with the artist's estate stamp (see photo)
Provenance:
Estate of the artist
R...
Category
Late 20th Century Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"Float" A gorgeous surreal landscape by Arminée Chahbazian
Located in Hollister, CA
"Float" is a luminous abstract work by Arminée Chahbazian that evokes the sensation of suspension—between thought and feeling, surface and depth. With her refined use of muted color,...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Other Medium, Graphite, Color Pencil
Face - Ink on Paper Unique Signed Drawing Surrealist Woman Painter, c. 1960
By Leonor Fini
Located in New York, NY
Leonor Fini
Face, ca. 1960
Ink on paper
9 x 11 cm 3 1/2 x 4 1/3 in.
28 x 30 cm 11 x 11 7/8 in. (Frame included)
Unique work
Exhibition History: Leonor Fini: Small Faces, April 7 -...
Category
1960s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Surrealist Mermaid Orchestra Large Painting Royal College Art Women LGBTQ+ Blues
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
"Scarecrow" (2019) By Babs Webb and Timothy Von Rueden, Graphite Illustration
Located in Denver, CO
"Scarecrow" is a beautiful collaboration between fantasy masters Babs Webb and Timothy Von Rueden, done with graphite on mixed media paper, and measuring at 14 x 11 in. in its frame,...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Graphite
A Colorful Pointillist Landscape by the Cliff, c. 1935
Located in Stockholm, SE
This painting, created around 1935, showcases Axel Olson's experimentation with surrealism during the 1930s. Executed with a technique reminiscent of pointillism, the artwork capture...
Category
1930s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Surrealist Mermaid Orchestra Large Painting Royal College Art Women LGBTQ+ Blues
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
Animal Painting Surrealist Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Circle of Life
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
UNTITLED
Located in Portland, ME
Drawing, Ink and colored pencil or Watercolor and color pencil, 2013-2020. 6 x 7 5/8 or 7 5/8 x 6 inches. Signed and inscribed, verso. One of a series of untitled drawings on various...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Color Pencil
UNTITLED
Located in Portland, ME
Drawing, Ink and colored pencil or Watercolor and color pencil, 2013-2020. 6 x 7 5/8 or 7 5/8 x 6 inches. Signed and inscribed, verso. One of a series of untitled drawings on various...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Color Pencil
Surrealist Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Women artist Chicken Love
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen
Animal Painting Surrealist Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Birds Circle Life
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. Hugely inspired by Paula Rego, Isabel Rock is part of a formidable group of women artists (Leonora Carrington and Eileen Agar amongst others) working with Surrealism.
In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
The feather of the soul by José Gerson - Gouache on paper 50x70 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper without frame
Category
1970s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Color Pencil
Surrealist Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Blue Fountain Pink Poodle
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination.
In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024.
Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you and you decide to follow.
Artwork Details:
Isabel Rock , 'Just another Day in Paradise', mixed media on best archival paper, 85cm x 140cm, unframed, 2022
In Rock's own words,
'It was just another day in Paradise for the Pink Poodle People of the Everlasting Fountain of Eternal Joy.
Since every day was Paradise it was just another normal day filled with love, ecstasy and wonder.
It started slowly at first, things began to appear in paradise, strange objects that the Pink Poodle People did not know what to do with. Some had sharp edges, others were so and smelt strange, bad strange. Some things glittered and shone. Every day more of these objects would arrive in Paradise.
' If this happens every day then soon Paradise will be full of these strange objects. Some of them are nice but many are bad and smelly. One day there will be no Paradise, only bad, sharp and smelly things.'
But the Pink Poodle People did not know what to do with the objects and every day more arrived.'
Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio
A certificate of authentication comes from Gallery Art 1821
photo credits, Isabel working, black and white shots, James Brown
About Isabel Rock and her work:
Taking inspiration from Japanese woodblock prints and Indian miniature painting Rock has developed a unique collage technique that combines bold structures with large-scale woodblock prints and intricate detailing. The subject is a grand mixture of humour, drama, hidden morals, fanciful characters, modern culture, mythical beings and fantastical situations.
Rock creates a world that pulls you in and demands your attention. Quality of line is paramount, the drawings are created using a dipping pen and acrylic ink. An essential tool is a squirrel...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
Vulture, Surrealist Watercolor and Ink by Aubrey Schwartz
Located in Long Island City, NY
Aubrey Schwartz, American (1928 - 2019) - Vulture, Year: circa 1965, Medium: Watercolor and Ink on Georgian laid paper, signed in pen lower right, Image Size: 22 x 15 inches, Size:...
Category
1960s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Ink, Watercolor
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Women artist Green Blue
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen, Woodcut
Portrait - Ink on Paper Unique Signed Drawing Surrealist Woman Painter, c. 1960
By Leonor Fini
Located in New York, NY
Leonor Fini
Portrait, ca. 1960
Ink on paper
14.5 x 10 cm 5 1/2 x 4 in.
37.5 x 33 cm 14 1/2 x 13 in. (Frame included)
Unique work
Exhibition history: Leonor Fini: Small Faces, Apri...
Category
1960s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Graphite
Face II - Ink on Paper Unique Signed Drawing Surrealist Woman Painter, c. 1960
By Leonor Fini
Located in New York, NY
Leonor Fini
Face II, ca. 1960
Ink on paper
11 x 8.5 cm 4 1/3 x 3 1/8 in.
23 x 20 cm 9 x 7 7/8 in. (Frame included)
Unique work
Exhibition History: Leonor Fini: Small Faces, April ...
Category
1960s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
"Bee Gone" A large, framed, technically stunning drawing by Arminée Chahbazian
Located in Hollister, CA
Bee Gone
Bee Gone is a poetic and visually arresting work by Arminée Chahbazian that speaks to the fragility of the natural world and the silent disappearance of vital species. Throu...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Gold Leaf
'Surrealistic Nude Figures, ' by Leonard Kaplan, Painting, c. 1960s
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This framed 20" x 14" painting in a surrealist style by artist Leonard Kaplan depicts three nude figures crowded together, sitting and standing with a white bird obscured by the dark shadows. Predominant colors are red, orange, black, and cream. The painting is on paper and masonite framed behind glass in a silver metal frame.
Leonard Kalan is known for surrealism and figure paintings. He died in California in 2008. Leonard was born January 15, 1922 in New York City and won a scholarship in 1940 to study at the Art Student League under Reginald Marsh and William Pair. He won an art scholarship to New York University in the late 1930's. He studied art at the Henry Street...
Category
1960s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Masonite, Chalk, Acrylic, Archival Paper
"Le combat des poissons "Pencil study with annotations , cm. 30 x 20 1940 ca
By André Masson
Located in Torino, IT
André Masson ( 1896-1987)
Pencil study with annotations on the right side, acquired by the previous owner from Luis Masson son of Andrè Masson
Category
1940s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Pencil
Birch Mystery, trees, female figure, neutral tones, collage on archival paper
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Paper paint charcoal collage
Paper charcoal collage
These collages were created first in the presence of a live model, working quickly, in charcoal and again, later, alone in the stu...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Charcoal, Archival Paper, Acrylic, Mixed Media
Huge Triptych Surrealist Royal College Art Painting LGBTQ+ Artist Oranges Blues
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences whi...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media, Paint, Archival Paper, Pen
Woman in Flight /// Contemporary Fantasy Female Figurative Pastel Painting Lady
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Frank Rakoncay (American, 1936-1998)
Title: "Woman in Flight"
*Signed by Rakoncay in pencil lower left. It is also signed again lower right
Circa: 1980
Medium: Original Oil P...
Category
1980s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Oil Pastel, Pastel, Pencil, Graphite
The Queen - Watercolor House Home Original Painting Whimiscal Playful Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a colorful artist who lives and paints in Sweden. Most of her works are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Bernhardsson travels the world...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
New York No. 50 - Watercolor House Home Original Painting Whimiscal Playful Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a colorful artist who lives and paints in Sweden. Most of her works are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Bernhardsson travels the world...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Large Surrealist Painting Royal College Art Women LGBTQ+ Pink Blue Tiger Palms
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences whi...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
Animal Surrealist Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Circle Life Birds
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. Hugely inspired by Paula Rego, Isabel Rock is part of a formidable group of women artists (Leonora Carrington and Eileen Agar amongst others) working with Surrealism.
In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams...
Category
2010s Surrealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paint, Ink, Archival Paper, Pen
Surrealist drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Surrealist drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add drawings and watercolor paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, yellow and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Isabel Rock, Corne Akkers, Maria C. Bernhardsson, and Sergio Barletta. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Surrealist drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 3.75 inches across are also available. Prices for drawings and watercolor paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $121 and tops out at $224,500, while the average work sells for $1,494.
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