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
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
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
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1940s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Mixed Media
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1940s Surrealist More Art
Photogravure
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
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
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
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
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1970s Surrealist More Art
Woodcut
1990s Surrealist More Art
Copper
2010s Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1970s Surrealist More Art
Woodcut
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
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
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, 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
1970s Surrealist More Art
Woodcut
1980s Surrealist More Art
Etching, Aquatint
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
Inspired by her relocation from the Midwest to Florida, artist Kit Silver paints a whimsical fusion of seahorses and bunnies. The warm hues and intricate deta...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
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
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
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
1960s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
Etching
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1950s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1950s Surrealist More Art
Paper
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
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Etching
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
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
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
1940s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Photogravure
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
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
