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
1970s Surrealist More Art
Woodcut
1970s Surrealist More Art
Woodcut
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Watercolor, Etching
1950s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
A robot elephant balances an heirloom tomato and a pot of daisy flower on its head. This is artist Diane Flick's first painting using AI-generated reference p...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
A mesmerizing underwater scene comes to life where an enchanting mix of sea creatures, humans, and scuba bunnies coexist in perfect harmony. The submerged wor...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1940s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Mixed Media
20th Century Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
Inspired by the Eight of Pentacles tarot card, the vibrant green hues of the artwork symbolize growth, fertility, and abundance, including aspects related to ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Diane Flick presents a glimpse into someone else's image of utopia. "Colonel Picklebottom's otherworldly dream persists only to exist," says Diane. In ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
1970s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Early 1900s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
The painting reinterprets the Six of Pentacles tarot card, delving into the concept of gaining material wealth and enjoying one's work. The green hues symboli...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
As a part of artist Rachel Srinivasan's Rodeo Series, the painting explores the symbolism of the five pentacles tarot card. The prominent green hues carry meanings of wealth, abundance, growth, and a connection to nature. The white bison adds a layer of mysticism, representing the power of the supernatural. Galloping horses adorn the edges, adding an intriguing touch to the composition.
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: tarot, wealth, abundance, magic, mystical, cards, oracle, white bison, buffalo...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
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
Drawing inspiration from her move from the Midwest to Florida, artist Kat Ailver paints a whimsical blend of seahorses and bunnies. The different shades of pe...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
2010s Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Inspired by the classical painting, The Birth of Venus, artist Miranda Gamel shows a surrealist portrayal. The subject stands beautifully with long wavy hair and glistening eyes under a turquoise moon...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
2010s Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
As part of her Rodeo Tarot series, artist Rachel Srinivasan reinterprets the pentacles suit, adorned with galloping horses on the edges. Four bison heads surr...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
Artist Miranda Gamel shares a dreamy portrait of a woman with a neon pink crown surrounded by glowing butterflies. Miranda portrays the subject with illuminat...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Diane Flick paints a surrealist scene of home appliances descending the sky in parachutes. The first in her playful Anthromorphic Vintage Appliance series. "They love, they ponder, they tire, they argue, they weave intricate and colorful tapestries, and they skydive," narrates Diane. She depicts a vivid, calm, and symmetrically centered visual style drawing influence from Wes Anderson.
About the Artist
Diane Flick is a Bay Area artist who paints quirky portraits of robots with a playful color palette and masterful realism. Each of Diane’s robots expresses its own humanlike and idiosyncratic personality. From an early age, she had a fascination with inanimate objects and often imagined what they would be like with human characteristics. Her portfolio explores the human experience through non-human subjects.
Words that describe this painting: parachuting, parachute, refrigerator, phone, telephone, television, vintage, appliances, Wes Anderson, sky, calm, serene, surrealism, silly, Eric Joyner...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Etching
1970s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Etching
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
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1950s Surrealist More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
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
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1990s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1930s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper
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
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
