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.
1970s Surrealist More Art
Woodcut
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Artist Comments
Artist Guigen Zha paints red lotus flowers under the shining sun. Square blocks of gradient color fill the fragmented scene. He pain...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1940s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Photogravure
1970s Surrealist More Art
Woodcut
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...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Mixed Media
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
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
As part of artist Rachel Srinivasan's Rodeo Tarot series, this interpretation of the Seven of Pentacles tarot card uses green to embody the themes of growth, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1940s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1970s Surrealist More Art
Etching, Aquatint
1970s Surrealist More Art
Woodcut
1940s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Photogravure
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
Artist Rachel Srinivasan reinterprets the pentacles suit adorned with galloping horses on the edges. Rachel uses various tones of green, symbolizing earthly w...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Painted in a realist tradition, a hotdog in a bun takes center stage in this modern still life. Artist Dwight Smith enjoys exaggerating the scale of objects t...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Watercolor
2010s Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1930s Surrealist More Art
Photogravure
Artist Comments
Artist Rachel Srinivasan reinterprets the pentacles suit adorned with galloping horses on the edges. Two white bison heads appear in the middle, their gentle ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Dwelling in a space of absolute simplicity, free from endless mental chatter, seems quite appealing. A tiny robot with a die is captivated by what exists befo...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
Artist Comments
The artwork reflects on the abundance of wildlife in Florida and the constant struggle humans face in controlling nature. Dominating the scene, a giant egret hovers over houses while alligators lurk in the water, signifying the untamable wildness of the environment.
About the Artist
Artist Kat Silver paints surrealist compositions with a whimsical and satirical approach. She draws inspiration from the imagery of her dreams and the symbolisms present in her surroundings. The image of the rabbit has become an important character and signature in Kat's work. For her, they represent power and taking control of one's life. Through her art, she invites the viewer to question the mundanity of daily existence and embrace the magic within them. "I believe human beings have a lot we can learn from nature," says Kat. "If we watch and listen to the earth and all its creatures, we can learn to fully enjoy our lives instead of being caught up in materialism, drama, and stress." Kat started to paint when she was seven years old, with her uncle as her teacher. She received her BA in Painting at Nazareth College in 2001 and succeedingly studied at Drexel University in Philadelphia, where she mastered Art Therapy. Kat works in her home studio on a small desk strewn with supplies—surrounded by walls adorned with artwork that inspires her. Beyond her studio, Kat feeds her soul in nature, exploring wooded parks, forests, oceans, and streams. She often goes to antique shops to spark her creativity.
Words that describe this painting: Florida, wildlife, swamp, surreal, surrealism...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
Artist Rachel Srinivasan presents a surreal portrayal of the nine of swords tarot card. A majestic and mysterious white bison remains strong as a falling blad...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
As part of her Rodeo Tarot series, artist Rachel Srinivasan reinterprets the pentacles suit, adorned with galloping horses on the edges. Three white bison for...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1970s Surrealist More Art
Etching, Aquatint
Artist Comments
Three interconnected cups represent the beginning of friendship, meaningful social events, and a renewal of communication. Energetic wavy lines and a glowing li...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Five cups sit at the center of the painting, with the larger one in the middle and four smaller ones around it. Glowing beams and wavy lines radiate from them, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1980s Surrealist More Art
Etching
1890s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
Artist Guigen Zha presents elements of Chinese cultural relics set upon a surrealist beach. A Tang Sancai, a type of pottery from the Tang Dynasty, sits prominently with its gilded handles. Together on the steps are an embroidered shoe worn by women and a pomegranate flower in full bloom. He paints a snail walking into a mural depicting cultural history. "The piece presents a reminder of the past and how time flies," says Guigen.
About the Artist
Words that describe this painting: healing, landscape, seascape, floral, poetic, cultural relics, surrealism, Dali...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Rachel Srinivasan's surrealistic piece combines the traditional symbolism of the tarot card with the image of a white bison and eight crossed swords. T...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
"A flower is small, but it is also a world of its own," says artist Guigen Zha. He paints a surreal image of a flower growing from bud to bloom. A parallel metaphor of human life from birth to death plays out in the scene. Guigen displays a peony, a deer, and a human expressing the interconnection and interdependence of all things in a utopian world.
About the Artist
Words that describe this painting: healing, peony, deer, animal, belief, landscape, floral, poetic, oilpaint, flower, surrealism, figure, nude, surrealism, flora, oil painting, green
One Blossom One World...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Rachel Srinivasan manifests a representation of a tarot card. She paints a robust white bison in the center of five silver swords, standing on a pentagram in ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Part of artist Rachel Srinivasan's Tarot series. In this piece, she paints an interpretation of the card Four of Swords, showing four humanoid figures with bu...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1910s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
"This painting is a part of both my Tarot series and my Power Bison series," shares artist Rachel Srinivasan. "In tarot, the two of swords is about decisions,...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
"This painting is inspired by the tarot card called the 'Ace of Swords'," states artist Rachel Srinivasan. A veiled woman peeks behind a tall sword as she is ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1960s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1950s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1970s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Etching
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
