Surrealist More Art
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.
1950s Surrealist More Art
Photogravure
1910s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
A surreal domestic scene features two cats resting in a room, gazing directly at the viewer. Whimsical moments unfold around them as a tiny animal stands by a m...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Four cups connect at the center of the composition, forming a diamond shape. Wavy lines ripple around them, while bright beams radiate from the handles and rims...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
20th Century Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
This watercolor painting features a pegasus rendered in warm earth tones accented with bright blue feathers. Playful in spirit yet gentle in pose, the winged ho...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A geometric outline of a woman's skull and a house contrast against a pale blue sky. The painting features vibrant and varied tones, with blocks of color outlin...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1930s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1970s Surrealist More Art
Porcelain
1960s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Surrealist More Art
Board, Oil
1930s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
2010s Surrealist More Art
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper, Graphite
1980s Surrealist More Art
Tapestry
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Surrealist More Art
Photogravure
Artist Comments
Water, waves, vessel, and the color blue are all symbolic of emotions in the cosmology of tarot. Galloping horses and unicorns frame the scene. The artwork is p...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Resin, Vinyl
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1950s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
"A panther in space, now that's out of this world," says artist Miranda Gamel. She depicts a surrealist image of the ebony fe...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
An old-timey frog couple stands together, but they seem to be miles apart. The artwork delves into the profound exploration of human connections, revealing ho...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
The artwork depicts the Nine of Pentacles card, symbolizing rapidly growing success, incoming financial satisfaction, and wealth. White bison figures represen...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1970s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset, Felt Pen
1930s Surrealist More Art
Photogravure
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Engraving
1940s Surrealist More Art
Photogravure
Artist Comments
Artist Rachel Srinivasan presents a surreal image of a white bison standing in the middle of 10 swords—nominative to its corresponding card from the tarot d...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Photogravure
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
2010s Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Part of her series about the divinatory meanings of the swords tarot cards, artist Rachel Srinivasan paints a minotaur with blades and a caduceus. She feature...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1930s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1890s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1910s Surrealist More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Mid-20th Century Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1980s Surrealist More Art
Offset
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
A large white polar bear lies on a cliff with its eyes closed, while a dodo bird leans beside it. To their side, an easel holds a Rembrandt painting of a stormy...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil





