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
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1910s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
20th Century Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1950s Surrealist More Art
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
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
1960s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
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
1930s Surrealist More Art
Photogravure
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s 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
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
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Engraving
1930s Surrealist More Art
Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1930s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Photogravure
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1970s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset, Felt Pen
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
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
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
1950s Surrealist More Art
Etching, Aquatint
1950s Surrealist More Art
Photogravure
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1910s Surrealist More Art
Paper
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
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
1980s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1980s Surrealist More Art
Tapestry
1890s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
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
Artist Comments
A landscape reveals a hazy blue tower rising in the distance. A bright cloud streak floats above, while a bridge-like structure cuts diagonally across the scene...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
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
Mid-20th Century Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
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
Lithograph
1930s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Paper
1980s Surrealist More Art
Offset
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1950s Surrealist More Art
Etching
1950s Surrealist More Art
Etching, Aquatint
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
1970s Surrealist More Art
Porcelain
1980s Surrealist More Art
Etching, Aquatint
1950s Surrealist More Art
Oil, Board
![Charles Levier [Mélodie cosmique] circa 1955 signed oil on board, Surrealist](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/charles-levier-paintings-charles-levier-melodie-cosmique-circa-1955-signed-oil-on-board-surrealist-for-sale/a_28432/a_168628921756585970411/Levier_Charles_Me_lodiecosmique_circa1955_101391_FT_1_Hero_Ratio_1_361_SM_Complete_master.jpg?width=240 "Charles Levier - Charles Levier [Mélodie cosmique] circa 1955 signed oil on board, Surrealist")
Artist Comments
The bison and the beetle have a prehistoric elegance about them that I thought would compliment each other perfectly. Symbolically, both represent life and mortality, which has been on my mind lately. To Native Americans, bison are symbolic of sacred life and abundance. And in ancient greek mythology the beetle became revered as a symbol of rebirth and immortality -- its daily journey across the sky became an allegory of human life. The Wallpaper collection is a juxtaposition of masculine meets feminine. I wanted to create a unique series that stands apart from traditional nature paintings, where the wild and somewhat prehistoric aspects of my animals featured contrast against their delicate backdrops. In addition to this, many of my paintings are created with a little bit of underlying symbolism usually sparked from a world event or life moment that I am experiencing. I concentrate on this theme as a therapeutic mantra throughout the creation of the painting. For each painting, different techniques and layers of design are implemented when creating the wall paper effect. To keep the patterns consistent I create a stencil to outline the shapes of my hummingbirds, bugs and fish, and then I hand paint each shape individually. In the areas where I wanted a little more chaos, I would forgo the stencil and eyeball each design. My animals are always painted first, and then I layout the design around them.
About the Artist
Australian-born Alana Clumeck...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
