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
Joan Miró Litografia Original VII – 1972 Color Lithograph, Spanish Edition
By Joan Miró
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Litografia Original VII by Joan Miró, a 1972 color lithograph from Litografo (Volume I, Spanish edition), catalogued as Mourlot 863. Published by Ediciones Poligrafa, Barcelona, with...
Category
20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Handmade Paper, Lithograph
"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
She, Portrait Surrealism Original oil Painting
By Ashot Yan
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Figurative Surrealism Original Painting
Artist: Ashot Yan
Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Oil on Linen,
Year: 2023
Style: Portrait Surrealism,
T...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Gidget's Hideaway" Minimal Surrealist Landscape Painting
Located in Houston, TX
White and grey structure on a grey sky with a few white clouds, a black palm tree, and bright blue water. Artist signed the work in the bottom right corner, as well as titled and dat...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
The Pearl Necklace Story II - Surrealist Figurative Feminine Framed Portrait
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 academic setting. This presence exposed Franci...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Afro Lady -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Women, Floral
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
Oluw...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
'Story Time', Paris, Salon d'Automne, New York, ASL, Corcoran, PAFA, Art Deco
By Nura Ulreich
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower left 'Nura' for Nura Woodson Ulreich (American, 1899–1950). Additionally signed, verso, dated March 1928 with artist's New York City address and titled, 'When Guest Stay...
Category
1920s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Illustration Board
Surrealist Expressionist Painting, "Honoring The Prodigy"
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind abstract expressionist oil painting on wood panel by San Diego artist, Daniel Ketelhut.
Ketelhut is a self-taught painter who...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
Untitled Surrealist Mythical Portrait
By Bob Camblin
Located in Houston, TX
Abstract Surrealist ink and gouache drawing of a human and deer hybrid head sitting within a jar. The work is signed by the artist in the bottom corner. The work is framed in a silve...
Category
20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Ink, Gouache
Surreal Collage: 'Watching'
Located in New York, NY
Combining found elements with those fashioned by my own hand, my work encompasses two- and three-dimensional collage as well as sculptural objects. Infused with a rich sense of histo...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media
Love is found, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Diana Rosa
Located in Yardley, PA
original, ready to hang :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed: Yes :: Signat...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
"Genesis", Surrealist, Contemporary, Arched Doorway, Cosmic, Oil Painting
By Dalvin Byron
Located in Franklin, MA
Dalvin Byron’s “Genesis” is a surrealist 48 x 36 x 2 inch oil painting on canvas. A striking arched doorway frames a cosmic eclipse radiating silvery light. Above, a prismatic glass ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Landscape Original Oil On Canvas "Bucket With Dripping Red"
Located in New York, NY
Title: Bucket With Dripping Red
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 27 x 23 inches
Frame: Framing options available!
Year: 2000 Circa
Artist: Unclear
Provenance: Direct from the art...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Reunited (monkeys orangutans iceberg arctic surrealist oil painting light blue)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
Superbe original painting on canvas depicting a pair of orangutans cuddling on top of a small iceberg.
keywords; americana, surrealism, monkey, iceberg, vintage, oil painting, anima...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of Woman, Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting
By Ashot Yan
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Figurative Surrealism Original Painting
Artist: Ashot Yan
Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Oil on Linen,
Year: 2023
Style: Surrealism,
Title: Sti...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Ukrainian trident"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
One of my best works in this series is "Art from Money." A painting with a philosophical meaning:The painting reflects the philosophy of human impact on the planet.
The painting i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Oil
"Birth" 1940s Surrealist Abstract Watercolor Painting, Gray Scale Female Figure
Located in Denver, CO
"Birth" is a striking semi-abstract watercolor painting created by the talented Colorado artist, Charles Ragland Bunnell, in 1943. The artwork, crafted during Bunnell's Black and Blu...
Category
1940s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
My Imperfection Gaze - 21st Century, Contemporary, Surrealism, African Woman
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A portrait can tell a story, my artistic pieces highlight the exploration of the complexity of human identity, space and existence. My imagery embodies the unconventional expression ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Glitter, Acrylic
$1,560 Sale Price
20% Off
Blue Monday - figurative painting
Located in New York, NY
This landscape painting by Henryk was done in 2022.
It will ship from the artists studio in Poland.
More about Henryk Laskowska:
Henryk Laskowski has been working as a graphic design...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
ShaoHua Nong Surrealist Original Oil Painting "Room"
Located in New York, NY
Title: Room
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 16 x 12 inches
Frame: Framing options available!
Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition.
Note: This painting is unstretched
Year: 2014
Artist: ShaoHua Nong...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$650 Sale Price
35% Off
Rival (surrealist oil painting broken stuffed dog brown animal)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
In Rival, Rudolf Kosow conjures a surreal confrontation where human and beast are caught in an ambiguous dance of dominance, awe, and connection. A shirtless man, eyes locked and arm...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Flora, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Original oil painting by Austin based artist Sandra Boskamp :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready t...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Cosmic Consciousness
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cosmic Consciousness marks a powerful threshold in Yulianna Verba’s metaphysical series, inviting the viewer into the liminal moment where the game of life pauses—and pure awareness ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Ceramic, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
$1,477 Sale Price
25% Off
Cooped Up, colorful painting of cats and birds in birdcage
Located in Brooklyn, NY
colorful surrealist narrative of cats
*ABOUT Stephen Basso
Stephen Basso's highly original pastels and oil paintings are romantic, yet thought provoking fantasies. His whimsical...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Dancing Love" contemporary ethereal nude figures in green and blue water
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Dancing Love" is a contemporary painting of ethereal nude figures in green and blue water. Astone brought professional dancers into her studio and let them improvise as she painted ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Flip of the Coin, Oil Painting
By Kat Silver
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This is the second painting in artist Kat Silver’s ongoing series of cozy cat scenes celebrating calm indoor moments. At first glance, it appears to be a play...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Pawn, Painting, Oil on Watercolor Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
"Pawn" is an oil and mixed media collage on hand pressed archival watercolor paper. The piece depicts the abstracted head of a warrior in profile, using many symbols including an ear...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Nudist Woman, Surrealist Signed Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Nudist Women, Signed Oil Painting
By French artist Claude Benard, (1926 - 2016)
Signed by the artist on the lower left hand corner,
Oil painting on canvas, unframed
canvas size: 32 x...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
A Surrealist 1950s Mid-Century Modern Studio Painting, "Seated Nude with Mirror"
Located in Chicago, IL
A Striking Surrealist Abstract 1950s Mid-Century Modern Interior Scene "Seated Nude with Mirror" by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Oil on Masonite, dating fr...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Masonite
Head in Front View - Large Colorful Surrealist Figurative Feminine Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The figurative surrealistic paintings of Carlos Gamez de Francisco are heavily influenced by his Cuban upbringing. This presence exposed Francisco to the world of figurative arts whi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Watercolor
Cash Cow, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A lone figure stands before a slot machine set against a wide Western horizon. The barren landscape reflects a sense of modern isolation. The man isn’t gambli...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Detrás
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
"Detrás", Behind, it is a work that invites reflection and contemplation. Its square format and careful composition divide the space into two vertical strips, each with its own sym...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Katie, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Sara Scribner's (US based) "Katie" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a realistic portrait of a blonde feminine figure in profile clutchi...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
"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
Dreaming in the Backyard, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Brent Hanson
Located in Yardley, PA
Original acrylic painting of a surreal dream-like setting. Varnished, with sides of canvas painted neutral tone and wired. No framing necessary. :: Painting :: Surrealism :: Thi...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
"Sacred Grove #6" - Surrealist Painting, still life, vegetables - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Sacred Grove #6" features hues of blue, pink, yellow, orange, green, and black.
Guy Robinson is inspired by the work of Paul Klee, Albrecht Durer and Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
Atlanta b...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Waterbearers, Surrealist Oil Painting by Lucio Ranucci
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lucio Ranucci, Italian (1925 - )
Title: Waterbearers
Year: 1977
Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed and dated u.r.
Size: 24 in. x 36 in. (60.96 cm x 91.44 cm)
Frame Size: 32 x 44 i...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Being and Time: An Imaginary Portrait of Martin Heidegger", Acrylic Painting
By John Baker
Located in Franklin, MA
John Baker’s “Being and Time: an Imaginary Portrait of Martin Heidegger” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 28 x 22 inches in green, greys and silver, with maroon highligh...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
"Keeper's Concern" contemporary oil painting of classic old lighthouse
By Terry Elkins
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Keeper's Concern" is a contemporary oil painting of a classic old lighthouse in Northeastern United States.
Frame Dimensions 22.5 x 18.5in
After growing up in the American South and receiving his BFA from Sam Houston State University, and an MFA from the University of Houston in Texas, Terry...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Hipster (surrealist oil painting bull Fire red sky man brown animal)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
A young, bare-chested figure stands frozen beneath the colossal head of a bull, its monumental form tilting into the scene like a surreal omen. The contrast between the human body—fr...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Island. Ghost House, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A geometric outline of a woman's skull and a house contrast against a pale blue sky. The painting features vibrant and varied tones, with blocks of color outlin...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Beach with pearls, Eric Cederberg, Oil on panel, Nordic Surrealism, 1950 c.
Located in New York, NY
Eric Cederberg (1897-1984)
Beach with pearls, ca. 1950
Oil on panel
9 1/10 × 14 3/5 in l 23 × 37 cm
Frame included: 13 3/4 x 19 1/3 l 35 x 49 cm
Signed lower left
Exhibition history...
Category
1950s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
Shape of my heart, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Diana Rosa
Located in Yardley, PA
Original , surrealism, ready to hang :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed: ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Surreal Instruments in Space
Located in Columbia, MO
Richard Koppe (American, 1916 - 1973) studied at the St. Paul School of Art and the New Bauhaus in Chicago, where he was mentored by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Gyorgy Kepes, and Alexander A...
Category
20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache, Panel
The Happy Family, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
This golden surreal painting of an African family is oil on canvas :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Surreal Collage: 'Mechanical Garden'
Located in New York, NY
Combining found elements with those fashioned by my own hand, my work encompasses two- and three-dimensional collage as well as sculptural objects. Infused with a rich sense of histo...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media
Surrealist Composition, Untitled, Lambert Werner (1900-1983), Oil Canvas, 1937
Located in New York, NY
Lambert Werner (1900-1983)
Untitled, 1937
Oil on canvas
21 7/10 × 19 7/10 in l 55 × 50 cm
23 2/3 x 21 2/3 l 60 x 55 cm (Frame included)
Signed and dated lower left
Exhibition histor...
Category
1930s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Walk along Lupie street Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting
By Ashot Yan
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Figurative Surrealism Original Painting
Artist: Ashot Yan
Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Oil on Linen,
Year: 2023
Style: Portrait Surrealism,
T...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
City of Palms - Abstract Urban Color Drenched Collage Mixed Media Art on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a colorful artist who lives and paints in Sweden. Most of her works are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Bernhardsson travels the world...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Mixed Media
The Dance of a Million Dead Insects, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Original painting by Austin based artist Sandra Boskamp :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Ha...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Left and Leaving, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Three friends gather outside an apartment building, their figures softened by hazy brushwork and a softened palette. The painting evokes the echoes of youth and...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Shaman of the Park
Located in Bozeman, MT
Using a mix of inspirations, El Gato thrives in his world of 8th and 9th century storytelling full of ideas of alchemy, magic, occultism, folklore, and spiritualism and blends this w...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Free Association I: abstract surreal landscape painting w/ flowers & blue ocean
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Please contact me with zip code for best shipping rates and timely delivery. This is a large, vertical acrylic painting of an imaginary, dream-like surrealist landscape with naturali...
Category
1990s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Panel
Osso Sonata, music and anatomy , violin, face,
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In this series, Audrey Anastasi has shifted her focus away from naturalistic domestic settings to a dark, enigmatic, and some might say, unsettling, place. These figures could be heros and heroines of Greek tragedy...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
4710 Jineteadas-horse riding, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Andres Vivo
Located in Yardley, PA
Confussion of horse riders and other equines. Batlle dispersion, caos and rush outs. Inspired by the dramatic artworks of the spanish master Francisco Goya :: Painting :: Surrealism ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
'Virtual Reality 2, ' by George Oswalt, Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This large scale 80" x 72" oil painting by George Oswalt features a summertime theme of women and girls at the beach with a beachball and seagull in the ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$7,333 Sale Price
33% Off
"España" by Oleg Turchin, 60x75 in., Original Oil on Canvas, Baroque Hat Series
By Oleg Turchin
Located in Dallas, TX
This striking piece, the largest in Turchin's renowned baroque hat series, 'España' is more than just a painting; it is a vibrant storytelling canvas that embodies the essence of Spa...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Sequence of Life, 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 my inspiration. This painting comes with a contemporary floater frame. It's ready to hang! ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Watermelon by the Sea" surrealistic still life on the beach, Florida
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Watermelon by the Sea" is a surrealistic still life on the beach. Ackrill takes inspiration from his beach surroundings in Florida.
Artist Bio
Anthony Ackrill was born in Alaska i...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Theories
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
In Theories, the viewer is confronted with an enigmatic scene where time and space seem to dissolve. Two sculptures float suspended in a dark, earthy-toned environment, divided by a ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
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.