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 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
"The Child", Igor Samsonov, Surrealism, Figurative, Original Oil, 46x37 in.
Located in Dallas, TX
"The Child" by Igor Samsonov is an Original Surrealist Oil painting that measures 46x37 in. Igor paintings are rich with symbolism and tell stories--some well-known, others created ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Oil painting of Clown
Located in Fredericksburg, VA
This is a painting done by the American artist L.A. McMillen. It is signed lower right and is in excellent condition for the period. This shows a clown scene with the face of a man i...
Category
Early 20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Black Light" (2024) By David Cheifetz, Oil on Aluminum Panel Painting
Located in Denver, CO
David Cheifetz's "Black Light" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a surreal still-life featuring a variety of candles on a white tablecloth.
About the Artist:...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
The Confused Flamingo
Located in Kingston, WA
Here we have a very confused flamingo that thought following the gulf stream would lead him to the Gulf of Mexico, sadly mistaken, ended up in the Lofoten islands, an archipelago off...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
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 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
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
"And Lovely, Learn by Going Where to Go" - Contemporary surreal acrylic painting
Located in Nyack, NY
Lotte Petricone's paintings blend representational and abstract imagery. The interplay of color, value, and texture creates a sense of space and movement throughout the image, while ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Wood Panel
The Past is Present
Located in Kingston, WA
In this artwork, I sought to blend the boundaries between the tangible and ethereal—a surreal vista that pulls the observer into a dialogue between past and present. The ethereal fac...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Corredor de Tornados surreal painting oil on canvas- large
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
Surrealistic Acrylic on Canvas Landscape "Forgotten Weapons of Destruction"
Located in Cape Town, ZA
A detailed realistic/surrealistic landscape acrylic painting on large scale canvas.
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Surrealistic Acrylic on Canvas Landscape "Dual Strength"
Located in Cape Town, ZA
A detailed realistic/surrealistic acrylic painting on canvas.
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
"Flora #8" - Geometric Surrealist Painting - Nude - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Floral #7" is one in a series of surreal paintings of the female figure featuring intricate patterning and hues of bright yellow, lime green, pale pink, supple pink light blue, and ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Linen
I'm Your Man
Located in Greenwich, CT
Mario Soria (Spanish, b. 1966)
Oil on board, toys and tinted varnish with chrome effect.
Born in Spain in 1966, Mario Soria wanted to paint for as long ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Varnish, 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
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
Surrealist Encaustic Painting, "Les Enfant D’Espoir Résilient"
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original surrealist figurative encaustic wax painting by San Diego artist, Tiffany Bociek. It's dimensions are 9"x9"x1.75". It comes framed. A certificate of authenticity will follow delivery.
Artist Statement: In this piece, I wanted to create an environment that on the surface looks lovely: the colors are pretty, and the shapes feel inviting. This piece should give the viewer a sense of peace or hope. But I was also looking to explore an unarticulated sense of fear. The children head to a horizon of nothing. There are no trees, buildings, or any recognizable object. In fact, they are heading to unknown. The unknown can be our greatest fear. The fear of not knowing what is ahead of us can be debilitating, this type of fear can pull you back, keep you where you are. This type of fear can say to you: “It’s a scary world out there, better just stay where you are”. Instead of listening to the fear, these children represent the hope that it takes to continue to move forward relentlessly and resiliently. They are the part of us that represents the courage it takes to do thing in spite of pain, suffering, shame, or guilt. It takes courage...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Thread, Encaustic, Oil, Rice Paper
Paint. Miracles of the Marsh
Located in Cuernavaca, Morelos
Acrylic on wood
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Terra do Fogo surreal painting oil on canvas- sunset red
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
Surrealist Figurative Painting, "Repair"
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original surrealist figurative drawing by San Diego artist, Charlene Mosley.
Its dimensions are 24x72. It is unframed.
The a...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
Notturni di Cleopatra Lo sguardo, 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
Transfer of personality
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
A large oil painting presents a classical sculpture, focusing only on the head and shoulders. In the center of the composition, the face of the sculpture appears pixelated, concealed...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
$6,815 Sale Price
20% Off
"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
Pixel Interior
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
The artwork depicts the architecture of a temple using a warm monochrome palette, which intensifies the contrast with the colorful motif within. In the center of the composition, an ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil, Wood Panel
$3,312 Sale Price
20% Off
Abstract Surrealist Spray Paint Mixed Media The Web Mason Rader
Located in Surfside, FL
"The Web" 1995 by Mason Rader
A graduate of the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at the George Eastman House in Rochester NY with a Bachelo...
Category
1990s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
"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
"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
"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
Monday: 3 Down, Method of Removing Hair Roots (12)
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Ben McLaughlin
Monday: 3 down, Method of removing hair roots (12), 2008
Oil on panel
6 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches (17.1 x 11.4 cm)
Category
Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
A Forgotten Flying Machine - Oil on Canvas - Romanian French Surrealism
Located in London, GB
JULES PERAHIM 1914-2008
Bucharest 1914-2008 Paris (Romanian)
Title: A Forgotten Flying Machine Une machine volante oubliée, 1978
Technique: Signed, Da...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Writings I.
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
"Writings I" is a work that invites reflection on the nature of writing and the human creative process. With a vertical format divided into two distinct parts, the painting displays ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
$1,703 Sale Price
20% Off
Tromba D'Agua- 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 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
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
Flower Reflection by Gerard Tunney, Portraiture, Contemporary art, original
Located in Deddington, GB
Flower reflection [2022]
original and hand signed by the artist
acrylic on canvas
Image size: H:30 cm x W:40 cm
Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:30 cm x W:40 cm x D:3cm
Sold Un...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Angel
Located in Atlanta, GA
Georgian artist Merab Gagiladze was born in Tbilisi.
In 1987 he began his formal art education at the Tbilisi College of Art, School of Ceramics.
In 19...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
$15,600
Grand Collection (large original painting on canvas)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original oil painting on canvas. Hand signed lower front by Ferjo. Canvas image size 30 x 24 x 1 inches. Canvas is stretched.
Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of au...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$3,600 Sale Price
40% Off
Midsummer Night’s Dreamers and Midsummer Ballet Suite diptych
Located in Deddington, GB
Midsummer Night’s Dreamers and Midsummer Ballet Suite diptych
Overall size cm : H60 x W80
MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAMERS
A dancer looks upwards towards the sun as her fellow dancers s...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Flora #7" - Geometric Surrealist Painting - Nude - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Floral #7" is one in a series of surreal paintings of the female figure featuring intricate patterning and hues of vibrant lilac, rich purple, bright green, yellow ochre, and blue.
...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
20th Century Oil on Canvas French Signed Alain Cadoret Surrealist Painting, 1975
Located in Vicoforte, IT
French painting dated 1975. Oil on canvas artwork, first canvas, depicting a surrealist subject with a strong visual impact. Nicely sized and pleasantly decorated painting, signed an...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Going Steady, Surreal Oil Painting by Shirley Kaplan circa 1964
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Shirley Kaplan, American
Title: Going Steady
Year: circa 1964
Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed lower right, titled verso
Size: 48 in. x 48 in. (121...
Category
1960s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Flora #14" - Geometric Surrealist Painting - Nude - Arcimboldo
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Flora #14" is one in a series of surreal paintings of the female figure featuring intricate patterning and hues of blue, black, green, white and yellow.
Guy Robinson is inspired by ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, 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
Mask of the Sun, Surrealist Oil Painting by Nina Usacheva-Green
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nina Usacheva-Green, Russian XXth
Title: Mask of the Sun
Year: 1986
Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed
Size: 50 in. x 42 in. (127 cm x 106.68 cm)
Category
1980s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
El Llano en Llamar, Folk Art Acrylic and Watercolor Painting by J. Benito Zamora
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: J. Benito Zamora, Mexican (1951 - )
Title: El Llano en Llamar
Year: 1986
Medium: Acrylic and Watercolor on paper, signed l.r.
Size: 22 in. x 30 i...
Category
1980s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Watercolor
"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
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
Ladies Night, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The encounter with pitcher plants is often fatal for insects and other small animals, because they are carnivorous plants. In my painting "Ladies Night" I presented the pitcher plan...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
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, Oil, Wood Panel
$1,419 Sale Price
20% Off
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
$10,411 Sale Price
20% Off
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
$5,679 Sale Price
20% Off
Gerard Tunney, Dancers on Tour, Original impressionistic painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Gerard Tunney.Dancers on tour.
Dancers on tour- two dancers enter a celestial dream world as they travel together on the ballet company’s’ world tour...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Gerard Tunney, Trapeze, Original still-life painting
Located in Deddington, GB
A view from above , looking down from the Fly floor, down onto the stage. The trapeze artiste floats effortlessly creating a strong outline set against the stage rectangle. All sorts...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
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
Eden, Painting, Oil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Summary of features: Medium & materials: oil on thick paper Finishing: protective varnish (transparent mastic paint) Location and year created: Turin, Italy - 2022 Certificat...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Beach Scene oil on canvas by Louis Wolchonok
Located in Hudson, NY
About the artist: Louis Wolchonok studied art at the National Academy of Design, City College of New York, Julian Academy in Paris, and the Brooklyn Academy of Fine Art. In addition ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Love, Original Contemporary Surrealist Gouache Painting on Wood Panel
By Megan Frazer
Located in Boston, MA
Love, Original Contemporary Surrealist Painting
18" x 11.25" x 1.625" (HxWxD) Gouache on Wood Panel
A conceptual surrealist painting by artist Megan Frazer, this composition feature...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Wood Panel
Gafotas
Located in Greenwich, CT
Mario Soria (Spanish, b. 1966)
Oil on board, toys and tinted varnish with chrome effect.
Born in Spain in 1966, Mario Soria wanted to paint for as long...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Varnish, Oil
$8,200
Inner Revolution
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
In this canvas the author invites us to explore an inner world that transcends the mere physical representation of an architectural space. In the center of the composition, an imposi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil, Wood Panel
$3,312 Sale Price
20% Off
Musical Tree
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary:
The dreamyness of music in a small format.
Keywords: tree, water, eighth note
Category
21st Century and Contemporary 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.