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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
This Week's Listings Only
"Plutonium Messenger" Symbolic Visionary Art in Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
"Plutonium Messenger" Symbolic Visionary Art in Acrylic on Canvas Detailed symbolic work by Dana Lynn Andersen (American, b. 1962). This piece is a styl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Glitter, Acrylic

Large Surrealist Painting Royal of College Art LGBTQ+ Woman artist Blue Bicycles
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 whi...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Pen, Mixed Media, Paint, Archival Paper

Lubin - figurative painting
Located in New York, NY
This surreal landscape painting by Henryk was done in 2014. It will ship from the artists studio in Poland. More about Henryk Laskowska: Henryk Laskowski...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Girl in Blue Dress, Surrealist Oil Painting by Andrei Medvedev
By Andrei Medvedev
Located in Long Island City, NY
An oil painting by Andrei Medvedev from 1998. A surrealist portrait of a young girl and a kitten in the rococo style. Artist: Andrei Medvedev Title:Girl in Blue Dress...
Category

1990s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pantheum Moonlight, Early 20th century surrealist landscape, Cleveland School
Located in Beachwood, OH
Ferdinand Burgdorff (American, 1881-1975) Pantheum Moonlight, 1916 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 16 x 24 inches 21.5 x 29.5 inches, framed Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Ferd...
Category

1910s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Large Surrealist Painting Royal of College Art LGBTQ+ Woman artist Blue Bicycles
Located in Norfolk, GB
IIsabel 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 tak...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Pen, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Paint

Still Life : The Doll and the Blue Vase - Original Oil on canvas, Signed
By Francoise Adnet
Located in Paris, IDF
Francoise ADNET Still Life : The Doll and the Blue Vase Original Oil on canvas Signed on the right middle Titled on the back On canvas 73 x 54 cm (c. 29 x 22 in) Presented in a gol...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Solace Fairy" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Matteo Di Ventra's (US based) "Solace Fairy" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a surreal nude figure with butterfly wings
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"The Unicorn's Garden, " Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Rhonda Libbey's "The Unicorn's Garden" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a grey unicorn in a lush garden of cat faced flowers and rollin...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

'L'Obscurité', Trompe L'oeil, Newport Art Museum, Frye Museum, RISD, Yale
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Initialed lower left, 'RCW' for Richard Whitten (American, born 1958) and dated, lower right, in Roman numerals, 2009. Formerly in the collection of the Triton Art Museum, Santa Clara, California. Whitten's early work may loosely be termed geometric abstraction, but he is best known for his later representational paintings that combine his interest in architecture, invented machinery and toys. Whitten is also known for his toy-like sculptures. His paintings and drawings are essentially representational but have strong ties to geometric abstraction. A native of New York City, Richard Whitten first attended the Collegiate School before studying economics at Yale where he received his BA in 1980. He then constructed a personal painting program at Yale where he studied with Gretna Campbell...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

"The Cosmic Dance" GAIA as Mother Earth a Visionary Figurative - Acrylic
Located in Soquel, CA
Emergence of Woman The Cosmic Dance A Visionary Figurative in Acrylic Flowing and stylized figurative work by Visionary artist Kimberlee Kuwica (American, b. 1967). From GAIA: "As t...
Category

1990s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Illustration Board, Foam Board

Ten of Swords, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist Rachel Srinivasan presents a surreal image of a white bison standing in the middle of 10 swords—nominative to its corresponding card from the tarot d...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Release Jealousy (Hummingbird, Portrait, Storytelling, Oil Painting)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Joseph Broghammer Release Jealousy (Hummingbird, Portrait, Storytelling, Oil Painting) Oil on Canvas Year: 2022 Size: 44x34in Signed by hand COA provided Ref.: 924802-1892 *on stret...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"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 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 Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

"Gills" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Joshua Lawyer's (US based) "Gills" is an oil painting that depicts a figure with her face in profile with an air bubble escaping the gills on her neck
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

Wee One 9 (Hummingbird, Portrait, Storytelling, Oil Painting)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Joseph Broghammer Wee One 9 (Hummingbird, Portrait, Storytelling, Oil Painting) Oil on Canvas Year: 2023 Size: 14x11in Framed: 15x12x1in Signed by hand COA provided Ref.: 924802-1903...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"REST ME ON A CUCKOO CLOCK"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
YURI MARTINEZ RAMOS "REST ME ON A CUCKOO CLOCK" OIL ON CANVAS, SIGNED, TITLED CUBAN-AMERICAN, DATED 2020 48 X 36 INCHES I wrote these words for the ...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Can everyone just stop for a day?
Located in Nottingham, GB
Original artwork, acrylic on canvas by Joseph Gilgun. With a mixture of street, abstract and fine art influences, most of Joe's work is created using a blend of acrylics, spray pain...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Magical World
Located in West Hollywood, CA
It is with great pride that we present a recently completed oil painting by Azerbaijani artist, Fidan Kim. Ms. Kim is a classically trained painter whose paintings evoke the surreal...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Intriguing Surrealist Painting of Downtown Chicago by James Mesplé
Located in Chicago, IL
An Intriguing 1991 Surrealist painting of downtown Chicago by artist James Mesplé. Artwork size: 22 1/2" x 18 1/2". Framed size: 25 1/2" x 21 1/2". Mesplé studied painting at th...
Category

1990s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Tempera, Panel

Isolation III, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist Guigen Zha paints red lotus flowers under the shining sun. Square blocks of gradient color fill the fragmented scene. He pain...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Ball Game (Triptych)
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
It is important to note that this work consists of three separate canvases, each one of 70x70x2. They make up a work of 210x70x2. The scene depicted is purely imaginary, where two wi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Antique Pin-up Gil Baer French Surrealist Nude Woman Puppet Show
By Gil Baer
Located in New York, NY
Soo Funny! Gil Baer (1859-1931) is the artist of this beautiful, humorous painting. This is a surrealist illustration painting of a nude woman behind...
Category

Early 20th Century Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Edge of a Dream
Located in San Francisco, CA

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"The Red Studio" - Surreal Figurative Interior Scene
Located in Soquel, CA
Surreal large-scale figurative abstract depicting two nude female figures in a red interior space juxtaposed by a bearded man seated next to a sculptural bust of a man, with a white skeleton in the foreground by Bay Area artist Michael Pauker (American, b. 1957). Titled "The Red Studio...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Yoni (Hummingbird, Portrait, Storytelling, Oil Painting)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Joseph Broghammer Yoni (Hummingbird, Portrait, Storytelling, Oil Painting) Oil on Canvas Year: 2023 Size: 40x30in Signed by hand COA provided Ref.: 924802-1890 *on stretcher frame -...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

My Problems Hump (Hummingbird, Portrait, Storytelling, Oil Painting)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Joseph Broghammer My Problems Hump (Hummingbird, Portrait, Storytelling, Oil Painting) Oil on Canvas Year: 2022 Size: 40x30in Signed by hand COA provided Ref.: 924802-1891 *on stret...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Getaway, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
"Figures move through a surreal landscape occupied by elements from the city and the countryside," explains artist Michael Wedge. Michael creates a curious juxtaposition of everyday city street life and sprawling nature. People move about as if through normal traffic, with a yellow taxi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Apocalypse"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This is my best work that I have done in 24 years of my work. I’m a fantasy soul, futurologist. This work tells us what awaits us in the future. How the human body mutates, and will ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink, Pen

International decisions, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Around a table, on a New York terrace; the animals gather, almost to remember the last supper. But there is a void, and the disciples are wise men without culture. This is precisely ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Wisdom Trumps Violence - Surreal Oil Painting with a Leopard, an Owl, and a Man
Located in Chicago, IL
Toying (e.g., rider on toy horse) with violent threats is not wise. The sounds (e.g., horn) of violence (e.g., spear and leopard) will never overtake wisdom (e.g., owl and pearl). This masterfully painted surrealist artwork draws in the viewer with its extraordinary detail. The artwork is framed. Christopher A. Klein Wisdom Trumps...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

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 Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Siren's Song
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello Title: Siren's Song Medium: oil and charcoal on canvas Year: 2021 Size: 22" x 46" x 1.5" Signed, dated and inscribed by hand COA provided (issued by representing gallery) Katherine Bello's aim as an artist is to capture a sense of place, a moment of time, or a feeling - to evoke a sense of wonder. Bello loves paint and paint brushes; bold, gestural mark-making and the interplay of color. She is influenced by light and landscape, poetry, history and science. Formerly educated in Chemical Engineering and Interior Design, Bello is drawn to the process of creating Something out of Nothing. Abstract, sbstract art...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Yijian Wang Surrealist Original Oil Painting "Pine Tree"
Located in New York, NY
Title: Pine Tree Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 27.5 x 23.5 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: This painting is...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Who Are These Angels CXLV, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A mystical figure emerges from the divide of light and darkness. In this ethereal piece by artist Naoko Paluszak, the entity appears to be made of the same energy as where it came from. Naoko created both color balance and a robust contrasting composition that evokes strong emotion. Part of Naoko's signature Who Are These Angels series...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Magic Realism Figurative Artwork, "The Air On A G String" by Evgeniya Golik
Located in San Diego, CA
A 20.5” x 16.5" x 1.5" Magic Realism Figurative Artwork by artist Evgeniya Golik. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purchase or delivery. Evgeniya Golik (also known as Evgola) is a Russian born pop-surrealist based in San Diego, California. Golik graduated Art School at the age of 17, and having studied at the Far Eastern State Technical University in Vladivostok, Russia, Golik graduated and earned her degree in Design and Architecture. In the present moment, she is a full-time fine artist, illustrator, educator. Inspired by the European Renaissance, Russian Orthodox icons, Slavic folklore, fairy tales and modern pop culture (fashion, photography, cinematography, music), Golik’s art combines a classic sensibility within a contemporary setting, something which artist-self defines as ‘Neo-Renaissance’. Using a variety of media, her work joins real world portraiture with imaginative and often surreal narratives to highlight and reveal her subject’s personalities. Golik’s paintings and drawings are doors to a mystical realm, one which showcases a myriad of beautiful human faces and fantastical creatures, that seek to express their secret through esoteric language. Golik has been working notably with The Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA), Museum Of Latin American Art (MOLAA), Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), New Americans Museum (NAM) and with James Hubbell & Ilan-Lael Foundation (Pacific Rim Park Project). Her art has been exhibited in various Galleries within the USA and Europe, as well as being published and commissioned by private collectors all over the world. "This artwork is my impression of a classical music piece now known as “the Air on a G String...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Ink, Color Pencil

Six Breasts No Waiting: Haitian Naive Fantasy Henri Rousseau - Heydenryk Frame
Located in Miami, FL
"Six Breasts No Waiting" showcases Haitian Master Salnave Philippe-Auguste's whimsically fruitful imagination. He executes it in a distinctive painting style of simplified compos...
Category

1970s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Mersing, Alanna Eakin, Original Surrealist Tropical Palm Tree Painting, Holiday
Located in Deddington, GB
Mersing by Alanna Eakin [2021] original Oil paint on wood panel Image size: H:30 cm x W:23 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:30 cm x W:23 cm x D:0.5cm Framed Size: H:36 cm x W...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

1965 Mid Century Modern Swedish Still Life Tempera Painting - Pears & Glass Vase
Located in Bristol, GB
PEARS & GLASS VASE Size: 29.5 x 37 cm (including frame) Tempera on board A brilliantly executed and characterful surrealist still life composition, executed in tempera on board in 1...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Tempera, Board

Fantasy. 1995, acrylic on canvas, 100x60 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Fantasy. 1995, acrylic on canvas, 100x60 cm Painting with fantastic creatures, castle, gandolier and explosion in the sky Igor Leontiev (1957) - one of the leading independent paint...
Category

1990s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Bed, Original Contemporary Surrealist Gouache Painting on Wood Panel
Located in Boston, MA
Bed, Original Contemporary Surrealist Painting, 2012 18" x 11.25" x 1.625" (HxWxD) This muted, dream-like surrealist painting by artist Megan Frazer can be compared to both the subject matter and painterly style of the work of Leonara Carrington...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Gouache

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 Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Leanna's Dream
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In my appropriation of Henri Rousseau's painting "The Dream," I replaced his nude reclining on the couch with my sister Leanna. I envisioned her magically transported into a lush ju...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Gerard Tunney, Theatre Dressing Room, Original figurative painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Gerard Tunney Theatre Dressing Room Original Figurative Painting Acrylic Paint on Canvas Canvas Size: H 30cm x W 60cm x D 2cm Sold Unframed Please note that insitu images are purely ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Little Flower Bug - Whimsical Fantasy Botanical Figurative Artwork on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Italian painter Silvia Pavarini is known for her distinctly feminine artworks that resonate with the quiet whispers of nature. Each piece she creates embodies an ongoing dialogue wit...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Pencil

Surrealist Photo Collage Assemblage Art Butterfly Mouth Ivan Chermayeff
Located in Surfside, FL
Ivan Chermayeff (1932-2017): Butterfly Mouth Mixed media collage, 2002, hand signed 'Ivan Chermayeff' and dated lower right, titled lower left. Bears label from David Findlay Jr. Gallery, NY. 22 1/2 x 15 in. (sheet), 25 3/4 x 18 1/4 in. (frame). Provenance: The estate of the artist. Ivan Chermayeff born London, United Kingdom, 1932 Chermayeff was one of the greatest American graphic designers, the son of the Russian born, British architect Serge Chermayeff. Ivan Chermayeff Graduated from the Phillips Academy of Andover, Massachusetts in 1950. He studied at Harvard until 1952, and the Institute of Design (New Bauhaus) until 1954. Graduated from the Yale School of Arts and Architecture in 1955 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. The same year he did a short apprenticeship with Alvin Lustig—a pioneer of American graphic design—and then moved on to CBS as Assistant Art Director in record cover design. In 1956 he co-founded Brownjohn, Chermayeff & Geismar Associate, with Robert Brownjohn and his former schoolmate Tom Geismar. In 1959 Brownjohn left and the studio changed to Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. It soon became one of the best-known design firms worldwide. The firm produced over six-hundred marks, and they were among the very first to develop an abstract trademark (Chase Bank, 1960), still in use today. In 1964 they designed the outstanding corporate identity of Mobil Oil, that is one of the most recognizable identities ever. From its foundation, the studio served major companies including Giorgio Armani, Barneys, Hearst, MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), National Geographic, NBC (National Broadcasting Company), PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), Rockefeller, and others. Recently, Serge Haviv joined as a new partner and the firm changed to Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv. Besides his design profession, Chermayeff is a talented illustrator artist and collagist. Many graphic pieces he made show a perfect balance of rational logics with imagination, featuring both abstract geometric shapes and figurative images. His collage works require a same sense of witty assemblage, where gathered information, like scraps of paper, stamps, and Polaroid photograph pictures combine as fragmented clues to a greater message. The Surrealist collages often take the shape of people, whose facial features are born of scraps and daily ephemera. They are amusing and infinitely thought-provoking; as Chermayeff has said, “Collages make it possible for everything to be something else.” Board overseers at Parsons School of Design and trustee at New School University from 1988 to 2002. Visiting professor at Cooper Union, University of California, and Kansas City Art Institute. He started making collages at the age of 17 to overcome his fear of not being able to draw. They are mostly made from day-to-day ephemera: envelopes, stamps, cigarette packs, train tickets, strips of coloured paper, found images, stones from the beach or squashed rusty cans. Inspired by Surrealism and organised by the artist’s hand and complemented with strong lines, they make faces, figures, fragmented narratives. Like all great designs, they evoke surprise and the pleasure of recognition. As he put it: “Design is all about seeing and making connections which are not so obvious.”President of AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) from 1963 to 1966. Trustee of MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) from 1965 to 1986. Member of the board of directors of IDCA (International Design Conference in Aspen) from 1968 to 1999. Board Director at Municipal Art Society of New York in 1972-76. Member of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) since 1978. Board Director at Smithsonian Institution from 1988 to 1996. He was elected to the Hall of Fame of ADC New York (Art Directors Club) in 1982. Trustee of the Archives of America Art in 1987-90. Royal Designer for Industry since 1992. He was awarded numerous prizes including the Industrial Art Medal from AIA (American Institute of Architects) in 1967, the Philadelphia College of Art Gold Medal in 1971, AIGA Gold Medal (American Institute of Graphic Arts) in 1979, the President’s Fellow Award from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1981, the First International Design Award from Japan Design Foundation in 1983, the Yale Arts Medal in 1985, the Distinguished Service Award from New School University in 1999, the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal in 2002, the Tokyo Type Directors Club Award in 2004, and the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2014. He also received a honorary doctorate in law from the Portland School of Art in 1981, and two honorary doctorates in fine arts from the Philadelphia University of Arts and the Corcoran Museum of Art, Washington in 1991. Along with Seymour Chwast, Sid Chafetz, Saul Bass, Milton Glaser, Paul Rand, Ikko Tanaka...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media

"Mannequin Meditating" Large Surrealist Abstract Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Large still life painting of a mannequin placed in front of a window. The canvas is signed, titled, and dated by the artist on the back and the bottom corner. The work is framed in a...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Lullaby music by the sea guitars and song soft tranquil dreamlike color
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stephen Basso's highly original paintings are romantic yet thought provoking musings. His whimsical works are alive with boundless imagination wry wit and fearless color The elemen...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Protectress (pug, lady archer, bow, arrow, neutrals, surrealism, oil painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
IN PROTECTRESS, a massive pug, its head resting heavily on the ground, gazes outward with a sorrowful, almost pleading expression. The warm tones of its fur—soft beiges and browns—co...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Boss (paw, feline, cougar, wild cat, man, animal, americana, surrealist painting
Located in Quebec, Quebec
In this evocative piece by Rudolf Kosow, we are confronted with the signature elements of surrealism that define his work. The canvas is dominated by the vastness of a feline's paw, ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

American Family III, Oil Painting on Panel by Ramon Santiago
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Ramon Santiago, American (1943 - 2001) Title: American Family III Year: 1972 Medium: Oil on Panel, signed and dated Size: 40 x 30 inches
Category

1970s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Game (bob cat, female tennis player, ball, vintage, animal, surrealist painting
Located in Quebec, Quebec
In this captivating painting by Rudolf Kosow, the canvas comes alive with a surreal and dynamic encounter. At first glance, we see a massive bob cat head, rendered in repose with a t...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Render to Caesar, Surreal Scene with Classical Greek Scupture and Garden
Located in Chicago, IL
Taken from a statue of Julius Caesar by French sculptor Nicolas Coustou from 1669, artist John Hrehov places his copy in an elaborate labyrinth of greenery. The classical elements of sculpture, ionic column and greek temple are tied together by a bright green and blue palette in this perfectly balanced surreal scene. This piece is floated in a white wooden frame measuring 38h x 32w x 2d inches. John Hrehov Render to Caesar oil on canvas 36h x 30w in 91.44h x 76.20w cm JHR025 John Hrehov Education 1985 MFA-Painting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1981 BFA-Painting, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH. Solo Exhibitions 2017 John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Tom Thomas Gallery, Indiana University East, Richmond, IN. 2012 Shades from White to Black, New Drawings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY. 2011 John Hrehov: Charcoal. Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne. 2009 John Hrehov: A Survey 1999-2009 Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY. Paintings and Drawings. Seerveld Gallery, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, IL. 2004 John Hrehov: Drawings and Paintings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY. 2002 Paintings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY. 2001 Charcoal. Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne. John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Wood Street...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Good the Bad and Ugly (oil painting monochrome man cowboy western hat)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
keywords; surrealism, portrait, oil painting, earth tones, figurative painting, strangeness, contemporary surrealistic, unsettling, contemporary figurative painting, dreams, symbolic...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Spirit with Horns - Abstracted Figurative Composition in Acrylic on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderful abstracted surreal figure of a spirit by Michael Eggleston (American, 20th Century). This piece is bold and lively, with bright colors and rich blacks. This horned spirit i...
Category

1970s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Paper, India Ink

Dream Of The Inca. Contemporary Abstract Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Something of a departure for Berlin, this highly figurative painting use motifs from ancient central American cultures to create a piece that writhes and turns on the canvas. Beautif...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paper, Acrylic

"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 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.

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