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
Antique American Large Surreal Masterpiece Landscape Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique surrealist oil painting of a landscape with a sculpture. Oil on board, circa 1949. Signed. Displayed in a period frame. Image, 35"L x 22"H.
Category
1940s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Sacrifice - Surreal Painting of Golden Yellow Bird of Prey Hunting a Mouse
Located in Preston, GB
Sacrifice - Surreal Painting of Golden Yellow Bird of Prey Hunting a Mouse, by Contemporary British Artist
Original, Oil on Canvas
30 x 30 inches
Unframed
The painting continue...
Category
Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
The King's Bride of Double Honor
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This Piece was inspired by the story of the Bride of a King. She was so loved by the King because of her great beauty, but the people of the Land loved her so much, not just for her ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Swimming at Sunset - Surrealist Landscape with Two Swimmers in Oil on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Swimming at Sunset - Surrealist Landscape with Two Swimmers in Oil on Canvas
Colorful minimalist and surrealist work by John McDonnell. Two people are swimming in a body of water, r...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Interior Jungle - Original Unique Artwork
Located in London, GB
Interior Jungle 2021
Original Unique Artwork
oil on linen
Interior Jungle 2021
oil on linen 46 x 36 cm
A figure surreal looking figure seemingly without a face sits on a red an...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Yes, But Does It Float - Original Surreal Oil Painting with Symbolic Imagery
By Mark Bowers
Located in Chicago, IL
Mark Bowers- Artist Statement
With the depiction of landscape playing such a central role in the history of North American art, it seemed to offer many of the critical possibilities ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Happiness - Contemporary Acrylic on Canvas Painting, Vibrant colors, Landscape
Located in Warsaw, PL
ABOUT THE ARTIST
MARTA RYNKIEWICZ is a Polish contemporary artist (born in 1983).
She studied painting with Professor Henryk Czenik and graphic arts with Professor Jerzy Krechowic...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Goldy nude painting
Located in London, GB
Painting:oil on paper
Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork
Size:21x29x0,01 cm (size without frame)
Not framed.
Olga Volha Piashko background is in fine and graphic arts, working in a wid...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Oil
Little fish, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series “Small fishâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Phaeton, original etching
Located in Belgrade, MT
This piece is from my private collection of lithographs, etchings and engravings from great artists of the 20th Century. It is a limited edition, original and signed by the artist Ro...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Engraving, Etching, Lithograph
Israeli Kibbutz Artist Judaica Shul Torah Ark Surrealist Gouache Painting
By Leo Roth
Located in Surfside, FL
Leo Roth (1914–2002), also known as Lior Roth, was an Israeli painter, born in 1914 in Austria-Hungary. (later Poland)
In 1920, Roth moved to Germany and, in 1933, immigrated to Pal...
Category
20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
Vintage Signed Surreal Street Scene Skeleton Modernist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist surreal oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed illegibly.
Category
1930s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Light in The Dark - Original Charcoal on Sheet Music
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Robert Lebsack creates artworks using mixed media with ink, acrylic, and charcoal on archival copies of newspapers, textbooks, and sheet music. As a visionary artist, Lebsack weaves ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media
Companion
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 (Issued by the Gal...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Acrylic, Canvas
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Female Blue Water Sea
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
C. Ballester 14 Sueño Original Surrealism Mixed media paper painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Sueño Original Magical Surrealism Mixed media paper painting
Cándido Ballester is a contemporary Mallorcan painter who was born in 1926. As a child he had to emigrate to Argentina. ...
Category
Late 20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Lady in red and the conspirators
Located in Sempach, LU
Oil on canvas painting by Ta Byrne with free worldwide shipping rolled in a tube. I have sent my work to 64 countries and some great landmarks such as Berkeley Square in London’s May...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"A Family of Means", surrealist, blue, red, pink, mixed media, acrylic painting
By John Baker
Located in Boston, 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 exud...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Lovers and Others (unique mid century modern painting) - double sided artwork
Located in New York, NY
Nahum Tschacbasov
Lovers and Others (Two Unique Works), 1978-1979
Gouache on Two-sided Paper (Two Signed Works)
Hand signed twice: once on each side
11 × 15 inches (each side)
A rare...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Ink, Gouache
MATYC, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
MATYC 2023 OIL ON CANVAS 50X40X2 :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed: Yes ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Couple with Bird and Bouquet
Located in Long Island City, NY
A romantic painting of a couple with bouquet and bird by Rochester-born artist, Ramon Santiago. This circular oil on canvas painting is signed and dated 1971.
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
KERCH, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
KERCH 2023 ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 160X150X1 :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :: Signed:...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Motherhood II
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mohamad Khayata’s original figurative artworks are the result of five years of displacement and deal with themes of migration, memory, and identity. Mohamad’s paintings exhibit an ar...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
The Master
Located in Los Angeles, CA
RAYMOND WHYTE
"THE MASTER"
OIL ON PANEL, SIGNED
CANADIAN, C.1980
22 X 16 INCHES
Raymond Whyte (1923 – 2002)
Known for his trompe l’oeil, still life and portrait paintings, W...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
The Fourth Dimension. VI Vibrant yellow painting, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Sia Aryai
Located in Yardley, PA
Fourth Dimension VI This yellow is a home decor color you can be bold with and always makes a statement. this abstract one-of-a-kind painting is signed dated and stamped on the f...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Little fish, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series “Small fishâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Desert Landscape, Oil Painting
By Julia Hacker
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
In this piece, artist Julia Hacker creates a whimsical and vivid dreamscape of a desert. "It invites you to lose yourself in its charming portrayal of nature," ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Dilemma
Located in Singapore, SG
Life is a struggle. Realizing and achieving goals requires effort and hard work. Life presents choices with many dilemmas and in the end, the kind of person we choose, the path we ta...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
The Proclaimer
Located in Singapore, SG
Soekarno - the proclaimer of Indonesian independence - made himself an important part of the journey towards the birth and formation of the Republic of Indonesia. His struggle and de...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Light of Spirit
Located in Singapore, SG
The immense joy of the heart in living a life achieving dreams despite the many trials and tribulations.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
My Mind is Freedom
Located in Singapore, SG
Life will become meaningful if we can be ourselves. But to achieve this, it requires intelligence, wisdom and skills while navigating through life.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Serenade, Acrylic on Canvas Painting by Gerard Tunney
Located in Deddington, GB
Serenade By Gerard Tunney [2021]
Gerard Tunney Serenade Original Surrealist Painting Acrylic Paint on Canvas Canvas Size: H 30cm x W 40cm x D 2cm Serenade is an original animal pain...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
New York Scene with a Tiger- surreal wildlife animal city original oil painting
By Nathan Neven
Located in London, Chelsea
In this contemporary surrealist painting Nathan Neven juxtaposes a familiar city scene with the unusual and unexpected presence of animals. The artist renders this cityscape skilfull...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Girl in Green
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This artwork beautifully portrays the poignant story of a young girl who bravely faces the absence of her father at home, as he fulfills his honorable duty as a soldier. It delves in...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Canvas, Oil
Little fish, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series “Small fishâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Midsummer Ballet Suite, Dancer and Sun Dial, Canvas Painting by Gerard Tunney
Located in Deddington, GB
Midsummer ballet suite.Dancer and sun dial By Gerard Tunney [2021]
Gerard Tunney Midsummer Ballet Suite. Dancer and Sun Dial Original Figurative Painting Acrylic Paint on Canvas Can...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Gerard Tunney, Dancers with Fans, Original surreal painting
Located in Deddington, GB
A group of dancers chat and gossip using the fans to emphasise l their reactions The triangles of the fans are echoed throughout the painting; in the dancers’ feet, the dancers’ arms...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Pavanne - 17th Century Court Dance - British exhibited Surrealist oil painting
By John Armstrong
Located in London, GB
Painted by "Modern British" Surrealist artist John Armstrong this oil/tempera on board depicts Pavanne. The Pavanne is a 17th century Court dance. The figures bunch up rhythmically a...
Category
1940s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Tempera
Giraffes in the Garden- surreal wildlife animal giraffe original oil painting
By Nathan Neven
Located in London, Chelsea
In this contemporary surrealist painting Nathan Neven juxtaposes a familiar city scene with the unusual and unexpected presence of animals. The artist renders this cityscape skilfull...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Mujer Tlalocan
Located in Natchez, MS
The nude surreal oil painting, Mujer Tlalocan is an excellent example of Santibáñez Servat's work, from the technique to the subject matter. Himself an amalgamation of the Americas,...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Be Brave
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 (Issued by the Gal...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Homeowners - surreal wildlife animal interior scene zebra original oil painting
By Nathan Neven
Located in London, Chelsea
In this contemporary surrealist painting Nathan Neven juxtaposes a familiar home setting with the unusual and unexpected presence of animals. The artist renders the inside of a lavis...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
French Surrealist Trompe L'oeil Apples OIl Painting
Located in Surfside, FL
size uncludes frame.
Lucien Mathelin, born in 1905 in Binche, A province of Hainaut, in Wallonia, Belgium, and died in 1981 in Paris. French painter. His work was influenced by surre...
Category
20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Contemplation (surrealist landscape trees), Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
I am fascinated by nature and the calmness it brings. That's where we all belong. That's the inspiration for this surreal landscape. This landscape measures 30x30 inches with a d...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Around the universe
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
A tour of the universe, a visit to another invisible world where you can live in peace. The beloved animals and us united in one life. "Around the universe” Figurative Painting 51" x...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Christ Expelling Money Changers - British 30's surrealist art religious interior
By Augustus Lunn
Located in London, GB
Painted by "Modern British" artist Augustus Lunn this oil/tempera on board depicts Christ Expelling the Money Changers. He exhibited widely at The Cooling Galleries and The New Engl...
Category
20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Saturn Over Titan Tower, UT, by Astronomical Artist Joe Bergeron
Located in Larchmont, NY
Joe Bergeron (American)
Saturn From Titan, 1980
Oil on canvas
Framed: 40 x 30 x 1 1/2 in.
Signed lower right: Bergeron 80
Inscribed verso
Joe Bergeron grew up in the twin hamlets of Endicott and Endwell in upstate New York. As a boy he taught himself the constellations using a cardboard star wheel, watching in awe as stars he had never before identified rose according to prediction. Later he began a more thorough examination of the heavens using various small telescopes. A devoted hiker, Joe prowled his surroundings at all hours of the day and night, often discovering semi-abandoned sites of human activity which his imagination invested with the mystery of ancient ruins.
Joe was known as a "class artist" in high school, mostly by virtue of superhero drawings done in ballpoint pen. His early efforts at painting were clumsy at best and disastrous at worst, leading him to be intimidated by the brush. Finally, called upon to produce planetarium shows during a summer job, Joe taught himself to paint so he could create visuals for the shows. Soon he was selling paintings and drawings at science fiction art...
Category
1980s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Le savoir
Located in Barbizon, FR
This piece by Jean Francois Segura is an allegory of knowledge, in french "le savoir", and is amogst the rare explorations of a an upright portrait exploration by the artist
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Untitled
Located in Miami, FL
Beautiful watercolor painting by the artist Roberto Fabelo.
Roberto Fabelo (born 1951 Camagüey, Cuba) is a contemporary painter, sculptor, and illustrator. Born in Guáimaro, Camagüe...
Category
1990s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Laid Paper
Homage to Picasso Surrealism
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Ferjo
Title: Homage to Picasso Surrealism
Size: 40 x 50 Inches
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Edition: Original
Year: Circa 2010
Notes: Hand Signed on Front. Stretched. Ga...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Out and About - surreal wildlife animal scene ostrich original oil painting
By Nathan Neven
Located in London, Chelsea
In this contemporary surrealist painting Nathan Neven juxtaposes a familiar city scene with the unusual and unexpected presence of animals. The artist renders this cityscape skilfull...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Egg girl on a very windy day, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
How my Eggs came about. I wanted something to change my world, a painting that would make that happen. I wanted something I’d never seen before in the art world. I used to sit for hours late at night thinking about what to paint that would make that change. It was Egg lady...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Elephant Outside- surreal wildlife animal interiors original oil painting
By Nathan Neven
Located in London, Chelsea
In this contemporary surrealist painting Nathan Neven juxtaposes a familiar interior scene with the unusual and unexpected presence of animals. The artist renders this interior skilf...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Surreal Collage: 'Planetary Machines '
Located in New York, NY
Barnett, a surrealist artist incorporates discarded mechanical objects and gadgets into his artwork. His work is characterized by its unique and eclectic mix of materials, which rang...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media
Flamingos exploring France- surreal wildlife animal original oil painting
By Nathan Neven
Located in London, Chelsea
In this contemporary surrealist painting Nathan Neven juxtaposes a familiar city scene with the unusual and unexpected presence of animals. The artist renders this cityscape skilfull...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Playful Elephants- surreal wildlife animal scene original oil painting
By Nathan Neven
Located in London, Chelsea
In this contemporary surrealist painting Nathan Neven juxtaposes a familiar interior scene with the unusual and unexpected presence of animals. The artist renders this setting skilfu...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Taking Over The City - surreal wildlife animal cityscape original oil painting
By Nathan Neven
Located in London, Chelsea
In this contemporary surrealist painting Nathan Neven juxtaposes a familiar New York cityscape with the unusual and unexpected presence of animals. The artist renders the skyline of ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Surreal Collage: 'Six Feet Apart, Six Feet Under'
Located in New York, NY
Barnett, a surrealist artist incorporates discarded mechanical objects and gadgets into his artwork. His work is characterized by its unique and eclectic mix of materials, which rang...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media
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, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Elvic Steele, Rudolf Kosow, Carlos Gamez De Francisco, and Isabel Rock. 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 2.125 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 $295,000, while the average work sells for $3,131.
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