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Surrealist Portrait Paintings

SURREALIST STYLE

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.

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Item Ships From: USA
Style: Surrealist
Von Hyin Kolk (American, 1997 - ) Oil She Can Sew the Sky Before It Ruptures
Located in New York, NY
Title: "She Can Sew the Sky Before It Ruptures" Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 48 x 36 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: Excellent. Year: 2023 Artist: Von Hyin ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Von Hyin Kolk (American, 1997 - ) Oil On Canvas "99 Sky Girl Ornament"
Located in New York, NY
Title: "99 Sky Girl Ornament" Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 48 x 36 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: Excellent. Year: 2023 Artist: Von Hyin Kolk Signature: S...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Roses are Red - Contemporary colourful figurative surrealistic painting
Located in DE
Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Fashion Essentials I - Contemporary colourful surrealistic painting
Located in DE
Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Equestrian Style and Decor II - Contemporary surrealistic horse painting
Located in DE
Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Spring III - Contemporary colourful figurative surrealistic painting
Located in DE
Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Twenty Shades of Sunlight - Contemporary colourful surrealistic painting
Located in DE
Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Surrealist Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Mack" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 8.5” x 10.5” x 1” Surrealist Acrylic Portrait Painting by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. The Bee...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Surrealist Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Sailor" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 10.5” x 16.5” x 2.5” Surrealist Acrylic Portrait Painting by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. The ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Surrealist Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Lily" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 9” x 14” x 1” Surrealism Acrylic Portrait Painting executed by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. “T...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Surrealist Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Lloyd" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 10” x 12” x 1” Surrealist Acrylic Portrait Painting by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. Mothboy: W...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Surrealist Acrylic Portrait Painting, "Iris" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 7” x 10” x 1” Magical Realism Acrylic Portrait Painting executed on Vellum by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase o...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Vellum

Surrealist Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Charlie" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 9” x 12” x 2” Surrealist Acrylic Portrait Painting by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. The Human C...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Surrealist Mixed Media Portrait, "'Prince' The Guide" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 16” x 16” x 2” Surrealist Mixed Media Portrait Painting executed on Wood Panel with Acrylic and Graphite by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Graphite

Mixed Media Surrealist Portrait, "Mad Barber" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 13” x 15” x 2” Surrealist Mixed Media Portrait Painting executed on Wood Panel by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. “The Mad Barber is not quite ‘mad’ in the conventional sense, but rather exhibits a peculiar imbalance. With an eccentric flair reminiscent of characters like Sweeney Todd...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel, Graphite

Surrealist Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Timmy" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 12” x 14” x 1.5” Surrealist Acrylic Portrait Painting by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. “The Boy In The Iron Mask...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Surrealist Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Marlowe" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 14” x 16” x 1” Magical Realism Acrylic Portrait Painting by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. The L...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Surrealist Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Cid" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 8” x 11” x 2” Surrealism Acrylic Portrait Painting by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. Carnivale’s...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Boy and puppy
Located in Belgrade, MT
Madeline Luka (French 1894-1989) was a self taught painter known for her landscapes, portraits, nudes and still lifes. She typically portrayed her family and close friends set within...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Lithograph

Surrealist Acrylic Portraiture Painting, "Clark" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 8.5” x 11.5” x 2” Surrealist Acrylic Portrait Painting by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. “Gopher...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Surrealist Acrylic Portrait Painting, "Mr.P" by Christopher Polentz
Located in San Diego, CA
A 12” x 19” x 5” Magical Realism Acrylic Portrait Painting executed on Vellum with Found Objects by artist Christopher Polentz. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Found Objects, Acrylic, Vellum

Devil Emerges from Surrealist Voodoo Drum - Sans titre (Diable)
Located in Miami, FL
An image of a horned devil with pointy claws and bat-like wings emerges from a Voodoo drum. He has with arms stretched out like a Christ figure. The drum grows out of a yellow plant-...
Category

1970s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Villosa
Located in Dallas, TX
This work was featured at ComplexCon 2019 - November 2nd and 3rd in Long Beach, CA.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

"Eating and Drinking I", surrealist, red, green, yellow, acrylic painting
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Eating and Drinking I” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 24 x 30 inches in reds, greens and yellows against a neutral background. What at first glance appea...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Mixed Media, Canvas

"Eating at the Airline Diner", surrealist, red, blue, yellow, acrylic painting
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Eating at the Airline Diner” is an acrylic on canvas with collage 30 x 30 inches in reds, yellows and blues with green accents. The iconic diner, in Queens, New York, i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Mixed Media, Canvas

"Eating and Drinking II", surrealist, red, green, yellow, acrylic painting
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Eating and Drinking II” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 24 x 30 inches in yellows, reds and greens on a neutral background. In one sense an illustration o...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

"Man Adjusting his Tie", surrealist, green, red, blue, yellow, acrylic painting
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Man Adjusting his Tie” is an acrylic painting on canvas 24 x 18 inches in greens and reds with blue and yellow color accents. The disheveled appearance of the man impli...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"The Lonely Crowd", surrealist, portrait, mixed media, acrylic painting
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “The Lonely Crowd” is a multi-colored acrylic painting on canvas with collage 40 x 60 inches. Blues, yellows and greens predominate while reds provide color accents. The...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

"Self Chaperone", surrealist, woman, portrait, mixed media, acrylic painting
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Self-Chaperone” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 28 x 22 inches in flesh tones, yellows and greys. The portrait depicts the inner conflict between uninhibi...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

"Diver" Contemporary Figurative Surrealist Portrait painting
Located in East Quogue, NY
"Diver" - Surrealist portrait painting of a female emerging from the water with a pearl on her tongue by Paul Green. Acrylic on panel. Signed on back by art...
Category

1990s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

Surrealist Painting, "After the Rains"
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original oil on panel surrealist painting by San Diego artist, Kelley Sutphin. Its dimensions are 14.4"x26.4"x1.5". It is framed. A certificate of authenticit...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Italian Surrealist Oil Painting Jean Calogero Big Eyed Girl Doll Mandolin Flower
Located in Surfside, FL
Frame is 12 X 10. Canvas is 9.5 X 7.5 Calogero was born August 20, 1922 in Catania, Sicily. Self-taught Surreal Artist First exhibitions in 1945 in Sicily and Rome were very successful. He arrived in Paris in 1947 and studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He is best known for his Surrealism and genre works. His paintings are dreamlike and visionary. They travel to an infinite space created by the artist through his memories, the sky and the sea so dear to him. In his paintings there are a few common themes: the masks with their dual dimensions that hide or shows only what you want, the profiles of the women, and the horsemen, drawn as the Sicilian tradition requires. He exhibited at the Gallery Hervé in 1951 and the following year he went to New York to present his show, then in 1953 he was invited to Los Angeles, where he returned two years later, and from where he regularly exhibited his works, and San Francisco. In 1954, Maximilien Gauthier devoted a book to him published by "The Gemini." The first exhibition in Japan was in 1965. He was awarded the Grand Silver Medal by the City of Paris in 1957. Calogero had countless exhibitions in Paris, in the fifties, plus the American exhibitions in New York (Associated American Artists, 1952), Los Angeles (James Vigevano Galleries, 1953) and then later in Japan and in major galleries in Italy. He lived and worked for many years in Paris and Italy. He died in 2001. Galerie Hervè, Parigi 1950. Associated American Artists - New York 1952. James Vigevano Galleries, Los Angeles 1953. Galerie Madsen, Parigi 1954/1960. Antologica, Tokyo 1965. Galleria La Robinia, Palermo 1969. Florida Gallery, Chicago 1970. Galleria Il Cavalletto, Catania 1971. Galleria De Rosa, Milano 1972. Galleria Pinacoteca, Roma; L'Incontro, Taranto 1973. Galleria Idea-Bellini, Firenze; David Galleries, Bari; Palazzo Melloni, L'incontro, Bologna; Galleria Schettini, Milano; Galleria Pinacoteca, Roma; Galleria La Meridiana, Verona; Pier della Francesca, Arezzo 1974. Galleria L'isolotto, Napoli; Pinacoteca, Roma; Galleria del Corso, Latina 1975. Galleria Michelangelo, Firenze; Pinacoteca, Roma 1977. Galleria Robert...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Family Portrait, Large Surrealist Oil Painting Mother, Children, Neo Surrealism
Located in Surfside, FL
Hank Laventhol (1927–2001) was an American painter and master print maker. He worked in painting, graphics, sculpture and photography. Associated with ...
Category

1950s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

High Drama Adventure Scene - Italian Illustrator Mid-Century Jules Verne
Located in Miami, FL
Original illustration was done by Renna for the novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne, published in 1963. What makes this work special is how brilliantly the subj...
Category

1960s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Illustration Board, Tempera

Confident Figure - Original Figurative Abstract Man in Purple Suit on Blue Wall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Iqi Qoror's surreal figurative paintings are arresting in their earthy palettes offset by pops of fluorescent textile embroidery. His artworks revolve around questions of trust, inte...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wool, Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Princess and Prince, Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina Fairy Tales
Located in Miami, FL
Italian illustrator Gianni Benvenuti paints a charming fantasy scene. It's of an extreme closeup of a tiny crowned and winged Prince and Princess They are standing upright in a dand...
Category

1950s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"Go With The Flow" Fantasy and Surreal Oil on Canvas by acclaimed British artist
Located in Southampton, NY
In continuing with representing fine artists that are connected to the music industry we are please to announce that we are the only gallery in the United States representing the wor...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Two Dummies", surrealist, brown, tan, grey, mixed media, acrylic painting
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “The Two Dummies” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 32 x 24 x 1.5 inches wide in browns, tans and greys with red and yellow accents. The wooden neck lever of the ventriloquist suggests that he is in reality the dummy of the young boy; and yet, impossibly, both seem to be the dummies of one another! Regardless, the brightness of the props on the prop table...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

A Boy and his Dog Oil and Mixed Media Cuban Hyperrealism Framed
Located in Houston, TX
LOOK FOR FREE SHIPPING AT CHECKOUT OR GALLERY RATE A Boy and His Dog shows the hyperrealism of modern Cuban art that is now available to the world...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

"Conflab" Oil on Canvas 18x22"
Located in Southampton, NY
In continuing with representing fine artists that are connected to the music industry we are please to announce that we are the only gallery in the United States representing the wor...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"A Family of Means", surrealist, blue, red, pink, mixed media, acrylic painting
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “A Family of Means” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 38 x 50 inches in blues, reds, and pinks. Depicted in their commodious library, the wealthy family exudes a sense of arrogant privilege and shameless materialism. The matriarch displays her rings to the spectator as though their monetary value was proof of her worth as a person, while her son, in his prep school blazer...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

The Fall Approaches, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist Libby Ramage presents a surrealist representation of the changing seasons. "The leaves are like flames, and the boy and man are hesitant to venture furth...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Haitian Couple in Bed Simultaneously Adjusting their Radios, Surrealism
Located in Miami, FL
Wilson Bigaud is an idea artist in who showcases visual ideas in many of his paintings. In this work, a married Haitian couple tunes their radios in sync as they lie in bed. Bigaud was greatly interested in radios, which appeared in many of his works. This work rises to the level of Surrealism in that Bigaud is doing more than just depicting a normal bedroom moment. There is something very strange and bizarre in the couple's synchronized actions. Also of note, it looks like the woman is swallowing the edge of the radio. Signed lower right in a handmade and hand-painted frame. Wear to the edges of board, including delamination in the corners, some dents and losses. Frame rubbing with associated wear. Areas of white discoloration to the bed and headboard...
Category

1960s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Rhapsody
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Art is and has always been at the very center of my life. In creating I find communication and connection with others that surpasses any barrier or boundary. Through imagery, I can c...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Elizabeth's Hat", Oleg Turchin, Figurative, 58x63 in, Baroque Hat Series, Oil
Located in Dallas, TX
"Elizabeth's Hat" by Oleg Turchin is a Figurative Surrealism original oil on canvas painting measuring 58x63 in. This painting is of the Late Queen Elizabeth's life. The queen is bea...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage Modernist Artist Studio Surreal Portrait Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage modernist artist studio. Oil on canvas. Framed. Image size, 24H x 20L.
Category

1960s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Large Signed Surreal Nude Male Portrait Symbolist Landscape Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school modernist landscape with male figures. Really well painted and a very interesting composition. Impressive giltwood frame as well! Signed and dated lower ri...
Category

1990s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Large Italian Surrealist Mod Art Oil Painting Jean Calogero Big Eyed Girl Doll
Located in Surfside, FL
Hand signed lower left canvas measures 24 X 18, framed it measures 34 X 28 Calogero was born August 20, 1922 in Catania, Sicily. Self-taught Surreal Artist First exhibitions in 1945 in Sicily and Rome were very successful. He arrived in Paris in 1947 and studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He is best known for his Surrealism and genre works. His paintings are dreamlike and visionary. They travel to an infinite space created by the artist through his memories, the sky and the sea so dear to him. In his paintings there are a few common themes: the masks with their dual dimensions that hide or shows only what you want, the profiles of the women, and the horsemen, drawn as the Sicilian tradition requires. He exhibited at the Gallery Hervé in 1951 and the following year he went to New York to present his show, then in 1953 he was invited to Los Angeles, where he returned two years later, and from where he regularly exhibited his works, and San Francisco. In 1954, Maximilien Gauthier devoted a book to him published by "The Gemini." The first exhibition in Japan was in 1965. He was awarded the Grand Silver Medal by the City of Paris in 1957. Calogero had countless exhibitions in Paris, in the fifties, plus the American exhibitions in New York (Associated American Artists, 1952), Los Angeles (James Vigevano Galleries, 1953) and then later in Japan and in major galleries in Italy. He lived and worked for many years in Paris and Italy. He died in 2001. Galerie Hervè, Parigi 1950. Associated American Artists - New York 1952. James Vigevano Galleries, Los Angeles 1953. Galerie Madsen, Parigi 1954/1960. Antologica, Tokyo 1965. Galleria La Robinia, Palermo 1969. Florida Gallery, Chicago 1970. Galleria Il Cavalletto, Catania 1971. Galleria De Rosa, Milano 1972. Galleria Pinacoteca, Roma; L'Incontro, Taranto 1973. Galleria Idea-Bellini, Firenze; David Galleries, Bari; Palazzo Melloni, L'incontro, Bologna; Galleria Schettini, Milano; Galleria Pinacoteca, Roma; Galleria La Meridiana, Verona; Pier della Francesca, Arezzo 1974. Galleria L'isolotto, Napoli; Pinacoteca, Roma; Galleria del Corso, Latina 1975. Galleria Michelangelo, Firenze; Pinacoteca, Roma 1977. Galleria Robert Philip...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Opulence 12" Mixed Media Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Aiden Kringen's (US based) "Opulence 12" is an original handmade oil painting that is unframed, but ready to hang. About the Artist: A kaleidoscopic fantasia—crystalline planes floating in space, nestling together like immaculate puzzle pieces—abstract nebulae, human figures and faces enveloped in swirling fields or particles of energy—these number among the images evoked by the hauntingly enigmatic paintings of artist Aiden Kringen. Within this worldview a mysterious network of interlocking planes becomes visible to the beholder: mystical fields of unknown substance revealed as the building blocks of our bodies and semblances, surrounding, cocooning, perhaps even protecting us. It is a vision verging on the mystical, which Kringen portrays through a distinctive style: a fractured, cubistic mode of conscious- ness in which multiple dimensions or perspectives assimilate into an ecstatic whole. The artist deploys this style in opulent and seductive portraits as well as abstract tableaux whose optical signature is magnified by compositional dynamism and deeply layered surfaces. Born in Los Angeles in 1992, Kringen lived variously in the American West and Mexico—Sebastopol, Jalisco, Portland, Flagstaff—before settling in the hill- and vineyard-dotted environs of Sonoma, County, where he is now based. In these very different environments, each of which possesses a uniquely picturesque natural beauty, the artist began from an early age to develop his aesthetic approach. He has always had a keen eye for detail, grounded in a gift for looking closely at the human experience. “I’ve always been interested in observing people,” he recalls, “and in the details of how we interact with one another.” He put this natural ability to task when he began working on illustration and graphic-design projects while in high school. From his mother, an artist and graphic designer, he learned the fundamentals of composition and typography, the nuances of positive and negative space and the relationships between them. Using sheets of Letracet—a system for transfer- ring typeface—proved particularly instrumental in developing a methodology for layering and collage, which continue to inform his works on canvas and paper. He learned old-school tech- niques, hands-on and mechanical, in keeping with a Bauhaus-like appreciation for perfectionism, integrity, and hard work. Kringen began painting at 14. Then as now, drawing was central to his approach. He studied vintage anatomy atlases and drew meticulously in his journals, working through myriad permutations of bones and skin, angle and pose, muscles in motion. Honing his natural talent for figuration through long and exhaustive study, he arrived at an understanding of the figure that is both intuitive and virtuosic. On acrylic and mixed media on canvas, Kringen lays down linework with a Micron pen in ever-more-complex compositions, often with the addition of gloss mediums to bring out the layers’ reflectivity and prismatic character. In some pieces he incorporates gold and silver leaf to heighten drama and luxuriance, recalling the mosaic-like work of Gustav Klimt—who, along with fellow Austri- an Expressionist Egon Schiele, stands among Kringen’s most prominent influences. It was in 2011 that he began painting in the style with which he is now most associated: a technique fusing drawing and painting, line and brushstroke, with fragmented shapes undergirding the imag- ery. Notably, this is not simply a stylistic conceit, but more a way of perceiving reality. “Ever since I was young,” Kringen notes, “I’ve spent most of my time observing people: trying to break people down, in a visual sense, into small categorizations of their features, their mannerisms, the way they twitch their nose...” His hypersensitivity to likeness and gesture is key, for this is what distinguishes his portraits from those by artists who strive to depict idealized beauty as an end in itself. Yes, there is an undeniable beauty to Kringen’s subjects, but it does not follow strictly conventional paradigms. There is an individuality, a capturing of idiosyncracies and eccentricities, of optimism and fatalism, light and dark, in his work. He is not painting archetypes, but rather illuminating the essential charac- ters of real people in a highly refined genre of psychological portraiture. The fragmented linework, the grids of planes he uses as lenses to focus these characteristics, is sui generis but never gimmicky; above all it is a tool for defining and refining the features of the face, adding depth and definition. In his abstract work he uses similar techniques, paring the fabric of perception itself down to bare essentials of form, color, and texture. The abstract pieces are simultaneously elegant and complex, combining the sweeping gesturalism of Abstract Expressionism with the rigorous structure of geomet- ric painting. Across the breadth of his output Kringen balances technical and thematic polarities into bracing integrations of sensuality and grittiness, inviting contemplation into the nature of opticality and the infinite possibilities of the seen and unseen. —Richard Speer is a contributor to ARTnews, Artpulse, Visual Art Source, and Surface Design. His essays and reviews have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Post, The Oregonian, Salon, Newsweek, and Opera News. He is the author of “Matt Lamb...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Boy Scout with a Pipe and Billiard Ball: Surrealist Portrait in Oil on Polyester
Located in Soquel, CA
Clean, surreal depiction of a Boy Scout by Robert Peluce (American, 1937-2004). Dressed in full uniform, a Boy Scout holds a pipe to his lips. Above the ...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Polyester, Oil

"Onyx" Mixed Media Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Aiden Kringen's (US based) "Onyx" is an original handmade oil painting that is unframed, but ready to hang. About the Artist: A kaleidoscopic fantasia—crystalline planes floating in space, nestling together like immaculate puzzle pieces—abstract nebulae, human figures and faces enveloped in swirling fields or particles of energy—these number among the images evoked by the hauntingly enigmatic paintings of artist Aiden Kringen. Within this worldview a mysterious network of interlocking planes becomes visible to the beholder: mystical fields of unknown substance revealed as the building blocks of our bodies and semblances, surrounding, cocooning, perhaps even protecting us. It is a vision verging on the mystical, which Kringen portrays through a distinctive style: a fractured, cubistic mode of conscious- ness in which multiple dimensions or perspectives assimilate into an ecstatic whole. The artist deploys this style in opulent and seductive portraits as well as abstract tableaux whose optical signature is magnified by compositional dynamism and deeply layered surfaces. Born in Los Angeles in 1992, Kringen lived variously in the American West and Mexico—Sebastopol, Jalisco, Portland, Flagstaff—before settling in the hill- and vineyard-dotted environs of Sonoma, County, where he is now based. In these very different environments, each of which possesses a uniquely picturesque natural beauty, the artist began from an early age to develop his aesthetic approach. He has always had a keen eye for detail, grounded in a gift for looking closely at the human experience. “I’ve always been interested in observing people,” he recalls, “and in the details of how we interact with one another.” He put this natural ability to task when he began working on illustration and graphic-design projects while in high school. From his mother, an artist and graphic designer, he learned the fundamentals of composition and typography, the nuances of positive and negative space and the relationships between them. Using sheets of Letracet—a system for transfer- ring typeface—proved particularly instrumental in developing a methodology for layering and collage, which continue to inform his works on canvas and paper. He learned old-school tech- niques, hands-on and mechanical, in keeping with a Bauhaus-like appreciation for perfectionism, integrity, and hard work. Kringen began painting at 14. Then as now, drawing was central to his approach. He studied vintage anatomy atlases and drew meticulously in his journals, working through myriad permutations of bones and skin, angle and pose, muscles in motion. Honing his natural talent for figuration through long and exhaustive study, he arrived at an understanding of the figure that is both intuitive and virtuosic. On acrylic and mixed media on canvas, Kringen lays down linework with a Micron pen in ever-more-complex compositions, often with the addition of gloss mediums to bring out the layers’ reflectivity and prismatic character. In some pieces he incorporates gold and silver leaf to heighten drama and luxuriance, recalling the mosaic-like work of Gustav Klimt—who, along with fellow Austri- an Expressionist Egon Schiele, stands among Kringen’s most prominent influences. It was in 2011 that he began painting in the style with which he is now most associated: a technique fusing drawing and painting, line and brushstroke, with fragmented shapes undergirding the imag- ery. Notably, this is not simply a stylistic conceit, but more a way of perceiving reality. “Ever since I was young,” Kringen notes, “I’ve spent most of my time observing people: trying to break people down, in a visual sense, into small categorizations of their features, their mannerisms, the way they twitch their nose...” His hypersensitivity to likeness and gesture is key, for this is what distinguishes his portraits from those by artists who strive to depict idealized beauty as an end in itself. Yes, there is an undeniable beauty to Kringen’s subjects, but it does not follow strictly conventional paradigms. There is an individuality, a capturing of idiosyncracies and eccentricities, of optimism and fatalism, light and dark, in his work. He is not painting archetypes, but rather illuminating the essential charac- ters of real people in a highly refined genre of psychological portraiture. The fragmented linework, the grids of planes he uses as lenses to focus these characteristics, is sui generis but never gimmicky; above all it is a tool for defining and refining the features of the face, adding depth and definition. In his abstract work he uses similar techniques, paring the fabric of perception itself down to bare essentials of form, color, and texture. The abstract pieces are simultaneously elegant and complex, combining the sweeping gesturalism of Abstract Expressionism with the rigorous structure of geomet- ric painting. Across the breadth of his output Kringen balances technical and thematic polarities into bracing integrations of sensuality and grittiness, inviting contemplation into the nature of opticality and the infinite possibilities of the seen and unseen. —Richard Speer is a contributor to ARTnews, Artpulse, Visual Art Source, and Surface Design. His essays and reviews have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Post, The Oregonian, Salon, Newsweek, and Opera News. He is the author of “Matt Lamb...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas, Acrylic

Modern Surrealist Painting by Richard Ericson
Located in Larchmont, NY
Richard Joseph Ericson (American, 1922-2010) Untitled, 1950 Oil on canvas 36 x 25 in. Signed lower right: RJE '50 Richard Joseph Ericson (b. October 22, 1922-d. November 21, 2010), ...
Category

1950s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Surrealist Mixed Media Artwork, "Beatrice"
Located in San Diego, CA
This is an original mixed media artwork by Southern California artist, Cheryl Tall. Its dimensions are 12" x 12" x .75". It is unframed. A certific...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Portrait de Femme ( Self Portrait ? )
Located in Miami, FL
This is a possible self portrait by the famed female surrealist artist. It is also strikingly similar in style with it's exaggerated eyes to her portrait of Jean Genet, ( Leonor F...
Category

1940s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Manners and Etiquette
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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Striped Gloves
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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Social Etiquette V
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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Italian Modernist Surrealist Woman Color Oil Painting Lazzaro Donati La Signora
Located in Surfside, FL
Lazzaro Donati (Italian, 1926-1977) Oil on board. Colorful woman. La Signora, Vestita Di Giallo, 1969 Hand signed upper right. signed, titled on back of panel. Dimensions: (Frame) H 38" x W 30", (Panel) H 28" x W 20" Lazzaro Donati was born in Florence and attended the Academy of Fine Arts. He began to paint in 1953, and in 1955 held his first exhibition at the Indiano Gallery in Florence. Within three years eleven exhibitions followed in Italy, and as his reputation grew he was invited to give major exhibitions in London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo. He is considered one of the foremost contemporary Italian painters and his paintings hang in museums and private collections throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. His work is recalling the works of the french Raoul Dufy, Dunoyer de Segonzac, Francois Gall and Jean Jansem. This particular work is reminiscent of the work of Manolo Valdes. Donati lived and worked at 24 Piazza Donatello in Florence, the square where generations of artists have created works worthy of the great Florentine tradition. As you entered the narrow hallway to his studio, a gilded life-size Venetian angel beckoned you to his door. Once inside, the present faded away and you found yourself in an atelier where early masters might have worked during the Renaissance. Within, luxurious Persian rugs set off the innumerable objects d’art and antique furnishings...
Category

1960s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Surrealist portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Surrealist portrait paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add portrait paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, green, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Rudolf Kosow, Carlos Gamez De Francisco, Tslil Tsemet, and Suzi Fadel Nassif. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Surrealist portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 5 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $27 and tops out at $400,000, while the average work sells for $4,500.

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