Skip to main content

Surrealist Abstract Prints

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.

to
2
2
3
1
1
1
2
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
257
60
21
12
6
4
4
1
3
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
Style: Surrealist
Color:  Red
Monument for Federico Fellini - Original handsigned lithograph - 100 ex
Located in Paris, FR
Jean MESSAGIER Monument for Federico Fellini Original lithograph Handsigned Numbered / 100 ex On vellum 70 x 50 cm (c. 28 x 20 inch) Excellent cond...
Category

1970s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Visionary Landscape Antiquity by Rita Simon
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Rita Simon, American (1938 - ) Title: Visionary Landscape Antiquity Year: 1979 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 300, AP Image Size: 24 x 38...
Category

1970s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Screen

Henri Laurens - Ocean - Original Color Linoleum Cut
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Henri Laurens - Ocean - Original Color Linoleum Cut 1938/1959 Medium : Color Linoleum Cut on Montgolfier Canson vellum Dimensions: 32 x 24 cm XXe siècle Henri Laurens was born in Paris in 1885. Impaired by tuberculosis when he was only 17, he is leg-amputated seven years later. First a stone cutter, he then becomes sculptor. In 1899, he studies drawing. Henry Laurens...
Category

1930s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Etching

Fiery Furnace, Surrealist Screenprint by Clarence Holbrook Carter
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Clarence Holbrook Carter, American (1904 - 2000) Title: Fiery Furnace Year: 1978 Medium: Serigraph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200, AP 30 Paper Size: 35 x 26 inc...
Category

1970s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Screen

Related Items
Cathedral of Christ the Savior. 1989., paper, screen print, 60x32.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Cathedral of Christ the Savior. 1989, paper, screen print, 60x32.5 cm
Category

1980s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Paper, Screen

Ernst Fuchs Sphinx Mystagoga Surreal Color Etching Vienna Fantastic Realism 1967
Located in Meinisberg, CH
Ernst Fuchs (Austrian, 1930 - 2015) The Sphinx Mystagogo Sheet Nr. 6 from the Folio “Die Sieben Bilder und Sprüche der Sphinx”, published in Autumn of 1967 by Galerie Sydow in Frankfurt, Germany. • Aquatint Etching • Ed. 79/99 • Sheet ca. 59 x 41.5 cm • Plate signed • Signed & numbered by the artist in pencil Worldwide shipping is complimentary - There are no additional charges for handling & delivery. Ernst Fuchs was an Austrian painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, architect, stage designer, composer, poet, and one of the founders of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. I discovered him through H.R. Giger ‘s work, who himself was greatly inspired by the creations of Fuchs and on several occasions exhibited his friend ‘s art in his museum, the Château St-Germain, Gruyères, Switzerland. I actually own the original folio box...
Category

1960s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Paper, Ink, Aquatint, Etching

Joan Miró ( 1893 – 1983 ) - hand-signed Lithograph on Guarro paper – 1974
Located in Varese, IT
color lithograph on Guarro paper , edited in 1974 Limited Edition of 75 copies plus 15 HC Hand signed, dated and numbered in pencil 37/75 in pencil (lower left) Paper size: 69,5 x 52...
Category

1970s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph

PLATE IX (FROM LA BAGUE D'AURORE SUITE)
Located in Aventura, FL
Plate IX from Suite La Bague d'aurore (The Ring of Dawn Suite). Aquatint in colours, on BFK Rives paper, with full margins. Hand signed and numbered by the artist. Image size 4.5 x 5...
Category

1950s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Paper, Etching, Aquatint

Dali 33 Vertical Portrait de Calderon engraving painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Work of the Spanish artist SALVADOR DALI. Engraving of the series LA VIDA ES SUEÑO. Printed signature and date, as issued Catalog. OFFICIAL CATALOG GRAPHYC WORKS BY ALBERT FIELD Page...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Engraving

'Evening' —Mid-Century American Surrealism
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Edward Landon, 'Evening', color serigraph, 1958, edition 25, Ryan 71. Signed, titled, and annotated 'Ed. 25' in pencil. A fine impression, with fresh colors, on cream wove paper; the...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Screen

Hotel du Nord (Little Durer)
Located in New York, NY
Joseph Cornell Hotel du Nord (Little Durer), 1972 Silkscreen in five colors with varnish and stencil additions printed on Buff Arches Paper Pencil signed and annotated Artists Proof ...
Category

1970s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Screen, Varnish, Stencil, Mixed Media

Colour Lithograph 'La Triple Roue ll' 1981
Located in Toronto, CA
'La Triple Roue ll' Limited edition colour lithograph on Arches paper from Joan Míro's final series of fifteen lithographs, 'Allegro Vivace' 1981. The series is known for its bold fo...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph

1970s Modernist Swiss Colorful Surrealism Signed Dada Lithograph Andre Thomkins
Located in Surfside, FL
This one is titled "Walk in a Broken Lake" and depicts a surreal figure of a robed woman walking in an abstract landscape in yellow, green, red and blue with a Salvador Dali esque quality about it. Published by Edition Hansjörg Mayer, Stuttgart They published concrete poetry and art books by Mark Boyle, Richard Hamilton, Dorothy Iannone, John Latham, Tom Phillips, Dieter Roth, André Thompkins and Emmett Williams, to name just a few. André Thomkins (1930 - 1985) was a Swiss painter, illustrator, and poet. He attended art-school, taught by Max von Moos, 1947 – 1949 and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, Paris, France, 1950. From 1952, he lived in Germany and taught at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf between 1971 and 1973. Thomkins painted and drew ironic and fantastic pictures influenced by surrealism and dadaism. Together with Dieter Roth and Daniel Spoerri he prepared works of Eat Art. He also was a writer of palindromes. His friends and collaborators included Daniel Spoerri, Dieter Roth, George Brecht, Richard Hamilton and Karl Gerstner, Thomkins gained a reputation as an ‘artist’s artist’, and is considered one of the most important Swiss artists of the second half of the twentieth century.He died in 1985. His work is currently represented by Hauser & Wirth Zurich, Switzerland. Select group exhibitions: 2018 Kunsthalle Krems, 'Pablo Picasso. Arshile Gorky, Andy Warhol. Sculptures and Works on Paper. Hubert Looser Collection', Krems, Austria 2017 Kunsthandel Wolfgang Werner, 'Martin Barré, Karl Otto Götz, Ernst Wilhelm Nay, André Thomkins', Berlin, Germany 2013 Fabian & Claude Walter Galerie, 'Schweizer Avantgarde Kunst nach 1940', Zurich, Switzerland 2009 The Modern Institute, 'Thomas Houseago, Dieter Roth, Andre Thomkins', Glasgow, England Museum of Modern Art, 'Compass in Hand: Selections from the Judith Rothschild Collection', NYC 2004 Kunsthandel Wolfgang Werner, 'Arman, Baumeister, Götz, Graubner, Tàpies, Thomkins', Berlin, Germany 1994 Kunstmuseum Solothurn, 'Eine Schenkung. Grafik von Eduardo Chillida, Antoni Tàpies, Alexander Calder, Jean Dubuffet, Ben Nicholson, Giacometti, Tinguely, Thomkins', Solothurn, Switzerland 1992 Galerie Littmann, Tinguely zu Ehren. A Tribute to Jean Tinguely. Hommage à Tinguely, Basel, 1988 Museum Ludwig, 'Uebrigens sterben immer die anderen. Marcel Duchamp und die Avantgarde seit 1950', Cologne, Germany 1987 Aargauer Kunsthaus, 'Otto Grimm. Marc-Antoine Fehr. Christoph Gredinger', Aarau, Switzerland Cercle Municipal, 'Art contemporain suisse. Collection de la Banque du Gothard', Luxembourg, 1985 Centre national d'art et de culture Georges Pompidou, 'Livres d'artistes', Paris, France Rathaus, 'Claude Sandoz – Hans Schärer...
Category

1970s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Ernst Fuchs Sphinx in Pharao Surreal Color Etching Vienna Fantastic Realism 1967
Located in Meinisberg, CH
Ernst Fuchs (Austrian, 1930 - 2015) Sphinx in Pharao Sheet Nr. 6 from the Folio “Die Sieben Bilder und Sprüche der Sphinx”, published in Autumn of 1967 by Galerie Sydow in Frankfurt, Germany. • Aquatint Etching • Ed. 79/99 • Sheet ca. 59 x 41.5 cm • Plate signed • Signed & numbered by the artist in pencil Worldwide shipping is complimentary - There are no additional charges for handling & delivery. Ernst Fuchs was an Austrian painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, architect, stage designer, composer, poet, and one of the founders of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. I discovered him through H.R. Giger ‘s work, who himself was greatly inspired by the creations of Fuchs and on several occasions exhibited his friend ‘s art in his museum, the Château St-Germain, Gruyères, Switzerland. I actually own the original folio box...
Category

1960s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Paper, Ink, Aquatint, Etching

Vintage Exhibition Poster at Galerie Maeght - Offset and Lithograph - 1968
Located in Roma, IT
Mirò - Fondation Maeght is an original artwork realized after Joan Miró. Offset and Lithograph. The artwork was realized in the occasion of the exhibition dedicated to the graphic ...
Category

1960s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Original poster - Vintage Offset Poster by R.S. Matta
Located in Roma, IT
Original poster, colored lithograph on paper. Signed on plate on lower margin at the center. Good condition, except for some foxing and stains on the left margin. Roberto Sebastián...
Category

20th Century Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Previously Available Items
Melodia-Melodio, Large Carborundum by Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Melodia-Melodio by Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911–2002) Portfolio: New Success Suite Date: 1996 Carborundum Etching on Handmade Paper, signed and numbered in ink Edition of XX/XXXV, 12...
Category

1990s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Handmade Paper, Etching

Red Flower - Original Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1957
Located in Roma, IT
Red Flower is an original color lithograph realized by the famous Surrealist artist Max Ernst. Signed on plate; not numbered. Good condition except...
Category

1950s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Jonah in the Belly of the Fish - Original Lithograph by S. Dalì - 1964
Located in Roma, IT
Ionas in Ventre Piscis ("Jonah in the Belly of the Whale") is an original artwork realized by Salvador Dalí in 1964. The artwork is part of Biblia Sacra vulgatæ editionis published b...
Category

1960s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Visionary Landscape Antiquity by Rita Simon
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Rita Simon, American (1938 - ) Title: Visionary Landscape Antiquity Year: 1979 Medium: Serigraph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 300, AP Image Size: 24 x 38 inc...
Category

1970s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Screen

Harry Bunce, United Colours of Bunny Town, Animal Art, Bright Art, Conservation
Located in Deddington, GB
Harry Bunce United Colours of Bunny Town Limited Edition Silkscreen Print on 315gsm Heritage White paper Edition of 45 worldwide Seven Colour Hand-Pulled Silkscreen Print Artist stam...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Paper, Screen

Jonah in the Belly of the Fish - From "Biblia Sacra"
Located in Roma, IT
Jonah in the Belly of the Fish is an original artwork realized by Salvador Dalí in 1964. It is part of Biblia Sacra vulgatæ editionis published by Rizzoli-Mediolani between 1967 and ...
Category

1960s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph

The Eld of the World
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) Title: The Eld of the World Year: 2002 Medium: Carborundum Etching on Hand-Made Paper, signed and numbered in marker Edition: 125 Pa...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Abstract Prints

Materials

Etching

Surrealist abstract prints for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Surrealist abstract prints available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 20th Century, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add abstract prints created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including (after) Joan Miró, Holger Bäckström, Joan Miró, and John Hultberg. Frequently made by artists working with Lithograph, and Mixed Media 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 abstract prints, so small editions measuring 2.5 inches across are also available. Prices for abstract prints 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 $88 and tops out at $1,450,000, while the average work sells for $947.

Recently Viewed

View All