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.
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1950s Surrealist More Art
Photogravure
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
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Surrealist More Art
Ceramic
1910s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
20th Century Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1980s Surrealist More Art
Tapestry
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1930s Surrealist More Art
Photogravure
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
A nude female figure floats serenely above the earth, warmed by the glowing lava from deep within the core. Her calm expression and relaxed posture contrast w...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
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
1950s Surrealist More Art
Ceramic
1930s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1930s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1970s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset, Felt Pen
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...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
The artwork portrays the Ten of Pentacles card, symbolizing success, financial satisfaction, and the completion of a wealth cycle. White bison figures, repres...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
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
1980s Surrealist More Art
Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
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
Acrylic, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Photogravure
1980s Surrealist More Art
Etching, Aquatint
1950s Surrealist More Art
Etching
Artist Comments
A slow-moving sea turtle swims with determination, balancing a cupcake on its head. It evokes feelings of solitude, peace, and joy. The artwork, painted over ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
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
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
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
1930s Surrealist More Art
Handmade Paper
1890s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
A surreal portrait of a jaguar overlaid with a glowing peony. "She moves unapologetically through space, through water, through the land," says artist Miranda...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1950s Surrealist More Art
Etching, Aquatint
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Early 1900s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Engraving
1970s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1970s Surrealist More Art
Porcelain
Early 2000s Surrealist More Art
Copper
1950s Surrealist More Art
Etching, Aquatint
Artist Comments
Waves of vibrant colors radiate from a blue chalice, creating a rhythmic pattern. Framing the scene are horses galloping along the sides with a white bison at the bottom. The artwork is part of artist Rachel Srinivasan's tarot series. It represents the beginning of a new relationship or a renewal of communication. Water, waves, vessel, and the color blue are all symbolic in the cosmology of tarot.
About the Artist
For Rachel Srinivasan, an idea is worth putting on a canvas only if it still feels exciting after a few days. Rachel enjoys mulling the idea over in her mind for some time before creating an artwork. She hopes viewers will engage with her work and wonder about the subject matter, shapes and colors. "My current work is all about creating a connection between the person on the canvas with the viewer," she explains. She prefers large paintings and sometimes even makes her own canvases. She currently lives in Arizona and enjoys baking rhubarb pies, reading, running and going to art museums.
Words that describe this painting: water, ace, tarot, magic, water, happiness, horse, series, music, sorcery, mysticism, spirituality, bison, fantasy, animals, surrealism, oil painting, blue
Ace of Cups...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Surrealist More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic