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.
original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1979 and published in Barcelona by La Poligrafa in an edition of 1000. Size: 10 x 7 1/2 inches (255 x 188 mm). Not signed.
Lithograph
Salvador Dalí 1970s Surrealist Dated and Signed Work on Paper
Located in Roma, IT
Salvador Dalí 1970s Surrealist Dated and Signed Work on Paper This significant work on paper is a silkscreen print by Salvador Dalí (1904–1989), part of the famous series dedicated ...
Lithograph
1970s Salvador Dalí Signed and Dated Original Work on Paper
Located in Roma, IT
1970s Salvador Dalí Signed and Dated Work on Paper This wonderful artwork shown is a silkscreen print by Salvador Dalí (1904–1989), part of the ...
Lithograph
$1,170
René Magritte - LES AMANTS Limited Surrealism French Art Contemporary
Located in Madrid, Madrid
René Magritte - LES AMANTS, 1928 (THE LOVERS) Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition: 275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Condition: New, in mint condition and never f...
Paper, Lithograph
$2,587
Modern Salvador Dalí Surrealist Signed and Numbered Original Work on Paper
Located in Roma, IT
Modern Salvador Dalí Surrealist Signed and Numbered Original Work on Paper *Le rêve onirique*, a colour lithograph created by Salvador Dalí in 1974. The sheet belongs to a series ...
Lithograph
René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU... Limited Surrealism French Contemporary
Located in Madrid, Madrid
René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU LES MYSTÈRES DE L'HORIZON, 1965 Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition number: 131/275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Condition: N...
Lithograph
$296Sale Price|30% Off
In Tentazione - Lithograph - 1966
Located in Roma, IT
In Tentationem - From "Pater Noster" is a very interesting illustration (offset lithograph) by Salvador Dalí, from the volume "Pater Noster" published by Rizzoli Editore, Milan, 1966...
Lithograph
René Magritte - DÉCALCOMANIE, 1966 Limited ed. Lithograph. Surrealism French
Located in Madrid, Madrid
René Magritte - DÉCALCOMANIE, 1966 (DECALCOMANIA) Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition: 275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Condition: In mint conditions, brand new...
Paper, Lithograph
1960s Salvador Dalí Signed and Dated Work on Paper
Located in Roma, IT
1960s Salvador Dalí Signed and Dated Work on Paper The work shown here is a famous piece by Salvador Dalí, taken from the suite dedicated to Wil...
Lithograph
Les Brisants
By Joan Miró
Located in New York, NY
Color etching and aquatint, 1958. Signed by the artist in pencil, lower right Numbered IV/15 in pencil, lower left. Printed by Crommelynck and Dutrou, Paris. Published by GLM, Par...
Etching, Aquatint
$1,170Sale Price|35% Off
Códice Miguelito I Giclée Print, Surrealist Style, Framed, 2010+
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
PEDRO FRIEDEBERG, GRAPHIC, SURREALIST WORK, IMPORTANT MEXICAN ART, EXQUISITE FRAME . . . Artist and designer Pedro Friedeberg is known for his surrealist paintings, prints, and sculp...
Giclée
Changes in Great Masterpieces Persistence de la Memoire
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Changes in Great Masterpieces Persistence de la Memoire MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali EDITION NUMBER: E 144/150 MEASUREME...
Lithograph
$588
Duality of expression. Limited edition print, Surreal, Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Size of sheet is ca. 21 x 29 cm (A4) Contemporary figurative giclee print by Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. Print is signed, numbered and has a stamp of an artist's atelier. It comes...
Paper, Color
RENÉ MAGRITTE LA GRANDE FAMILLE, 1963 Limited edition Lithograph - Surrealism
Located in Madrid, Madrid
LA GRANDE FAMILLE, 1963 (THE LARGE FAMILY) Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition: 275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Observations: Lithograph on BFK Rives paper plat...
Lithograph
$200Sale Price|20% Off
Le Seize Septembre Offset Print, Surrealist, 1998, Authorized Edition
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This reproduction of the Magritte painting is the only authorized and approved copy in its current format. It has been sanctioned by the appropriate authorities managing Magritte’s e...
Offset
$15,000
Escargot
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Escargot MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali EDITION NUMBER: I/XXV MEASUREMENTS: Paper: 14.48" x 11" Frame: 19" x 15" YEAR: 1970 ...
Etching
Circus - 25 illustrated books - Vintage poster - 1982
By Marc Chagall
Located in Paris, IDF
After Marc CHAGALL Circus Offset vintage poster, 1982 On heavy paper 66 x 46 cm / 26 x 18" INFORMATION : Vintage poster for the exhibition "25 livres illustres" at Patrick Cramer Ga...
Offset
Spanish Modern Art by Joan Miró - Untitled
By Joan Miró
Located in Paris, IDF
This recto verso book cover 50 x 71 x 0,2 cm - 19,6 x 27,5 x 0,07 in is a highly successful example of Joan Miró's mature graphic language. It distills many of the qualities that mad...
Lithograph, Archival Paper
Joan Miro 'Les Fauves' Vintage Lithograph Exhibition Poster, 1966
By Joan Miró
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage original poster for an exhibition of original lithographs by Joan Miró, titled Les Fauves, held at Le Vallauris in Paris from April 5 through May 1, 1966. This poster reflects Miró’s distinctive visual language—playful abstraction, bold forms, and a vibrant sense of movement—capturing the spirit of his graphic work during a highly creative period of his career. Produced in the pre-digital poster era, it exemplifies the authenticity and craftsmanship of mid-20th-century exhibition materials. A collectible and visually engaging piece, ideal for collectors of modern art, Miró’s lithographic work, and vintage French exhibition posters...
Lithograph
$1,528
La Cascade - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1961 oil on canvas by René Magritte, printed signature of Magritte and numbered from the edition of 300. The lithograph features the dry stamps of the Mag...
Lithograph
Untitled Lithograph, Surrealist Style, 1970s, Edition of 150
By Wifredo Lam
Located in Roma, IT
Modern artwork realized by Wifredo Lam in 1970s. Colored lithograph on paper. Hand monogrammed in the right lower margin with original dry stamp by Galleria Nuovo Sagittario, Milan...
Lithograph
$67Sale Price|24% Off
Reclining Female (Surreal, Colorful, Vibrant, Modern) (25% OFF LIST PRICE)
By Franz Graw
Located in Kansas City, MO
Franz Graw Reclining Female (Surreal, Colorful, Vibrant, Modern) Color Offset Lithograph Year: 2021 Size: 16.53 x 11.73 inches (42 x 29.8 cm) Edition: 100 Signed and numbered in penc...
Lithograph, Offset
TIE Fighter Beatles Large Oversize Pop Art Print Signed Limited Edition
By BATIK
Located in London, GB
TIE Fighter Beatles by B A T I K Pop art work featuring the Fab Four Paul McCartney , George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon running away from Star Wars TIE fighters chasing...
Black and White, Archival Pigment
Espana, Surrealist figure - Original lithograph, 1982
By Joan Miró
Located in Paris, IDF
Joan MIRO Espana, Surrealist figure, 1982 Original lithograph in colors (atelier Arte, Maeght) Printed signature in the plate On thin paper 95 x 60 cm (c. 37.4 x 23.6 in) Referenc...
Lithograph
RENÉ MAGRITTE L'EMPIRE DES LUMIÈRES, 1964 Limited edition Lithograph, Surrealism
Located in Madrid, Madrid
L'EMPIRE DES LUMIÈRES, 1964 (THE EMPIRE OF LIGHTS, 1964) Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition: 275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Observations: Lithograph on BFK Ri...
Lithograph
Conquest of Cosmos Frozen Watches of Space Time
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Conquest of Cosmos Frozen Watches of Space Time MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 105/195 MEASUREMENTS: Paper: 39.5" x 27.25" Fra...
Etching
$344Sale Price|35% Off
Hands - Il tempo che passa - Etching by Mayo - 1977
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on paper. Hand Signed and numbered. Edition of 25, in roman numbers. Excellent condition.
Etching
$470
Jean COCTEAU and Raymond MORETTI : The kiss- Original Hansigned Lithograph, 1973
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Paris, IDF
Jean Cocteau and Raymond Moretti The Kiss Original lithograph Printed signature in the plate, handsigned by Raymond Moretti Numbered 1/79 - Very look for artist proof bearing n°1 On...
Lithograph
$1,200Sale Price|50% Off
Malabaristas Parapsicológicos Giclée Print, Surrealist, Framed, 2010+
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
Artist and designer Pedro Friedeberg is known for his surrealist paintings, prints, and sculptural furniture. He was the subject of a 2009 retrospective at the Museo del Palacio de B...
Giclée
Le Retour - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1940 oil on canvas by René Magritte, printed signature of Magritte and numbered from the edition of 300. The lithograph features the dry stamps of the Mag...
Lithograph
$470
Jean COCTEAU and Raymond MORETTI: Love Encounter - Original Hansigned Lithograph
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Paris, IDF
Jean Cocteau and Raymond Moretti Love Encounter Original lithograph Printed signature in the plate, handsigned by Raymond Moretti Numbered EA 1/10 - Very look for proof bearing n°1 ...
Lithograph
Femme Bleue
Located in OPOLE, PL
Henri Matisse (1869-1954) - Femme Bleue Lithograph from 1958. Dimensions of work: 35.5 x 26.4 cm. Publisher: Tériade, Paris. First, original edition. The work is in Excellent co...
Lithograph
Design III a - Screen print by Getulio Alviani - 1971
Located in Roma, IT
Screen print in red and blue, realized in 1971. Edition by Griffelkunst Hamburg. Signed in pencil below the image, centered. Image size 47 x 47 cm (image size). Besides geometric...
Screen
FlorDali/Les Fruits Grapefruit
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: FlorDali/Les Fruits Grapefruit MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Jean Schneider, Basel EDITION NUMBER: 187/200 MEASUREMENTS: Paper: 2...
Etching
Untitled Lithograph by Wifredo Lam, Surrealist, 1970s, Edition of 150
By Wifredo Lam
Located in Roma, IT
Untitled is a modern artwork realized by Wifredo Lam in 1970s. Mixed colored lithograph, realized after one of the Artist's paintings. Hand monogrammed in the right lower margin wi...
Lithograph
Dali's Inferno
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Dali's Inferno MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Levine & Levine for DALART EDITION NUMBER: 90/250 MEASUREMENTS: 21.5" x 30" ...
Lithograph
Mitocondria, Surrealist Screenprint by Antonio Peticov
Located in Long Island City, NY
Antonio Peticov, Brazilian (1946 - ) - Mitocondria, Year: 1979, Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 150, Image Size: 22 x 26.5 inches, Size: 23.5 x 27.5...
Screen
Lovers - Thétis and Pelée - Original etching handsigned and numbered
Located in Paris, IDF
Pierre-Yves Tremois Thésis and Pelée Original etching, 1970 Handsigned by the artist Numbered / XXIV copies (total edition of 90 + XXIV) Size 57 x 45 cm (c. 22,4 x 17,7 in) Very goo...
Etching
Paisaje con Luna, Surrealist Mixografia by Rufino Tamayo
Located in Long Island City, NY
Rufino Tamayo, Mexican (1899 - 1991) - Paisaje con Luna, Year: 1977, Medium: Mixografia on Arches Paper, signed and numbered in crayon, Edition: 16/100, Size: 19.75 x 27.25 in. (...
Etching
Casanova : Birdy on the Tongue - Original etching (Field #67-4 F)
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador DALI (1904-1969) Casanova : Birdy on the Tongue, 1967 Original etching Printed signature in the plate On Rives vellum 38 x 28 cm (c. 14.9 x 11 inch) REFERENCES : - Catalog...
Etching
Espriu - Miró II, Surrealist Aquatint Print, Signed, 15/50, 1975
By Joan Miró
Located in OPOLE, PL
Joan Miro (1893-1983) - Espriu - Miró II Etching and aquatint with carborundum from 1975. The edition of 15/50 on on Guarro paper with Sala Gaspar watermark. Dimensions of work: 70.3 x 85.7 cm. Hand signed. Publisher: Sala Gaspar, Barcelona. Reference: Dupin 870; Cramer 197. The work is in Good condition. -- Joan Miró’s Espriu...
Aquatint
The Creation Lithograph, Surrealist Style, 1960, Edition of 6500
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Color lithograph realized by Marc Chagall in 1960 to illustrate "The Bible". Edition of 6500, published by Tériade in no. 33 and 34 of the Art Magazine Verve. Printed by Mourlot a...
Lithograph
$1,000
"L'été"
By Joan Miró
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph and pochoir. Catalogue reference: Dupin 1310, Benhoura 396. This lithograph was printed in 1938 at the atelier Mourlot and published in Paris by Teriade for the ar...
Lithograph
$12,500
Christ
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Christ MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 62/125 MEASUREMENTS: 25.5" x 19.75" YEAR: 1964 FRAMED: No CONDITION: Excellent RE...
Etching
Untitled (Surrealist Composiition)
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled (Surrealist Composiition) Lithograph with hand coloring, 1945 Signed and dated lower right (see photo) Numbered 10/12 lower left (see photo) fragment from 6X litho In 1945, ...
Lithograph
$798
ECLIPSE Signed Lithograph, Surrealist Portrait, Shrouded Moon, Midnight Blue Sky
Located in Union City, NJ
ECLIPSE is a rarely seen, hand drawn limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on arch...
Lithograph
L'Origine des Espèces par Voie de Selection... - Lithograph by Man Ray - 1972
By Man Ray
Located in Roma, IT
Color lithograph on vellum. Artist proof out of an edition of 180. Hand signed in pencil. Published: XXe Siècle, Paris, Galleria Schwarz, Milan, Leon Amiel, New York. Arches map, ...
Lithograph
$775
Magritte at Galerie Alexandre Iolas, Milan, Italy, Offset lithograph poster
Located in New York, NY
René Magritte Magritte at Galerie Alexandre Iolas, Milan, Italy, ca. 1980 Offset lithograph lettering and silkscreen poster on thin wove paper ...
Lithograph, Offset, Screen
$200Sale Price|20% Off
'L'Empire des Lumieres' 1998 Offset Poster, Vintage, Large
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rene Magritte (1898 – 1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for creating a number of witty and thought-provoking images. Often depicting ordinary objects in an ...
Offset
$2,595
Salvador Dali Surrealist Etching, Signed, 1980, from Neuf Paysages Portfolio
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Tourbillon-spirale from rose Portfolio: Neuf Paysages Medium: Etching Year: 1980 Edition: 3/49 Sheet Size: 14 7/8" x 14 7/8" Signature: Initialed (S.D.) ...
Etching
Ephemeral Torment - Digital Print by Kevin Abanto - 2023
By Kevin Abanto
Located in Roma, IT
Ephemeral Torment captures the essence of a haunting narrative, portraying a twisted and shrunken human figure in a symphony of despair. The canvas becomes a vessel for poignant emot...
Digital
$3,080Sale Price|20% Off
"Conception" - Portrait of a Native American on a Vision Quest
Located in Soquel, CA
"Conception" - Portrait of a Native American on a Vision Quest Large scale and fine detailed work by the artist. Detailed and evocative depiction of a Native American elder by Frank Howell...
Laid Paper, Screen
1971 L'Académie de Paris Etching, Surrealist, Signed, 184/250
Located in Roma, IT
L'Académie de Paris (The Academy in Paris). Etching on Arches wove paper (watermark), 1971. Signed and numbered 184/250 A. Plate 42.5 cm x 59.5 cm. Sheet approx. 56.5 cm x 75.5 c...
Etching
Flora Dalinae Viola Cogitans/Self Portrait Pansy
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Flora Dalinae Viola Cogitans/Self Portrait Pansy MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 7/200 MEASUREMENTS: 29.9" x 22.3" YEAR: 1968 ...
Etching
Candique - Héliogravure by Marc Chagall - 1960
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Héliogravure on brown-toned paper, no signature. Héliogravure on bot sheets, recto and verso. Edition of 6500 unsigned copies. Printed by Mourlot and published by Tériade on the A...
Photogravure
$470Sale Price|20% Off
Opposite of sentimental... . Limited edition print, Surreal, Established artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Size of sheet is ca. 21 x 29 cm (A4) Contemporary figurative giclee print by Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. Print is signed, numbered and has a stamp of an artist's atelier. It comes...
Paper, Color
$5,409
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) – Lithograph with drypoint etching Auvergne paper
Located in Varese, IT
Color lithograph with drypoint etching on Auvergne paper from the series 'Flordali (Les Fruits)', edited in 1969. Limited edition, numbered as LXXXI/CL in lower left corner. Hand-sig...
Paper, Drypoint, Etching, Lithograph
Trilogy of Love The Eternity of Love (The Tower)
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Trilogy of Love The Eternity of Love (The Tower) MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali EDITION NUMBER: III/C MEASUREMENTS: Paper...
Lithograph
$425
BUBBLE Signed Lithograph Surreal Landscape Vintage Drafting Tool, Blue Sky, Sand
Located in Union City, NJ
BUBBLE is a hand drawn limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archival Arches pa...
Lithograph
Miro a l'Encre II, Surrealist Lithograph by Joan Miro
By Joan Miró
Located in Long Island City, NY
Joan Miro, Spanish (1893 - 1983) - Miro a l'Encre II, Year: 1972, Medium: Lithograph, Image Size: 13.75 x 9.75 inches, Size: 14 x 10 in. (35.56 x 25.4 cm), Frame Size: 21 x 17 inch...
Lithograph