Surrealist Mixed Media
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Woodcut
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1950s Surrealist Mixed Media
Ceramic
1950s Surrealist Mixed Media
Lithograph
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Wood, Acrylic
Artist Comments
This piece blends collaged pages from an old novel with translucent oil glazes as a background. The subjects—a primate, a tennis ball, and a shoe—are rendered in opaque and calm tones. The piece delves into the human condition...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Wood, Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
1960s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Permanent Marker, Graphite
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Etching, Aquatint, Lithograph
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Glitter, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Ink, Acrylic, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Glitter, Acrylic
1960s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Engraving, Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1930s Surrealist Mixed Media
Clay, Glass, Paper, Found Objects, Wood
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
Artist Comments
A woman's face with downcast eyes emerges in a vibrant collage. Her expression is peaceful yet intense. Intricate patterns, dots, and botanical elements surroun...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
Early 2000s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
Late 20th Century Surrealist Mixed Media
Acrylic, Graphite, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A stone structure rises from a dreamy landscape. The blue and gold tones create a surreal and sacred atmosphere. Artist Yamilet Sempe drew inspiration from the ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1940s Surrealist Mixed Media
Leather, Gouache, Cardboard
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
Artist Comments
Artist Yamilet Sempe draws inspiration from the spiritual symbolism of goblins. Across many cultures, these magical forest dwellers are seen as guardians of nat...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1990s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Cardboard
Early 2000s Surrealist Mixed Media
Offset
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Charcoal, Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Wood, Mixed Media, Screen
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
India Ink, Oil
Artist Comments
Light filters through the clouds, reflecting gold and orange. A portal opens to a blue world, symbolizing intuition, meditation, and inner peace. Faint architec...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
20th Century Surrealist Mixed Media
Acrylic
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Etching, Aquatint, Lithograph
Artist Comments
Artist Yamilet Sempe explores the spiritual journey toward love, connection, and inner truth. Her work reflects a search for the divine, inspired by the belief ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Yamilet Sempe draws inspiration from the Moon as a timeless symbol of feminine strength and intuition. Its gentle glow through darkness reflects the abil...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
A dreamcatcher and two branches with delicate white flowers appear suspended against an orange sky. Artist Yamilet Sempe depicts her creative process in this pi...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1960s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Gouache
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Watercolor
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Watercolor
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Varnish, Mixed Media, Screen, Stencil
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Oil, Acrylic