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.
$745Sale Price|20% Off
Classical Sculpture Fragments Painting Cut Paper Relief Sunset Landscape Art
By Gozo
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Surrealist acrylic painting on cut paper and mounted panel, depicting fragmented sculptures across a dreamlike sunset terrain. This original work by Gozo Collective is part of the Fr...
Paper, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Surreal Landscape - Mid 20th Century English Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful 1960's English oil on canvas depicting a surrealist landscape with rainbow and gilt framed painting on a wall. A stunning and unusual painting presented in a bespoke gilt...
Canvas, Oil
Texas In Fuschia - Vibrant Architectural Colorful Landscape Mixed Media Collage
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...
Paper, Mixed Media
The Moment
Located in Zofingen, AG
The Moment After the dark night of the soul, there will always be the sun. After darkness, dawn always comes. “The Moment” is a space between night and light, between what has alread...
Canvas, Acrylic
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. Oil and tempera on panel. Signed and dated "James Mesplé 1991", lower right; titled on label on ...
Oil, Tempera, Panel
Dancing Lovers
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've blended abstract, figurative, and surreal elements to capture the fluid motion and raw emotion of an intimate dance. The intertwining forms, awash in shade...
Oil
"Uniqueness Is a Risky Business" - Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
Andreas Claussen (b. 1988, Hanover, Germany) is a pioneering oil painter whose journey from law studies to the art world underscores his deep-seated passion for visual storytelling. ...
Canvas, Oil
Sea Shanty, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The surrealist painting depicts a pirate and a mermaid sitting at a dimly lit bar. Glowing bottles and deep green walls surround the pair. He offers to buy her ...
Oil
$1,032Sale Price|20% Off
French Surrealist Cubist Figurative Abstract Oil Painting Signed 1972
By Andres 33
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Key Details Artist: French School, signed and dated 1972 Title: Figurative Abstract Medium: Oil painting on board, framed Size: Painting: 19.75 x 25.5 inches; framed: 21.5 x 27 inche...
Oil
Six Birds
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Six Birds" c.1990, is an acrylic painting on canvas by Mexican artist Gustavo Martinez, b.1941. It is signed at the lower left corner by the artist. The canvas size is ...
Acrylic
$1,100Sale Price|26% Off
Spirit of 76
By Martha Hamlin Visser't Hooft
Located in Buffalo, NY
A whimsical gouache painting by American female surrealist Martha Visser't Hooft depicting a butterfly in a patriotic color scheme. Martha Visser't Hooft was born in Buffalo in 19...
Archival Paper, Gouache
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Tramp (pet dog, beagle, troubadour guitare, animal portrait, surrealist painting
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Tramp," by Rudolf Kosow, is a whimsical painting that delights in its surreal juxtaposition of scale and serenity. At the center is a beagle's face, depicted with lifelike detail and expressiveness, eyes glistening with a calm intelligence that beckons the viewer into a state of contemplation. Positioned against the backdrop of the dog's vast visage, a small, solitary figure strums a guitar. The musician, dressed in casual attire, appears as a wandering troubadour, his music resonating with the quietude of the scene. This miniature man, though diminutive in size, plays a significant role in the narrative, providing a sense of companionship and shared experience. The painting's title, "Tramp," suggests a free spirit, both in the itinerant musician and the beagle, known for its adventurous and exploratory nature. Kosow's piece is an ode to the wandering souls and the moments of unexpected harmony they encounter. Through "Tramp," we are reminded of the melodies that score our journeys and the silent kinship we find along the way. It is an invitation to embrace the music of life, to find connection in the tranquility of existence, and to acknowledge the symphonies that unfold in the presence of kindred spirits, regardless of their size or form. keywords; painting on canvas, surrealist painting, animal vs human, americana, nature, man, man vs nature, surrealism, giant animal...
Canvas, Oil
"The Post-Truth Era V", Surrealist Portrait, Brown, Collage, Acrylic Painting
By John Baker
Located in Franklin, MA
John Baker’s “The Post-Truth Era V “ is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 20 x 16 inches in blues, whites, tans and browns. In our post-truth era it is next to impossible to...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Algun Dia - figurative painting, landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful surrealist painting by Mauricio comes rolled in a tube and needs to be stretched when received. In his pieces, Mauricio combines his figurative expertise along with su...
Canvas, Oil
At the Museum I - surreal, contemporary, figurative, oil on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This surrealist painting by Toni Hamel features a Group of Seven piece and focuses on the theme of climate change. In this imaginative painting, Toni Hamel sends a powerful message ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800
"Spring in Februrary" (2015), Original Female Portrait, Oil Painting on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"Spring in February" (2015), is a masterful realist bust portrait of a woman wearing an intricate flower crown, standing confidently, eyes locked with the viewer. This piece is fram...
Oil, Panel
$2,098
Glacier and Distant Fire, Climate Change Surrealist Arctic Seascape Oil Painting
By Raúl Álvarez
Located in FISTERRA, ES
A towering blue glacier overlooks a distant fire in this Arctic seascape oil painting, where frozen cliffs, dark smoke and orange flames evoke a landscape under threat. Created by S...
Canvas, Oil
The Familiar Wild - original surrealist painting- contemporary landscape artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,702
A Stroll Through the Forest, Original surrealism wildlife painting-Realism
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Acrylic
Soft Fragility
Located in Zofingen, AG
The series "Dissonance of Softness" consists of five paintings: "Soft Silence," "Soft Solitude," "Soft Maturity," "Soft Fragility," and "Soft Indecision." The word "softness" does no...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
$3,600
Surrealist Oil Painting Circus Horse Scene Lionel Kalish Fantasy Scene New York
Located in Surfside, FL
Lionel Kalish (American B.1931) Hand signed lower right Oil on canvas Titled: "The Arrival" Dimensions: (Frame) H 22" x W 28" (Sight) H 25.5" x W 19.75" Modernist circus scene depicting nude people...
Canvas, Oil
$1,100
A Unique, Enigmatic Modern Surrealist City Interior Scene with Figure Profile
Located in Chicago, IL
A Unique, Unusual Surrealist Interior Scene with Abstracted Figure by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting an abstract city apartment interior wit...
Oil, Board
$3,850
Symbol of Love - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, Couple
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...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
"We Are Unique under This Sky" - Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
Andreas Claussen (b. 1988, Hanover, Germany) is a pioneering oil painter whose journey from law studies to the art world underscores his deep-seated passion for visual storytelling. ...
Canvas, Oil
Italian Surrealist "Butterflies Under the Sea, 1962" Painting
By Giordano Falzoni
Located in Surfside, FL
Genre: Contemporary Subject: Abstract Medium: Oil Surface: Canvas Country: Italy Dimensions: 19 3/4" x 15 1/2" x 3/4" Dimensions w/Frame: 26" x 22" Giordano Falzoni (Italian, 1925-...
Canvas, Oil
Island. Full Moon, Oil Painting
By Guigen Zha
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The surrealist portrait painting depicts a pale-faced woman gazing into the distance. Flowers and bare branches adorn her hair. A bright blue sky and a full moo...
Oil
$6,368Sale Price|20% Off
Banana (yellow banana blue sky vintage hat man surrealist oil painting grey)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
A surreal composition blending hyperrealism and vintage nostalgia, Banana presents an oversized, hyper-detailed banana floating in a muted blue sky. Below, a black-and-white, early 2...
Canvas, Oil
$2,400
"Hecate's Moon" (2025) Original Surrealist Lakeshore Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Hextrum's "Hecate's Moon" is an original oil painting on cradled wooden panel. This piece is framed at 23.5" by 29.5". Artist Statement: This painting is part of my "Magical R...
Oil, Linen
Soft indecision
Located in Zofingen, AG
The series "Dissonance of Softness" consists of five paintings: "Soft Silence," "Soft Solitude," "Soft Maturity," "Soft Fragility," and "Soft Indecision." The word "softness" does no...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
Resistance of the earth
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting belongs to the series of paintings "Blue." Long before 2022, a process of spiritual transformation took place in my life, in particular, a rethinking of the feminine pr...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
$503Sale Price|25% Off
Surreal Dreamlike Village Scene with Figures, Dog & Moonlit Sky - British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Surreal Dreamlike Village Scene with Figures, Dog & Moonlit Sky by British Artist, John Charlesworth (British, b. 1947) Art measures 7 x 5 in (17.8 x 12.7 cm) Fram measures 10 x...
Oil, Board
Noah's ark. By Sergej Malishevsky. 2004. Oil on canvas. 70/85 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Sergei Malishevsky (1956–2020) was a Belarusian painter renowned for his distinctive surrealist style and vivid artistic voice. He was in Moscow to Algirdas Malishevsky, the eminent ...
Canvas, Oil
$2,064Sale Price|20% Off
Huge 1970's British Surrealist Abstract Signed Oil Male Figures through Window
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: British, circa 1970's, signed and inscribed verso Title: 'Reflections' Medium: oil on canvas, framed Framed: 37.5 x 25.5 inches Canvas : 36 x 24 inches Provenanc...
Oil
$6,000
Italian Modernist Surrealist Architecture Landscape Oil Painting Lazzaro Donati
Located in Surfside, FL
Lazzaro Donati (Italian, 1926-1977) Oil on board. Colorful Architectural Italian Landscape. Porto Azzurro, 1964 Hand signed upper right. signed, titled on back of panel. Dimensions:...
Oil, Panel
$3,500
A Charming 1940s Mid-Century Modern Oil, Summer Night, Vermont, "English Dance"
Located in Chicago, IL
A Charming, 1940s Mid-Century Modern Landscape Oil Painting of a Summer Night in Vermont, "English Dance" by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting a livel...
Oil, Canvas
$365
"Hybrid Butterfly 44" (2025), Abstracted Butterfly Portrait, Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Artist Statement: My paintings are channeled, Visual Dreamscapes in connection with Unseen Frequencies of the Universe. My exploration of the surreal investigates the mysteries of t...
Wood, Acrylic, Panel
Surrealism : the Garden of Eden - Original Oil Painting, Handsigned
Located in Paris, IDF
Meyer LAZAR (1923-1995) Surrealism : the Garden of Eden, 1980 Original oil painting Signed lower right On wood panel 37 x 36 cm (c. 14 x 14 in) Excellent condition
Oil
$1,250
Echoes of Hope - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Fabric, African
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Hope often speaks in quiet ways—through resilience, through healing, and through the strength to keep looking forward. In this piece, layered fragments of color and texture come toge...
Fabric, Canvas
The Memory of Flowers
Located in Zofingen, AG
Some feelings never fade away. They simply change form. One day, melancholy ceases to be a burden and transforms into a blossoming—quiet, almost imperceptible. Then memory no longer ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Swaying, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Benjamin Xu presents a striking, minimalist exploration of architectural form and organic movement. A stark grey building frames a lone, slender tree, cr...
Oil
"Empty Shelves Again" - Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
Andreas Claussen (b. 1988, Hanover, Germany) is a pioneering oil painter whose journey from law studies to the art world underscores his deep-seated passion for visual storytelling. ...
Canvas, Oil
"Krachmacher I" - Contemporary Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
Andreas Claussen (b. 1988, Hanover, Germany) is a pioneering oil painter whose journey from law studies to the art world underscores his deep-seated passion for visual storytelling. ...
Canvas, Oil
$7,200
Dancing Wiseman, Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Figurative Surrealism Oil Painting Artist Tigran Hovumyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen Year: 2014 Style: Figurative Surrealism, S...
Canvas, Oil
Paradise Flowers - Colorful Floral Still Life Collage Mixed Media Art on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a Swedish artist whose textured watercolor and collage artworks bring together bold color, geometric structure, and layered visual textures. Florals, foliage...
Paper, Mixed Media
"Here, There, and Everywhere" (2020) By John Tarantola, Nude Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "Here, There, and Everywhere" (2020) is a surrealist oil on panel painting that depicts an athletic nude male figure staring forward painted i...
Oil, Panel
$120Sale Price|20% Off
Woman in a Dream. nr.1. Surrealist fantasy by spanish painter Antonio Monasterio
Located in Firenze, IT
Antonio Monasterio - Woman in a Dream. no.1 Technique: Mixed media on paper (pastels, wax, and pen) Dimensions: Approximately 45 x 55 cm Period: 1970s This work presents an enigmatic...
Paper, Wax Crayon, Ink, Tempera, Pen
Israeli Large Vibrant Surrealist Flowers Oil Painting
By Milia Laufer
Located in Surfside, FL
Milia Laufer, born Romania. From 1951 lived and worked in Safed. Together with her husband opened one of the earliest galleries in Israel, in Tiberias. Worked in watercolors and oils...
Canvas, Oil
"Hybrid Butterfly 66" (2025), Abstracted Animal Portrait, Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Enjoy a feast for the mind as you explore the oddity, mystery and beauty of the Hybrid Butterfly! This series started off with my desire to do small butterfly studies. During my rese...
Wood, Acrylic, Panel
Five stories about Ms. Janet, 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...
Canvas, Oil
$1,590Sale Price|40% Off
Destiny's Path, Hawaii - Surreal Mid Century Hawaiian Figurative Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
Destiny's Path, Hawaii - Surreal Mid Century Hawaiian Figurative Abstract Symbolistic and romantic 1940s surreal figurative of pastel orange figure...
Linen, Oil
Vintage American Modernist Surreal Abstract Figural Signed Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist surreal figural painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 23 by 29 inches overall. Handsomely frame...
Oil, Canvas
$9,907Sale Price|29% Off
Surrealist Mineral Landscape Spanish Catalan Oil Canvas Painting Dalí Circle art
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Dalí Circle Surrealist Mineral Landscape, Spanish Catalan Oil Painting Artist: Antoni Pitxot Soler / Antoni Pichot Soler (Figueres, 1934 – 2015) Title: Surrealist Mineral Landscape Date: 1985 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 50 × 61 cm / 19.7 × 24 in Framing: Unframed Signature: Signed and dated lower right Condition: Very good overall condition. Stable canvas and paint layer. Rich surface texture, visible impasto and original brushwork. Description Powerful surrealist oil painting by Antoni Pitxot Soler, one of the most important Catalan artists connected to Salvador Dalí’s inner circle and a key figure in the visual universe of Cadaqués and Figueres. Painted in 1985, this work belongs to Pitxot’s mature period and presents one of his most recognizable subjects: a dreamlike mineral landscape built from stones, fragments, shells, fossil-like forms and metamorphic shapes. The composition seems suspended between landscape, archaeology and hallucination, where inert matter becomes almost alive. The painting is especially strong visually. The lower section is constructed through a dense accumulation of sculptural forms, painted with thick, expressive brushwork and a refined chromatic range of blues, ochres, pinks, whites, greys and earthy tones. Above them, a floating organic form...
Oil
La Boule de Cristal: Hyperrealist Oil Painting, Late 20th Century
Located in CANNES, FR
Jacques Poirier ( 1928 -2002) " La boule de cristal " . 1980' s Jacques Poirier est un peintre du mouvement trompe l'oeil , Hyper-réaliste et un illust...
Oil
Saturn Over Titan Tower, UT, by Astronomical Artist Joe Bergeron
Located in New York, 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...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Interieur Nocturne" Eugene Berman, Surrealist, Figure in Bed, Dark Red Interior
Located in New York, NY
Eugene Berman Interieur Nocturne, 1929-1930 Signed and dated lower right, inscribed on verso Oil on canvas 21 1/2 x 25 3/4 inches From Russia, Eugene Berman became a painter known ...
Canvas, Oil
$450Sale Price|50% Off
Turtle (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Turtle, ca. 1975-80. Gouache on Arches rag paper, Sheet measures 23 x 30 inches. Image measures 22 x 29 inches. Signed lower left. Excellent condition. Unframed.
Gouache, Rag Paper
Surreal Landscape by Italian Artist Lanfranco Finocchioli
Located in New York, NY
Lanfranco Finocchioli (Italian, b. 20th century) Sognando Capri (Dreaming of Capri), 2003 Oil on canvas 13 3/4 x 19 5/8 in. Framed: 19 1/4 x 23 1/4 x 1 1/8 in. Signed and dated lower...
Canvas, Oil
$1,080Sale Price|20% Off
Homeland - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, African Nature, Landscape
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Homeland is a stylized and emotive interpretation of the American landscape, infused with the resonance of Yoruba wisdom. In Yoruba, the proverb Ile l’abo simi oko teaches that home ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Reclining Inca
By Sax Berlin
Located in Brecon, Powys
Acrylic on canvas
Canvas, Acrylic
"Pink Moon, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Sara Scribner's (US based) "Pink Moon" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a realistic portrait of a feminine form cradling a small moon i...
Oil, Panel