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 Artist
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 inde...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Linen
ELEVEN, Oil on Canvas
Located in Montreux, CH
Karen Shahverdyan „Eleven“ 129 X 147cm, oil on canvas
Category
Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
STORM, Oil on Canvas
Located in Montreux, CH
Karen Shahverdyan „Storm“ 90 X 110cm, oil on canvas
Category
Early 2000s 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
Abstract Figurative Impasto Surrealist Work
By Robert Del Rio
Located in Houston, TX
Textured abstract painting of what appears to be a serpent or venus fly traps. The painting is signed by the artist on the back of the canvas with the date. Canvas is not framed.
Artist Biography: Robert Del Rio is a Mexican artist who has a very distinct abstract style. His solo exhibits include: 2019 Art Palm beach by Marcel Katz
2018 The art plug...
Category
Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Spermy and Licorice Popsicle Meet the Club" Bubble Surrealist Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Three made up characters named Spermy, Licorice, and Club. Painting is mostly grey toned with yellow and orange hints. Artist signed the canvas on the bottom right corner, as well as...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
"10:00 Shadow" Minimal Abstract Surrealist Landscape
Located in Houston, TX
Purple structure in a grey sky with a single white cloud. Artist signed the work in the bottom right corner, as well as titled and dated the work on the back. Canvas is not framed.
...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Butterflies and Bees
Located in Napa, CA
Framed Oil on Canvas
Largely self-taught, Linda Ridd Herzog’s paintings boast unbelievably detailed animals and objects in fantastical, surreal scenes. Growing up in Utah, Herzog f...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Le Sommeil
By Jean-Pierre Alaux
Located in Miami, FL
Early Surrealist work from 1957 the heyday of Surrealism - where a young blond girl caught in a dream like state hugs a mountain that has a profile of a man's face. Work is framed in...
Category
1950s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media, Oil
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
Glass Houses (Left)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Glass Houses (Left) is an acrylic on canvas painting, with a canvas size of 30 x 48 inches, signed 'afn' lower right and framed in a contemporary black moulding.
Anne Faith...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Paint.Danger on the Road to Here
Located in Cuernavaca, Morelos
Acrylic paint on paper
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Paper
CANDY BOMBER, Diptychon, Oil on Canvas
Located in Montreux, CH
Karen Shahverdyan „Candy bomber“, Diptychon, 160 X 120cm, oil on canvas,
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Paint. Mystery of the Hydra
Located in Cuernavaca, Morelos
Acrylic paint on paper
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Semente, 2025 - Ritchelly Oliveira
Located in Porto, 13
"Semente" by Ritchelly Oliveira, 2025
Charcoal and Acrylic on Canvas 120 x 90 cm (47.2 x 35 in)
"Semente" is a deeply poetic composition where nature and identity intertwine in a qu...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
Criação da Fragilidade, 2025 - Ritchelly Oliveira
Located in Porto, 13
"Criação da Fragilidade" by Ritchelly Oliveira, 2025
Charcoal and Acrylic on Canvas 120 x 90 cm (47.2 x 35 in)
A compelling meditation on presence and vulnerability, "Criação da Fra...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
Pássaro Azul, 2025 - Ritchelly Oliveira
Located in Porto, 13
“Pássaro Azul” by Ritchelly Oliveira, 2025
Charcoal and Acrylic on Canvas 80 x 60 cm (31.5 x 23.6 in)
A poetic exploration of harmony and transformation, “Pássaro Azul” by Ritchelly...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
L'incubo freddo, 2010
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
Animal Kingdom, Zebra, Buffalo, Lion, Giraffe, Elephant, Monkey, Tiger, Gorilla
By Richard Hess
Located in Miami, FL
Peaceable Kingdom features more than 60 aminal portraits by famous illustrator Richard C. Hess.
Impeccably rendered and designed. Signed lower center left. R. Hess.
His illustrati...
Category
1980s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Voyage To India, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Travel is in your heart, and she beckons you to follow. Original oil painting by artist, painted live at i3 Arts Fest Art Car Ball in Pershing Square Los Angeles. :: Painting :: Surr...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
O tempo que me resta, 2023 - Ritchelly Oliveira
Located in Porto, 13
O Tempo Que Me Resta, 2023
Charcoal and Acrylic on Canvas
50 x 50 cm / 13.8 x 13.8 in
A meditation on time, introspection, and impermanence, O Tempo Que Me Resta by Ritchelly Oliveira is a deeply evocative piece that merges realism with poetic abstraction. This circular composition presents a contemplative figure, resting in thought, partially obscured by the dynamic presence of a bird in motion. The monochromatic rendering, enriched with subtle textures and intricate shading, invites the viewer into a quiet yet profound dialogue between stillness and flight.
Oliveira’s work is distinguished by his masterful use of charcoal, creating depth and contrast that feel almost sculptural. The seamless integration of the figure and bird suggests themes of memory, transition, and fleeting moments. The unconventional cut of the canvas further enhances the organic quality of the piece, making it stand out in both form and composition.
This painting is an exquisite example of Ritchelly Oliveira’s ability to balance technical precision with raw emotion. The intimate scale (50 cm diameter) allows for close engagement with the details, making it a striking addition to any collection. His works resonate with collectors who appreciate narrative-driven art—pieces that invite reflection and evolve in meaning over time.
The artwork is in impeccable condition, created using high-quality charcoal and acrylic on canvas. The contrast between deep blacks, soft greys, and delicate highlights gives it a tactile richness. The edges are finished, and the piece can be displayed as-is or framed according to preference.
Ritchelly Oliveira explores the tension between presence and absence, human emotion, and the natural world. O Tempo Que Me Resta reflects his signature approach—an interplay between hyperrealistic drawing and expressive abstraction. It is an invitation to pause and consider the passing of time, the weight of thought...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
Jungle again, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
By Diana Rosa
Located in Yardley, PA
original acrylic paint on wooden panel, new work since 7 November, 2022, ready to hang :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity sign...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Two
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 1990 he continued his studies at ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
The Slow Dance
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 inde...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Linen
Vesna – 14-03-22, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Corne Akkers
Located in Yardley, PA
Shifting Gear Another Risque painting depicting my muse Julia Filament. Two oil paintings earlier I already did an Ukrainian theme but why not use it once again. After all, the Ru...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Funky Playhouse Series: Horse, figurative, surrealistic, 37 x 31
By Paul Pretzer
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Surrealistic and whimsical, bright and vivid colors. Provenance has only been from Artist studio to Gallery inventory.
Category
Late 20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Resist, Painting, Acrylic on Paper
By Brent Hanson
Located in Yardley, PA
Original metaphorical surrealist arboreal work. Black and white with a little silver thrown in. 30x22 acrylic on heavy watercolor paper and permanently mounted on an aluminum panel...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
EASY STREET, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Bill Stone
Located in Yardley, PA
A scene that played out every night on our street in Chicago. :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready...
Category
1990s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
I'm Just Sitting On The Moon
Located in Napa, CA
Largely self-taught, Linda Ridd Herzog’s paintings boast unbelievably detailed animals and objects in fantastical, surreal scenes. Growing up in Utah, Herzog found herself so inspire...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Anthony Ackrill - Enlightened Whelk Shell
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Anthony Ackrill (b. 1958, American)
Title: Enlightened Whelk Shell
Anthony Ackrill applies his classical training at Florence Academy of Art to cr...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Ziggurat" Large Scale Contemporary Surrealist Still Life (books and ladders)
Located in New York, NY
52"x 106" large scale watercolor on paper by award-winning New York artist Thomas Broadbent, signed on reverse. A Contemporary Surrealist Still-life painting of books and papers, wi...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Archival Paper
Glass Houses (Right)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Glass Houses (Right) is an acrylic on canvas painting, with a canvas size of 30 x 48 inches, signed 'afn' lower right and framed in a contemporary black moulding.
Anne Faith...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
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
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
A enormous sleeve, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Diana Rosa
Located in Yardley, PA
original on canvas, ready to hang :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed: Yes...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
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
French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - L’Escalier
By Helen Uter
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas,
Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper, she crea...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Bat in the Hat
Located in Napa, CA
Largely self-taught, Linda Ridd Herzog’s paintings boast unbelievably detailed animals and objects in fantastical, surreal scenes. Growing up in Utah, Herzog found herself so inspire...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Mass Extinction 6 - In pieces, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The girl symbolises Gaia, wherever she walks things start to grow. The towers are unfettered capitalism and in front of them the teeth are consumption that can't be satiated. The puz...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Circular butterfly, Painting, Oil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series "Please do not kill butterflies", pins and oil on thick paper (mounted on a wood panel), 35 x 30 cm, 2018. Please, all these dead animals .....
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - Ocean Girl
By Helen Uter
Located in Paris, IDF
Acrylic on canvas
Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper, she cr...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - Mother
By Helen Uter
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas
Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper, she create...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - La Muleta
By Helen Uter
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas with knife
Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - El Fuego
By Helen Uter
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas with knife
Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - La Tierra
By Helen Uter
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas with knife
Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - Abajo
By Helen Uter
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas with knife
Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
ELIXIER, Oil on Canvas
Located in Montreux, CH
ELIXIER, Oil on Canvas, 80 X 100cm
Category
Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
L'abbraccio, 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 career, Falconi began teaching and drawing at the middle school in his city, refining his technique by copying a thousand paintings and drawings, bringing himself to an understanding of the secrets of technique and color behind the Great Masters of every century.
In 1975 he abandoned teaching to devote himself entirely to painting. His method of working developed in pictorial cycles over the years in the most exposed and prestigious Italian galleries...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
THE CUP, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
a cup and its (dis) contents, in an imaginative environment :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready t...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Little fish, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series “Small fishâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Little fish, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series “Small fishâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Little fish, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series “Small fishâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Notturno Paulista" by Enzio Wenk, 2004 - Mixed Media on Canvas, Surrealism
By Enzio Wenk
Located in Bresso, IT
Translated title: "Paulist nocturne"
Mixed media on canvas.
Category
Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media
Snowflake with butterflies, Painting, Oil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series “Snowflakesâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Corn Snake and White Wedding Cake, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
It's a nice day to...start again. :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed: Yes...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Mischievous
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
A Prickly Situation, 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
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
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.