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
The Vision - Surreal Black Female Portrait
Located in Miami, FL
This earlier work depicts an unexpected multicolored cone extending from the subject's eye. It represents a field of vision for a young Haitian female who gazes up. It reminds me of something Man Ray or the Dadaists did. Duval-Carrié's work is more than eye-opening.
Signed lower right
Work is framed - Framed Size - 18 x 22
Edouard Duval...
Category
1980s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Tlaloc and the Tiger oil painting by Julio de Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
Tlaloc and the Tiger (1939)
Oil on panel
16" x 12"
23 ¾" x 18 ¾"x 2 ½" framed
Signed and dated (and inscribed) "de Diego 39" lower left.
Provenance: The artist; private collection Ch...
Category
1930s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
BENGAL TIGER
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on canvas. Hand signed on front by Ferjo. Canvas is not stretched.
Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authenticity included. All reasonable offers...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$6,000 Sale Price
40% Off
The Symphony, Original Surrealist Painting, 2021
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary:
A sampling of the art motifs of Samuel Leopold.
Keywords: sampling, motifs, Samuel Leopold, moon, symphony
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Flying Shapes
Located in BARCELONA, ES
This painting reflects the ego and how, at our worst, we feel like the center of everything, dismissing the world around us as insignificant, like meaningless, flying shapes. It expl...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Surreal Collage: 'Arduous Journey'
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
Lili Ocean Part II
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Lili Ocean Part 2 Pink Abstract.
Mixed media: acrylic, ink marker, pastel on paper, white frame under Plexiglas.
Malgosia Kiernozycka was born i...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Happy Day
Located in Natchez, MS
Cavagnaro again toys with anthropomorphism. This work is a playful mirror, as the artist encourages the viewer to see themselves in the subject.
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
"Victorian Soiree, " Mixed Media Tile, 2007
Located in Chicago, IL
Liverpool-based artist Pauline Hughes takes a fluid approach to her ceramic practice, combining aspects of painting, collage, and printmaking into her w...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Ceramic, Paper, Acrylic
The Waiting, 2025 - Ritchelly Oliveira
Located in Porto, 13
"The Waiting" by Ritchelly Oliveira, 2025
Charcoal and Acrylic on Canvas 120 x 90 cm (47.2 x 35 in)
A profound exploration of time, solitude, and introspection, "The Waiting" by Rit...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
Surreal Eskimo Fairy Tale - Indigenous People Folklore Story-Teller
Located in Miami, FL
This work celebrates the customs and folklore of Indigenous People / Eskimo native life. Illustrator Gianni Benvenuti shows a partially clothed Eskimo man lying on his back in a tran...
Category
1960s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Tempera, Cardboard
START YOUNG, STAY WISE, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By db Waterman
Located in Yardley, PA
In the scene "Start Young, Stay Wise", the essence of innocence and wisdom come together in the form of a young girl, rendered in the sharp contrast of black and white like an old ph...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Tsunami II- surreal painting blue grey shades
Located in Miami, FL
Professionally known as Vignoli, was a Brazilian painter and sculptor. He began his career in 1982 creating canvases in oil on canvas, where he applies his own technique, which, according to him, allows a perfect balance in the distribution of the elements, leading the viewer to come across texture, plasticity and creation, in perfect harmony within the history of each painting. The style of Vignoli is a fusion between Surrealism and Expressionism, hence the declared influence by the Spanish master...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Bon Voyage
Located in Greenwich, CT
Bon Voyage is a mixed media painting (acrylic, gold enamel, charcoal, pencil and ink on archival cotton paper), with an image size of 14 x 10.5 inches, signed 'afn' lower right and framed in a contemporary black moulding.
Anne Faith...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Enamel
"Sea of Dreams" - Surrealism, still life, animals, vegetables - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Sea of Dreams" 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 bas...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
"Revisiting the Boogieman" - Surrealist Painting, still life - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Revisiting the Boogieman" 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.
...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Surrealistic Acrylic Landscape on Canvas "Moonstruck"
Located in Cape Town, ZA
A detailed realistic/surrealistic landscape acrylic painting on large scale stretched canvas.
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Green Capitel
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
The work Green Chapitel, explores the relationship between architecture and color, highlighting an architectural fragment: the column and the capital. The work uses in this case a gr...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Cotton Canvas, Wood Panel, Oil
Love
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA -- The idea of meditation and contemplation play a major role in the paintings of artist Craig Carlisle. His paintings articulate indel...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Wood, Oil
$1,800
The Arrival of Madness by Lucas Aoki
Located in New York, NY
Mixed Media Original
Charcoal, powder paint, acrylic, resin, and paper
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Resin, Charcoal, Pen
$2,438 Sale Price
24% Off
Strange Botanica
Located in Greenwich, CT
Strange Botanica is an acrylic on canvas painting, with an image size of 30 x 24 inches, signed 'afn' lower right and framed in a contemporary black moulding.
Anne Faith...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Il Baccio, 2001-02
Located in Atlanta, GA
Gigino Falconi was born in Giulianova (Teramo) in 1933. He began painting at the age of sixteen, and in 1954 he obtained a Liceo Artistico of Pescara. During the early years of his c...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
"Spring" - Surrealist still life, botanical, egg, rainbow, paint brushes
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Spring" features hues of blue, pink, yellow, orange, green, and red.
Guy Robinson is inspired by the work of Paul Klee, Albrecht Durer and Giuseppe Arcimboldo...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Amazon River 2
By Jorge Yances
Located in Nashville, TN
"Amazon River II" is an oil-on-canvas painting by Colombian artist Jorge Yances. This piece is part of the artist's "Amazon" series. Yances reflects the L...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Amazon River
By Jorge Yances
Located in Nashville, TN
"Amazon River" is an oil-on-canvas painting by Colombian artist Jorge Yances. This piece is part of the artist's "Amazon" series. Yances reflects the Lati...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$1,300
A Surreal Encaustic on Wood "Petal Head"
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original encaustic mixed media artwork by Tiffany Bociek. Its dimensions are 9 x 9 x 1.75 in. A certificate of authenticity will...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Encaustic
A Surreal Encaustic Landscape on Wood "Floating Above Golden Waters"
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original encaustic mixed media artwork by Tiffany Bociek. Its dimensions are 24 x 24 x 2 in. A certificate of authenticity will follow delivery.
Created th...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Encaustic, Oil
A Surreal Encaustic on Wood "On Un-Becoming"
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original encaustic mixed media artwork by Tiffany Bociek. Its dimensions are 12 x 6 x 1.6 in. A certificate of authenticity will follow delivery.
Created ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Encaustic, Oil, Mulberry Paper
Butterfly, פַּרְפַּר, бабочка
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary:
Butterflies and imagination are the ingredients to start a well-rounded life.
Keywords: Butterfly, aqueduct, beach, window
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Autumn rose. Rose woman.
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Autumn rose. Rose woman.
Category
1990s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"Flora #12" - Geometric Surrealist Painting - Nude - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Flora #12" is one in a series of surreal paintings of the female figure featuring intricate patterning and hues of blue, pink, orange, green and white.
Guy Robinson is inspired by t...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
"Urbane Profile, " Mixed-Media Tile, 2007
Located in Chicago, IL
Liverpool-based artist Pauline Hughes takes a fluid approach to her ceramic practice, integrating techniques of painting, collage, and printmaking into ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Ceramic, Paper, Acrylic
Surrealistic Acrylic on Canvas Landscape "Alone on the Ice"
Located in Cape Town, ZA
A detailed realistic/surrealistic landscape acrylic painting on large scale canvas.
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
"Object Lesson" - Surrealist Painting, still life, floral, globe - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Object Lesson" 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 based artist Guy Robinson attended the Atlanta College Of Art on a Ford Foundation grant and has worked extensively in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and drawing. His surrealists works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and have a place in important collections including the Museum Of Contemporary Art, Georgia (MOCA,GA). Robinson has over thirty-five years experience teaching drawing and painting for Emory...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Americana "For a horrible instant Carter thought the jet was going to crash
By Peter Helck
Located in Miami, FL
Mid Century Americana "For a horrible instant Carter thought the jet was going to crash in the street." Saturday Evening Post
Work is unframed
Category
1950s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
India Ink, Gouache
Face II (Aquiles).
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
Face II (Aquiles) is a large format work that is part of the classical series, continuing its exploration of the iconic figures of mythology. In this Rostro II, the protagonist is Ac...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
"Flora" - Geometric Surrealist Painting - Nude - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Flora" is one in a series of surreal paintings of the female figure featuring intricate patterning and hues of dark blue, bright yellow, lime green, pink, orange, and yellow ochre.
...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
THOUGHTS_
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The series "Spirituality" has reached completion. However, O. Khrapachov's search did not reach a dead end. His theory of the development of the world testifies to the incompleteness...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
IMAGE_
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Oleksandr Khrapachov's algorithms are paradoxical. And here in front of our eyes are completely different works from the series "Reflections of the Subconscious." For the artist, it ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Fiberboard
MEMOIRS_
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Surrealism
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Looking Out From Within: Buffalo
Located in Greenwich, CT
Looking Out from Within: Buffalo is a mixed media painting (acrylic and gold enamel on canvas) with a canvas size of 60 x 48 inches, signed 'afn' lower right, and framed in a contemporary white moulding.
Anne Faith...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Enamel
The Order of the Heart in the Hand
Located in Greenwich, CT
The Order of the Heart in the Hand is a mixed media painting (acrylic and gold enamel on hand-aged canvas) with a canvas size of 48 x 48 inches, signed 'afn' lower center and framed in a contemporary black moulding.
Anne Faith...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Enamel
"Flora #6" - Geometric Surrealist Painting - Nude - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Floral #6" is one in a series of surreal paintings of the female figure featuring intricate patterning and hues of rich black, bright blue, vibrant orange, and pink.
Guy Robinson i...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Linen
L'attesa melancolica, 2020
Located in Atlanta, GA
Gigino Falconi was born in Giulianova (Teramo) in 1933. He began painting at the age of sixteen, and in 1954 he obtained a Liceo Artistico of Pescara. During the early years of his c...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
A Conceptual Surrealist Oil Painting, "Time Piece"
Located in San Diego, CA
A one of a kind 36x19 Conceptual Surrealist Oil Painting executed by artist Annalise Neal. A certificate of authenticity will be provided upon its purchase or delivery.
Annalise Neil...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Flora #2" - Geometric Surrealist Painting - Nude - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Flora #2" is one in a series of surreal paintings of the female figure featuring intricate patterning and hues of bright yellow, lime green, pink, blue and purple.
Guy Robinson is i...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Aphrodite of Cnidus
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
This representation of Aphrodite of Cnido, an iconic figure of mythology and ancient art, undertakes a search for a new personality. Through a careful treatment of color and texture,...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
"Veronica" - Surrealism, portrait, patterns, lace - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Veronica" 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 based artist Guy Robinson attended the Atlanta College Of Art on a Ford Foundation grant and has worked extensively in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and drawing. His surrealists works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and have a place in important collections including the Museum Of Contemporary Art, Georgia (MOCA,GA). Robinson has over thirty-five years experience teaching drawing and painting for Emory University...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Preserving, Original Signed Contemporary Surrealist Gouache Painting on Panel
By Megan Frazer
Located in Boston, MA
Preserving, Original Contemporary Surrealist Painting, 2012
18" x 11.25" x 1.625" (HxWxD) Gouache on Wood Panel
Hand-signed by the artist.
This muted, dream-like surrealist painting by artist Megan Frazer features a small, pale girl sitting upon an oversized hand that is jutting out from the gray Earth. The child is licking a large red lollipop, staring out at the viewer, as she sits below a night sky that glows from the light of the full moon.
Artist Commentary:
Surrealistic image of a young girl with a lollipop conveyed above the night sea...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Wood Panel
Haitian Couple in Bed Simultaneously Adjusting their Radios, Surrealism
Located in Miami, FL
Wilson Bigaud is an idea artist in who showcases visual ideas in many of his paintings. In this work, a married Haitian couple tunes their radios in sync as they lie in bed. Bigaud was greatly interested in radios, which appeared in many of his works. This work rises to the level of Surrealism in that Bigaud is doing more than just depicting a normal bedroom moment. There is something very strange and bizarre in the couple's synchronized actions. Also of note, it looks like the woman is swallowing the edge of the radio. Signed lower right in a handmade and hand-painted frame.
Wear to the edges of board, including delamination in the corners, some dents and losses. Frame rubbing with associated wear. Areas of white discoloration to the bed and headboard...
Category
1960s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Witnessing the Hue
Located in Fairfield, CT
Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA -- The idea of meditation and contemplation play a major role in the paintings of artist Craig Carlisle. His paintings articulate indel...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood
Paint. Miracles of the Marsh
Located in Cuernavaca, Morelos
Acrylic on wood
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Wood Panel
"Flora #13" - Geometric Surrealist Painting - Nude - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Flora #13" is one in a series of surreal paintings of the female figure featuring intricate patterning and hues of purple, pink, orange, blue and white.
Guy Robinson is inspired by ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
The Crying Seer
Located in Greenwich, CT
The Crying Seer is an acrylic on canvas painting with a canvas size of 60 x 48 inches, signed 'afn' lower center and framed in a contemporary black moulding.
Anne Faith...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
"Anatomy Lesson" - Geometric Surrealist Painting - Skull Still Life - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Anatomy Lesson" features hues of blue, pink, yellow, orange, green, and white.
Guy Robinson is inspired by the work of Paul Klee, Albrecht Durer and Gi...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Nature Morte
Located in New York, NY
Serge Clement
Nature Morte, 1963
Signed lower right Clement 1963
Oil on canvas, still life.
(Frame) H 25" x W 28.75" (Sight) H 18" x H 21"
Category
1960s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Snail Woman Jungle Fantasy - Haitian Master like Henri Rousseau
Located in Miami, FL
A part woman and part snail, a nude young black woman on all fours has a sizeable yellow snail's shell emerging from her back. She inches through a dense, verdant forest abundant wit...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Levitation with fulcrum
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
This surrealist work is distinguished by the economy of elements in its scene. Specifically, it presents two main components: a levitating figure against a background divided into th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Linen
Babel to Basel- surreal painting oil on canvas blue grey shades
Located in Miami, FL
Professionally known as Vignoli, was a Brazilian painter and sculptor. He began his career in 1982 creating canvases in oil on canvas, where he appli...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The ivy
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
In "The Ivy," the artist transports us to a world where nature and history converge in a captivating chromatic dance. On the left side of the composition, an obelisk rises, its figur...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Linen
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.