Surrealist 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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Style: Surrealist
Surreal intimate scene, green and blue, boat and fashion magazine
Located in Carballo, ES
Ventura A. Pérez (1992) is one of the most seductive artists on the contemporary Spanish scene. After earning a doctorate in contemporary art from the University of Vigo, he moved to...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Surrealist Pipe Smoker - Original Oil on Canvas, SIGNED
Located in Paris, IDF
Antonio GUANSE (1926-2008)
Pipe Smoker, 1977
Oil on canvas
Signed and dated
Countersigned and dated on the back
On canvas 61 x 50 cm
Presented with the wooden frame 62.5 x 51 cm
Ve...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Kingfisher, 20th Century Magical Realism Landscape w/ Birds & Driftwood
By Paul Riba
Located in Beachwood, OH
Paul Riba (American, 1912-1977)
Kingfisher
Oil on board
Signed lower right
20.75 x 35 inches
28.5 x 43.5 inches, framed
Paul Riba was a painter of Magic Realism. He explored the un...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Studio Sketch of Jillian", Surrealist, Brown, Collage, Acrylic Painting, 2013
By John Baker
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Studio Sketch of Jillian” is an acrylic painting on canvas 18 x 14 inches in pinks, greens, gold, brown and black. I often depict visitors to my studio in spontaneous s...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Female Crocodile
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen
Original-Breakfast with Cat-Oil on canvas-British Awarded Artist-English Roses
Located in London, GB
Shizico paints life as the moments unfold, capturing consecutive mornings spent with her cherished cat, Sonny in a series of paintings and postcard projects.
In this dreamscape, agai...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
"Dream Fragment 5". Surreal Wall Sculpture, Polymer Assemblage on MDF
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Part of the Dream Fragments series, this wall-mounted sculpture by spanish artist Inés Silvalde explores repetition and the uncanny through an assemblage of synthetic fingers. The wo...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Plaster, Oil, Acrylic, Fiberboard
The Three Graces - Original Surrealist On Board
Located in Soquel, CA
The Three Graces - Original Surrealist On Board
Dramatic and dynamic fantasy scene by Russell R. Tripp (American, 1942-2025). This piece depicts a dream like scene with two nude wom...
Category
1980s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Night Riders, Mid-20th Century Surrealist Landscape w/ Horse & Riders
Located in Beachwood, OH
Hugh M. Poe (American, 1902-1973)
Night Riders, 1962
Oil on artist's board
Signed lower right
20 x 25 inches
26.75 x 31.75 inches, framed
Hugh M. Poe was an American portrait painte...
Category
1960s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
The Ballerina And The Angel - Original Surrealist On Board
Located in Soquel, CA
The Ballerina And The Angel - Original Surrealist On Board
Dramatic and dynamic fantasy scene by Russell R. Tripp (American, 1942-2025). This piece depicts a ballerina sitting in th...
Category
1980s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Surrealist painting on board, bright colors and green shadows, diptych
Located in Carballo, ES
Ventura A. Pérez (1992) is one of the most seductive artists on the contemporary Spanish scene. After earning a doctorate in contemporary art from the University of Vigo, he moved to...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Diana Bathing with Cupid Mid 20th Century French Surrealist Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Diana & Cupid
French Surrealist artist, mid 20th century
oil painting on board, unframed
board: 18 x 13 inches
provenance: private collection, Paris
condition: a few minor scuffs and...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Still Life of Man Holding Bird, Surreal Cleveland Woman Artist
By Mary Spain
Located in Beachwood, OH
Mary Spain (American, 1934–1983)
Man with Bird
Oil on canvas
Signed middle right
13.5 x 11.75 inches
17 x 15 inches, framed
Set in a realm of fantasy, Mary Spain’s work exhibits odd...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Small surreal house, green and yellow, oil on board
Located in Carballo, ES
Ventura A. Pérez (1992) is one of the most seductive artists on the contemporary Spanish scene. After earning a doctorate in contemporary art from the University of Vigo, he moved to...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
You Broke My Heart
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I blend expressionism, surrealism, and symbolism to explore deep emotional narratives. The canvas features fragmented figures and abstract forms, evoking a sense of...
Category
1990s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Acrylic, Canvas
Queen of Outer Space - Original Sci- Fi Surrealist Composition On Board
Located in Soquel, CA
Queen of Outer Space - Original Sci- Fi Surrealist Composition On Board
Dramatic sci-fi scene by Russell R. Tripp (American, 1942-2025). This sci-fi surrealist painting blends indus...
Category
1980s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
surreal scene with magical colors, blue shadows and illuminated buildings
Located in Carballo, ES
Ventura A. Pérez (1992) is one of the most seductive artists on the contemporary Spanish scene. After earning a doctorate in contemporary art from the University of Vigo, he moved to...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Antoni Pitxot Battle of Constantine oil on board painting surrealist art
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Title: Battle of Constantine
Artist: Antoni Pitxot i Soler (1934–2015)
Technique: Oil on board
Dimensions (unframed): 9 x 12.6 in
Dimensions (framed): 17.3 x 20.9 in
Signature: Signe...
Category
1960s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
"The Post-Truth Era: First Impact", Surrealist, Collage, Acrylic Painting, 2018
By John Baker
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “The Post-Truth Era: First Impact” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 20 x 16 x 1.5 inches in pinks, oranges, blues and whites. During the last decade, as the...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Surrealist wardrobe of suits for buildings, Vriesendorp, original oil on board
Located in Carballo, ES
Ventura A. Pérez (1992) is one of the most seductive artists on the contemporary Spanish scene. After earning a doctorate in contemporary art from the University of Vigo, he moved to...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
The House at the End of the Road - Blue Original Floral Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carlos Gamez de Francisco’s "The House at the End of the Road" is a striking blend of hyperrealism, figurative surrealism, and imaginative narrative art. This 12-inch round acrylic p...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
"Entrance and Exit" - Oil on Canvas Symbolic Surrealist Painting 2015
Located in Denver, CO
Vachagan Narazyan’s Entrance and Exit (2015) is an original oil on canvas painting that exemplifies the artist’s poetic and allegorical approach to spatial imagery. The composition c...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Entertainment" - Oil on Canvas Surrealist Circus Scene by Vachagan Narazyan
Located in Denver, CO
Vachagan Narazyan’s Entertainment (2023) is an original oil on canvas painting that evokes the theatrical and surreal worlds that define his mature style. Rendered in soft yet moody ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Jardin: After Monet. Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting
By Sax Berlin
Located in Brecon, Powys
A riotous explosion from the palette of Sax Berlin. This garden uses the beautiful colours familiar to those who have travelled the southern reaches of France and used to such amazin...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Acrylic
The Tower of Babel by Jean-Pierre BURQUIER - Oil on Canvas - 81x65 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Jean-Pierre Burquier is firstly painter and graphic artist. He creates surrealist paintings since he was 20 years.
Following a chance meeting with an ostrich egg, he decided to move ...
Category
Late 20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Female Blue Green Water
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen
Angel II. Mystic/symbolistic portrait, vertical, dark colors, medium size.
Located in Oslo, NO
This portrait captures a truly mystic moment. A young, enchanting figure—whom we’ll call Angel—gracefully plays an invisible flute. Surrounded by darkness, a beam of light highlights...
Category
Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Fauvist Still Life with Flowers - Original Oil on Canvas, SIGNED
Located in Paris, IDF
Antonio GUANSE (1926-2008)
Still Life with Flowers, 1962
Oil on canvas panel
Signed lower right
Countersigned and dated on the back
On panel, 37 x 45 cm (14.5 x 17.7 in) visible
Pre...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Five Bird Rule, Oil Painting
By Mary Pratt
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Five birds gather around three women as fish float behind them. An upside-down umbrella perched on a railing heightens the scene’s surreal quality. In this pi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Costa Brava, Spain, Nuns w/ Umbrellas & Chairs, Surrealist Scene
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905-1981)
Costa Brava, Spain
Oil on board
Signed lower right
14 x 24 inches
23 x 33 inches, framed
Born in Codroipo, a small village only a few miles from Ven...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Love From 1970s - 21st Century, Surrealism, Figurative, Classical, African Man
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure
Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria
This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy.
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
About Artist
Bor...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Romano Mussolini (Italian Painter/musician) - 20th century landscape painting
Located in Varmo, IT
Romano Mussolini (Forlì 1927 - Rome 2006) - Landscape with waterfall.
20 x 30 cm.
Oil on hardboard, without frame.
- Work signed lower left: "Romano Mussolini". - Authentic Studi...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Best Friends I (spaniel puppy dog ear surreal scale animal boy farm earth tones
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
We love Rudolf's latest series and particularly this exquisite demonstration of TLC in "Best Friends". The artist says "Two inseparable friends, regardless of the size differences, t...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Afternoon In The Garden": Fantastic Realism Painting Golden With Animals
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Figurative painting in oil and acrylic on canvas, horizontal format. A journey through the universe, a visit to another invisible world where one can live in peace, an afternoon in t...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Oil
Runaway (Dalmatian dog surrealist oil painting man's best friend animal)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
A colossal Dalmatian rests its head on a stark white surface, its weary gaze conveying quiet resignation. In front of it, a lone figure stands, gripping a “STOP POLICE” sign...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Abstract Composition N°8 by Vivaldo Martini - Oil on canvas 64x80 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
His first name sounds like a concerto. Vivacious, its name is reminiscent of an aperitif or a cyclist. The addition of the two evokes the Italianate. Indomitable and unavoidable. Mor...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Green with Envy, Hudson Vallery, NY
By Paddy Cohn
Located in Hudson, NY
"Clouds, from all sides now, 2025"
Cohn delves into the enigmatic qualities of clouds—how they symbolize both the fleeting and the eternal. Cloud illusions are a sensory journey t...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Acrylic
"Blake of Night" (2012) By John Tarantola, Original Nude Oil Portrait Painting
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "Blake of Night" (2012) is a beautiful surrealist oil on panel painting that depicts an athletic nude male figure crawling forward on a slab o...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
"Honfleur Street" (2024) By Christopher Clark, Cityscape, Oil & Acrylic
Located in Denver, CO
Christopher Clark's "Honfleur Street" is an original, handmade oil & acrylic painting that depicts an abstracted cityscape bustling with people and the sun brightly reflecting off of...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Bide Your Time - 21st Century, Surrealism, Figurative, Women, Africa, Globe
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure
Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria
This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy.
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
About Artist
Bor...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
A Walk in Fantasy, Abstract Figures and Plants, Surreal Painting in Vivid Tones
Located in Barcelona, ES
In this series, Perrine explores the profound relationship between light and color, both essential elements in her artistic expression. Without light, there would be no colors, and i...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Oil Crayon
"The Cruel Hours and Minutes of Uncertainty" (2019) By John Tarantola, Nude Oil
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "The Cruel Hours and Minutes of Uncertainty" (2019) is a surrealist oil on panel painting that depicts an athletic nude male figure, standing ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
"Pieta" (2021) By John Tarantola, Surrealistic Nude Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "Pieta" (2021) is a beautiful surrealist oil on panel painting that depicts two young athletic male figures atop a red cloth in vast desert du...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
Janet and Bill, Surrealist Painting of Woman and Cat w/ Party Hats
By Mary Spain
Located in Beachwood, OH
Mary Spain (American, 1934–1983)
Janet and Bill, 1970s
Oil on canvas
Signed middle right, titled verso
26 x 30 inches
32.5 x 36.5 inches, framed
Set in a realm of fantasy, Mary Spai...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Just a Cloud Away
By Paddy Cohn
Located in Hudson, NY
"Clouds, from all sides now, 2025"
Cohn delves into the enigmatic qualities of clouds—how they symbolize both the fleeting and the eternal. Cloud illusions are a sensory journey t...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Acrylic
FAKE (yellow eggs cowboys vintage americana surrealist oil painting)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
in FAKE, three cowboys stand side by side, dressed in dusty, timeworn attire, they exude an air of quiet contemplation, perplexed with their hands resting on their hips as they gaze ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Incident II (horse leg hoof equestrian man surrealistic animal tennis brown art)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
A surreal vertical oil painting titled Incident by Rudolf Kosow depicts an immense, detailed black horse's hoof dominating the majority of the composition, set against a muted, textu...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Jewish Mystical Kabbalah Oil Painting Jerusalem Cityscape Hebrew Letters Judaica
By David Rakia
Located in Surfside, FL
"Tzadik"
A Surrealist oil painting of old mystical Jerusalem with Hebrew calligraphy
Sight 13.25" x 19.5" ; frame: 21" x 27.25"
David Rakia (1928-2012) was born in Vienna, Austria...
Category
1960s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Oil
"The Second Coming" (2024) by Morgan Cameron, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Morgan Cameron’s (US based) “The Second Sighting” (2024) is an oil painting on panel that depicts a surreal landscape that has a wolf with piercing eyes standing in the moonlight.
A...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
Wish, a Surrealistic Watercolor Landscape with a Floating Wishbone the the Sky
By Melanie Vote
Located in New York, NY
This stunning piece by Melanie Vote exemplifies her signature style of subtly surreal landscapes. Featuring a traditional old-master type landscape, the work takes an unexpected turn...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Watercolor, Graphite
"Leda"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The work "Leda" was written in Vienna. It is dedicated to the memory of my friend and wonderful artist Mikhail Romanov. In memory of him, all the swans that I depict in my works I pa...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
"Disney and Leonardo"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The work is based on the plot of Leonardo da Vinci "Leda and the Swan" and characters from Walt Disney's films. These two great artists of the past and present met in this painting.W...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Mercury and Neters"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This picture is included in the cycle of works, Come and see. It was written in 2001 when I was living and working in Kiev, Ukraine. The idea itself appeared much earlier in the mid-...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"Adonai sitting on Easter eggs"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This painting is the third part of the cycle of works "Come and see" It was painted in the city of Kiev, Ukraine in 2001. The picture shows one of the main tenets of the "Kabbalah", ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"Orange, wrestlers"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This painting is part of the cycle of works, Come and See, It was invented when I was a student at an art college. Studying the work of Michelangelo, I was inspired by his fresco in ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas, Acrylic
"Dragon Kiss"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The painting "The Kiss of the Dragon" is the final fifth work in the cycle "Come and see". In Asia, there is a myth that the one whom the Dragon kisses will have strength, luck and i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
"Apocalypse, four horsemen"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This painting was conceived during one of the most difficult periods of my life. It was 1995. It was then that I first encountered the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures. Hav...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"Austrian accession"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Once my Austrian comrade came to visit me. He asked me if I know who Augustus Gruber is ? At the time, I had no idea about this character. It turned out that August Gruber was a supp...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Surrealist paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Surrealist 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 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, purple, green and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Elvic Steele, Rudolf Kosow, Isabel Rock, and Henry David Potwin. 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 2 inches across are also available. Prices for 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 $1 and tops out at $400,000, while the average work sells for $2,999.