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.
Celui qui dit les choses sans rien dire, Planche XXV
By Marc Chagall
Located in OPOLE, PL
Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Celui qui dit les choses sans rien dire, Planche XXV Etching and aquatint from 1976. An unnumbered and unsigned impression, outside from signed edition o...
Etching, Aquatint
Rien que la terre - Rare Book Illustrated by Demetrios Galanis - 1926
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 206 copies including 11 original engravings by Demetrios Galanis and one original frontispiece. Copy on reservede to Librairie Champion. Includes a printsuite and an origi...
Paper
$2,115
Sssour - Original citrus wildlife painting - modern surrealist contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Acrylic
$8,053
Splash – original surrealism wildlife contemporary art - horse painting for sale
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Acrylic
$889Sale Price|20% Off
Glass sculpture Merkuce from the series The Italians 2008, glass, 37, 5x11x10 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Glass sculpture Merkuce from the series The Italians 2008, glass, 37, 5x11x10 cm
Glass
Migrant, Painting, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper
By Esam Jlilati
Located in Yardley, PA
The migrant Many people are run away from civil wars, looking for peaceful new home and new life, they left their home without knowing if they would arrive safe to the new home or ...
Acrylic
Linea Viva, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Elena Done
Located in Yardley, PA
A breast remembered, re-formed -not in nostalgia but in voltage. The figure holds itself in swells and dissonances, ripples of line as if the skin remembers sound. In this work, ana...
Oil
$260Sale Price|23% Off
Jane Dickson New York 1985 (announcement)
By Jane Dickson
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Jane Dickson New York 1985: A rare 1980s announcement card published on the occasion of: "Works on Paper 1983-1984" at Brooke Alexander, Inc. from December 11, 1984 - January 12, 19...
Offset
Sainte Anne
Located in New York, NY
Drypoint, aquatint and heliogravure, 1965. Signed by the artist and dated in pencil, lower right margin. Numbered 42/150 in pencil, lower left margin. Printed by Robbe, Paris. Pub...
Drypoint, Aquatint
High Noon at the Stardust Grogshop, Oil Painting
By Diane Flick
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Around noon on a Friday, a tiny rider in a pink tutu balances atop a green dinosaur adorned with a yellow daisy. They navigate the ta...
Oil
Bearbrick 400% & 100% figures (Salvador Dali MoMa BE@RBRICK)
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Salvador Dali Bearbrick 400% (Salvador Dali MoMa BE@RBRICK): This collaboration between MoMA and BE@RBRICK features the famous bear figure printed with the classic surrealist art of ...
Resin, Vinyl
$12,967
New York - Chrysler building, Original oil painting, Abstract Cityscape-Artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Acrylic
Large Sunset Oil painting DEEP INSIDE 129, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
DEEP INSIDE is an large original abstract seascape oil painting inspired by the quiet horizon where sea and sky meet. Soft gradients create a feeling of infinity, while a thin horizo...
Oil
Esquise from a dream, Painting, Pastels on Canvas
By Elena Done
Located in Yardley, PA
This esquisse -a draft, a beginning, an intuition - resists the weight of fixed identity. It recalls how the feminine often appears in fragments: not yet body, not yet form, but vi...
Pastel
$12,967
Window into the streets, Original Abstract Figurative-cityscape-oil painting
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Acrylic
Jasper Floriferous, Surrealist Oil on Canvas, Original 25 x 24 Art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
$12,967
New York, Downtown Night, Original oil painting, Abstract Cityscape-Artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Acrylic
Troyer - Rare Book Illustrated by Marc Chagall - 1922
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Troyer is an original Modern Rare book written by David Hofstein (Korostyshiv, 1889 – Mosca, 1952) and illustrated by Marc Chagall (Lëzna, 1887 – Saint-Paul-de-Vence, 1985) in 1922. ...
Paper, Photogravure
Unicorn Pigeon - Original contemporary artwork - surrealistic animal painting
By JJ Galloway
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Wings of Imagination, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This acrylic painting, executed in a semi-abstract style, embodies a vivid, dreamlike avian essence. Bold colors and expressive, dynamic brushstrokes create a s...
Acrylic
Eight of Cups, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Eight blue chalices line the composition in two vertical columns, creating a strong sense of symmetry and repetition. Blue, red, and white bands radiate from th...
Oil
La Femme 100 Têtes - Rare Book Illustrated by Max Ernst - 1929
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
La Femme 100 Têtes is an original modern rare book illustrated by Max Ernst (1891 - 1976) in 1929, and extraordinary first example of conceptual art Original first edition. Publish...
Paper, Mixed Media
Promenade, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Part of his Water City World series, artist Benjamin Xu presents a contemplative exploration of architectural harmony and the quiet flow of passage through a su...
Oil
The Invitation, Oil Painting
By Art Clark
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A broken wooden gate and weathered stone wall overlook a quiet sea. A magnificent burst of divine light breaks through heavy storm clouds, illuminating the scen...
Oil
$16,000
Still Light By The Light of The Moon - Nature Morte au Clair De Luna Tapestry
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Still Life By The Light of The Moon - Nature au Clair De Lune MEDIUM: Woven Tapestry SIGNED: Woven in the Tapestry EDITION NUMBER: 27/50 MEASUREMENTS: 35.6" x 54" YEAR: 1980 PUBLISHER: Walton-Gilbert Galleries, San Fransisco WOVEN BY: Art in Tapestry, El Paso Texas CONDITION: Excellent NOTE: Designed from a 1927 painting...
Tapestry
$5,500
Monograph: Francis Bacon (hand signed and warmly inscribed by Francis Bacon)
Located in New York, NY
Francis Bacon Francis Bacon (hand signed and warmly inscribed by Francis Bacon), 1975 Softcover catalogue with stiff wraps (hand signed and warmly inscribed by Francis Bacon) hand si...
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset, Felt Pen
Chelsea Pig - contemporary artwork - original 3D surrealistic painting
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Acrylic, Board
Nine of Cups, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Nine blue chalices repeat across the composition in three vertical columns. Wavelike blue, green, red, and white patterns create a strong sense of symmetry and ...
Oil
Frutos Prohibidos
Located in Miami, FL
Ramon Alejandro Frutos Prohibidos, 2021 Acrylic on Canvas 24 x 30 in
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,003
Spring Harvest - original surrealist painting - contemporary landscape artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Acrylic
Between, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The artwork presents a geometric interpretation of classical architecture through a modernist approach. Bold architecture meets a quiet waterway, creating subtl...
Oil
Side by Side, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The painting presents a tightly cropped geometric scene that explores the quiet relationship between architecture and nature. The close-up focus of a wall, tree...
Oil
10 of Cups, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Ten chalices anchor the center of the composition, while a white bison stands beneath them. Patterns and symbolic imagery radiate outward, creating an intricate...
Oil
Coffee Hour - Original contemporary artwork - surrealistic animal painting
By JJ Galloway
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
The Dreambird's Voyage, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A symbolic bird moves through a surreal, vibrant landscape of dreams. Rich, luminous colors fill the scene, evoking a sense of limitless imagination and emotion...
Acrylic
All Steamed Up - Original contemporary artwork - surrealistic animal painting
By JJ Galloway
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
The Good Dog, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Edward McHugh's affinity for animals shapes this playful composition. A well-behaved dog wearing a crown remains still, even as a nearby door stands slig...
Acrylic
Water Track, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The artwork presents a surreal interpretation of Venice, Italy, blending modern geometric buildings with everyday life along the canal. The perspective guides t...
Oil
Shiny Grey, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The painting presents a geometric view of an ancient coastal town, blending traditional architecture with modernist sensibilities. A large slanting grey wall do...
Oil
$1,965Sale Price|42% Off
Mid Century Modern Limited Edition Etching - La Ballade des Dames Hors du Temps
By Man Ray
Located in ludlow, GB
Mid Century Modern Limited Edition Etching from "La Ballade des Dames Hors du Temps". This Signed and Numbered Limited Edition Etching with Aquatint - a Proof aside from the Edition....
Lithograph
Homage to Andy Warhol II - contemporary art - original 3D surrealistic painting
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs...
Acrylic, Board
Beach Houses II - Original 3D surrealistic painting - contemporary illusion art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs...
Acrylic, Board
$2,730
Beach Houses I - Original 3D surrealistic painting - contemporary illusion art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs...
Acrylic, Board
Cherie Floriferous Oil Painting, Surreal Wildlife Art, 25x24 cm
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Blue - Original Figurative Girl with Black Lace Violet Dress Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The figurative surrealistic paintings of Carlos Gamez de Francisco are heavily influenced by his Cuban upbringing in a Russian governed academia setting. This presence exposed Franci...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,491
Tower Bridge Original Cityscape Painting, Oil on Canvas, Impressionism 100x100cm
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
LOVE ISLAND - Original people surrealistic painting-contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Red Bow II - Original Framed Surrealist Figurative Portrait
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The figurative surrealistic paintings of Carlos Gamez de Francisco are heavily influenced by his Cuban upbringing in a Russian governed academia setting. This presence exposed Franci...
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper, Graphite
Hello Kitty, Oil Painting
By Kat Silver
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A cat rolls onto its back in a playful gesture, as if asking for more affection. Upon closer look, a tiny bunny appears in the background. The artwork is part o...
Oil
$6,811
Memory of a Day, The Lighthouse- original surrealist painting - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Acrylic
$12,979
Alone I Rise, Original oil painting, Abstract Cityscape-figurative Artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simple and hassle-free. Alone I Rise by Martin Köster is a powerful original abstract painting with elements of realism, exploring themes of solitude, reflection and inner strength through a quiet and atmospheric interior scene. Measuring 100 x 100cm, the artwork is painted in oil on linen and depicts a woman wearing a long, light-coloured dress, seated on the floor of a dimly lit room. She gazes upwards, creating a moment of stillness and contemplation. The simplicity of the setting places the figure at the heart of the composition, allowing her posture and upward gaze to convey a sense of introspection and quiet determination. Köster’s gestural abstract style with realism detail combines recognisable figurative elements with expressive brushwork and atmospheric passages. The softly defined surroundings create an impression of space and depth, while the figure remains the emotional focus of the painting. Subtle variations in light and shadow enhance the intimate quality of the scene and give the composition a cinematic, contemplative character. The restrained treatment of the interior creates a strong contrast with the woman’s light dress, drawing attention to her presence within the darker surroundings. The upward direction of her gaze introduces a sense of hope, resilience and personal transformation, reinforcing the uplifting meaning suggested by the title Alone I Rise. The composition creates a compelling feeling of quiet strength and emotional renewal. Although the figure is alone, she does not appear defeated; instead, her upward gaze suggests a moment of gathering strength and looking towards something beyond the present. This balance between vulnerability and empowerment gives the artwork its emotional depth. Signed by the artist and ready to display, Alone I Rise makes a striking addition to a contemporary home, living room, bedroom, office, entrance hall or design-led interior. Its generous 100 x 100cm format gives the painting a strong presence while its contemplative subject invites a personal connection with the viewer. The artwork is particularly appealing to collectors of original figurative paintings, contemporary realism, gestural abstract art...
Canvas, Acrylic
$12,967
New York, Downtown Night II, Original oil painting, Abstract Cityscape-Artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Acrylic
Veggie Head - Original contemporary artwork - surrealistic animal painting
By JJ Galloway
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Les Dernières Nuits de Paris - Rare Book Illustrated by Philippe Soupault - 1928
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 500 copies. Copy on papier Velin du Marais paper. Language: french. Soft editorial cover, almost perfect conditions. Uncut. Philippe Soupaul...
Paper
A l’Intérieur de la Vue - Rare Book Illustrated by Max Ernst - 1948
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
A l’Intérieur de la Vue is an original modern rare book written by Paul Éluard (Saint-Denis, 1895 – Charenton-le-Pont, 1952) and illustrated by Max Ernst (1891 - 1976) in 1948. Orig...
Paper, Mixed Media
Cobalt Pot-original realiist still life surrealism oil painting-contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON- Original people surrealistic painting-contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
La cercle visceral du cosmos
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is an authentic Limoges porcelain plate done in collaboration with Salvador Dali in 1974. It is a part of a series of plates called "La Conquete du Cosmos" that depict im...
Porcelain
Her Majesty the Muse figurative interior painting mint green female success love
Located in Zofingen, AG
Her Majesty The Muse I remember the words our teacher said “Do not wait for a sudden inspiration, for a visit from the Muse. You should begin working, otherwise the Muse will pass b...
Canvas, Oil
Green Summer - Original Surrealist Figurative Painting of Girl with Antler Crown
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The figurative surrealistic paintings of Carlos Gamez de Francisco are heavily influenced by his Cuban upbringing in a Russian governed academia setting. This presence exposed Franci...
Canvas, Acrylic