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.
Water Town, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The painting embraces modernist sensibilities with a surrealist touch, challenging conventional rules of depth and perspective. It distills the vibrant canal vi...
Oil
Leeward, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Benjamin Xu presents a geometric architectural scene that conveys a strong sense of shelter, stillness, and spatial harmony. The viewer is drawn into a d...
Oil
Optimist, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Benjamin Xu paints a vibrant architectural scene that explores hope, resilience, and bright horizons. The artwork highlights a balance between structure ...
Oil
"The Post-Truth Era V", Surrealist Portrait, Brown, Collage, Acrylic Painting
By John Baker
Located in Franklin, MA
John Baker’s “The Post-Truth Era V “ is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 20 x 16 inches in blues, whites, tans and browns. In our post-truth era it is next to impossible to...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Large Rhinoceros, 20th Century Magical Realism, Cleveland School Artist
By Paul Riba
Located in Beachwood, OH
Paul Riba (American, 1912-1977) Rhino Oil on paper Signed lower right 22.5 x 29 inches 27.5 x 34.25 inches, framed Paul Riba was a painter of Magic Realism. He explored the unreal ...
Oil
Installation, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Part of artist Michael Wedge's series explores the contrast between urban and rural environments. This surrealist painting depicts the installation of some digital technology in an unlikely place in nature. A woman prepares to climb up the ladder while another approaches with an open laptop and an extension wire at hand. They are busy in the middle of an open field with a fox wandering between them and deers grazing in the distance.
About the Artist
Michael Wedge works in a variety of mediums: sculpture, painting, mixed media and more. He oftentimes starts with a mental image and creates digital collages, which become the basis for his paintings. A lot of his work references themes from his personal life, such as the experience of living in a city versus in the countryside. If his art seems mysterious, it;s because he enjoys making complex works. "I am attracted to images or moments that seem to have something subtle or hidden under the surface," he explains. When he;s not making art, he teaches it at an elementary school.
Words that describe this painting: surrealism...
Oil
original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. This lithograph was printed for the front cover of the 1955 "Improvisations" portfolio, published by the Artists Equity Association of New York on the oc...
Lithograph
$120,000
"Untitled" Gerome Kamrowski, circa 1944 American Surrealist Composition
Located in New York, NY
Gerome Kamrowski Untitled, circa 1944 Signed lower right Oil on canvas 35 3/4 inches x 47 3/4 inches Gerome Kamrowski was born in Warren, Minnesota, on January 19, 1914. In 1932 he...
Canvas, Oil
Homecoming (Black Surrealist Philadelphia artist)
By Roland Ayers
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Roland Ayers (1932-2014). Homecoming, 1971. Ink on paper, 4 1/8 × 6 7/8 inches. Signed and dated. Small toning stain left margin. Artist and art educator, Roland Ayers was ...
Paper, Ink
Cactus Flower, Oil Painting
By Duane Brown
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A woman poses as a cactus flower, her form creating both balance and tension. The surreal positioning draws attention to the connection between humans and nat...
Oil
original lithograph
By Yves Tanguy
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in Paris by Mourlot and published by Pierre à Feu and Maeght Editeur for the Marcel Duchamp / André Breton project "Surréalisme en 1947". Issued ...
Lithograph
Pablo Picasso, "Sculpteur et Modele debout, " etching, hand signed
Located in Chatsworth, CA
Artist: Pablo Picasso Title: Sculpteur et Modele debout Year: 1933 Medium: Original etching Edition: hand signed in pencil from an edition of 250 on small margins Size: Frame: 27 x 2...
Etching
"Characters", Surrealist John Devoluy (1903-1982) Oil on canvas
Located in New York, NY
John Devoluy (1903-1982) Characters, 1950 c. Oil on canvas 28 3/4 x 24 inches l 73 x 61 cm With frame: 30 3/4 x 26 inches l 78 x 66 cm John Devoluy was born in 1903 and became a cen...
Canvas, Oil
Large Surrealist Symbolist Painting, Peeking Child, Moorish Architectural Arches
By Baruch Elron
Located in Surfside, FL
Large Surrealist Symbolist Painting With a peeking, peering figure of a child dressed in red in a typical Middle Eastern Architectural setting. (unframed 28.75X39.5 inches) Baruch El...
Canvas, Oil
$80Sale Price|20% Off
Antonio Monasterio – Woman with a Large Hat and Table with Vase. Nr.2
Located in Firenze, IT
Antonio Monasterio – Woman with a Large Hat and Table with Vase. Nr.2 • Technique: Mixed media on paper (pastels, wax, and red pen) • Dimensions: 56 x 44 cm • Signature: Lower ri...
Paper, Crayon, Wax Crayon, Wax, Pen
$245
A False Narrative - Figurative Black, White & Red Mixed Media Surrealist Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Robert Lebsack creates artworks using mixed media with ink, acrylic, and charcoal on archival copies of newspapers, textbooks, and sheet music. As a visionary artist, Lebsack weaves ...
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
original etching
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original etching. Printed in Paris by Lacourière and published by Pierre à Feu and Maeght Editeur for the Marcel Duchamp / André Breton project Surréalisme en 1947. Issued in...
Etching
Jean Pierre Serrier (1934 - 1989, French) Surrealist Circus Scene
Located in San Francisco, CA
Jean Pierre Serrier (1934-1989, French) Surrealist Circus Scene Oil on canvas Signed lower right Frame: 16.5" W x 14.75" H Canvas: 10.5" W x 8.75" H Jean-Pierre Serrier was born i...
Canvas, Oil
Full Moon, Surrealist Etching by Marc Chagall
By Marc Chagall
Located in Long Island City, NY
Marc Chagall, Russian (1887 - 1985) - Full Moon, Medium: Etching on Arches, Image Size: 7.5 x 14.25 inches, Size: 15 x 22.5 in. (38.1 x 57.15 cm), Description: From the collection ...
Etching
$3,800
"Solitary Confinement" (2016) By Diego Glazer, Original Surrealist Oil Painting
By Diego Glazer
Located in Denver, CO
Diego Glazer's "Solitary Confinement" is an original, handmade oil painting that is framed and ready to hang. The framed measurements are 22 in H x 26 in W. About the Artist: For a...
Canvas, Oil
$245
Last Faint Ember - Abstract Figurative Black & White Mixed Media Romantic Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Robert Lebsack creates artworks using mixed media with ink, acrylic, and charcoal on archival copies of newspapers, textbooks, and sheet music. As a visionary artist, Lebsack weaves ...
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$4,756Sale Price|40% Off
Large Scale Surrealist Oil on Canvas, 'Noah's Ark and the Animals'.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Very large scale late 20th century oil on canvas of Noah's Ark and the Animals by British artist Derek Carruthers. Signed to the bottom right. A magical, highly colourful and energe...
Canvas, Oil
Le Lézard aux Plumes d'Or - Lithograph by Joan Miró - 1971
By Joan Miró
Located in Roma, IT
"Le Lézard aux Plumes d'Or" is an original lithograph realized by Joan Miró in 1971, and part of the famous homonym series. Hand signed and numbered, it is an H.C. (out of commerce)...
Lithograph
Leonor Fini, Sphinx Ariene, rare handsigned print
By Leonor Fini
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Rare print handsigned and numered by surrealist artist Leonor Fini, now rediscovered and inscreasingly esteemed with the movement of rediscovering art by women. It depicts a mytholog...
Paper
House on a Hill 1 - Abstract Color Drenched Nature Landscape Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Dessert Landscape (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Dessert Landscape, ca. 1975-80. Gouache on Arches rag paper, Sheet measures 23 x 30 inches. Image measures 22 x 29 inches. Signed lower left. Excellent condition. Unframed.
Gouache, Rag Paper
$2,500
An Abstract, Surrealist 1950s Mid-Century Modern Interior Still Life Painting
Located in Chicago, IL
A Visually Striking, early 1950s Abstract, Surrealist Mid-Century Modern Still Life Painting by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting a subdued, tonal int...
Masonite, Oil
$190
Spanish signed limited edition original art print engraving 21x15 in. n17
Located in Miami, FL
Andrés Barajas (Spain, 1941) 'Untitled from Portfolio "Los Deseos"', ca.1990-1999 mixed media on paper 20.9 x 15 in. (53 x 38 cm.) Edition of 200 ID: BA...
Paper, Engraving, Screen
The Surrealist Dream, King Ubu - Original Lithograph (Mourlot #426)
By Joan Miró
Located in Paris, IDF
Joan MIRO The Surrealist Dream, King Ubu, 1966 Original lithograph (Atelier Mourlot, Paris) Unsigned Numbered / 75 copies On Arches vellum 54 x 75 cm (c. 21.2 x 29.5 in) REFERENCE ...
Lithograph
$1,891Sale Price|20% Off
20th Century French Surrealist Cubist Figurative Abstract Oil Painting
By Andres 33
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Key Details Artist: French School, 20th century, signed Title: Figurative Abstract Medium: Oil painting on canvas Size: Overall: 23.5 x 32 inches Provenance: From a private collectio...
Oil
Happy People in Pink - Lithograph (Maeght)
By Paul Klee
Located in Paris, IDF
Paul KLEE (1879 - 1940) Happy character Color photolithograph after a painting Signed in the plate On vellum 83 x 60 cm (c. 32 x 24 in) Excellent condition
Watercolor, Lithograph
$1,725
A Nearly Forgotten Song - Abstract Colorful Figurative Mixed Media Art on Wood
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Robert Lebsack creates artworks using mixed media with ink, acrylic, and charcoal on archival copies of newspapers, textbooks, and sheet music. As a visionary artist, Lebsack weaves ...
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$7,000
"Bake-kujira" (2025) Original Surrealist Marine Animal Still-Life, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Hextrum's "Bake-Kujira" is an original oil painting on stretched canvas. Artist Statement: This painting is part of my "Magical Realism" series. The Bake-kujira, also known a...
Linen, Oil
"Something in the Way" (2024) By Nadezda, Original Oil Painting on Panel
By Nadezda
Located in Denver, CO
Nadezda's beautiful new oil on panel painting "Something in the Way" (2024) is a surreal portrait of a man stuck in a slouched position with his arms over a bar and his head undernea...
Oil, Panel
original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in Paris by Mourlot and published by Pierre à Feu and Maeght Editeur for the Marcel Duchamp / André Breton project Surréalisme en 1947. Issued in...
Lithograph
Daum Montre Molle Sculpture
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Daum Montre Molle Sculpture Designed by Salvador Dali for Daum MEDIUM: pate de verde glass and bronze sculpture. Pate de ve...
Glass
La Bataille De L'Argonne - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograp, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1935 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
Mid Century San Francisco Nocturnal Surrealist Oil Painting
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid Century Nocturnal Surrealist Oil Painting--San Francisco Unreal Dreams by Russell Tripp Dramatic and atmospheric San Francisco surrealist figurative painting by Russell R. Tripp...
Oil, Board
$3,160Sale Price|20% Off
'Story Time', Paris, Salon d'Automne, New York, ASL, Corcoran, PAFA, Art Deco
By Nura Ulreich
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower left 'Nura' for Nura Woodson Ulreich (American, 1899–1950). Additionally signed, verso, dated March 1928 with artist's New York City address and titled, 'When Guest Stay...
Oil, Illustration Board
$2,385Sale Price|69% Off
La Petite Chouette Sculpture, Surrealist Ceramic, Circa 1960-1970
Located in CANNES, FR
Jules Agard ( 1905 - 1986 ) " la petite chouette " circa 1960 - 1970 " Pièce unique " Sculpture en terre rouge de Salernes montée au tour représentant une petite chouette ( d...
Ceramic
Latitude Bocklin - Paint by Fabrizio Clerici - 1975 ca.
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on canvas realized by Fabrizio Clerici in 1975 ca. and inspired by Bocklin's Isle of the Dead. Hand signed by the Artist lower left. Published on "Annuario d'Arte Moderna 2001...
Oil
(after) Marino Marini - "Cavalier et cheval" pochoir
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: pochoir (after the lithograph). Printed by the atelier of Daniel Jacomet, and published in Paris in 1955 by Heinz Berggruen. The image measures 5 1/4 x 3 3/4 inches (135 x 10...
Lithograph, Stencil
$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
$4,000
Salvador Dali Poseidon ( Neptune ) rare original lithograph poster 1980
Located in Paonia, CO
Poseidon ( Neptune ) is a rare Salvador Dali original lithographic poster published by Arte, Paris 1980 for the exhibition of his suite ” The Mythology ” . This series has 16 i...
Lithograph
Island. Women's Sculpture Head, Original Painting
By Guigen Zha
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Guigen Zha presents a stylized portrait of a woman’s head, adorned with floral and tree-like elements against a backdrop of blue sky, moon, and seascap...
Acrylic
$1,180Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage American Modernist Trompe L'Oeil Surreal Still Life Exhibited Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Amazing American modernist still life oil painting by Adrian Martinez (Born 1949) . Oil on canvas. Exhibited.
Canvas, Oil
original lithograph
By André Masson
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1972 for the art revue XXe Siecle (issue No. 38). Size: 12 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches (310 x 237 mm). Not signed.
Lithograph
Salvador Dali American Trotting Horses No.1 rare poster for Tokyo Exhibit 1974
Located in Paonia, CO
Salvador Dali American Trotting Horses no.1 poster for Tokyo Exhibit 1974. This image is from the The Currier and Ives Suite of six litho...
C Print
$4,080
"Art Gallery" Original X-Large futuristic landscape. Mountains black yellow blue
By Sanne Bleka
Located in Oslo, NO
Canvas in roll. The picture tells about an art gallery. It is located in an ecological village full of fantasy. The gallery guarantees the uniqueness and high quality of this work o...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Afro Lady -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Women, Floral
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity About Artist Oluw...
Canvas, Acrylic
Vintage Surreal Figurative Etching -- "Metamorphosis"
Located in Soquel, CA
Fantastical sepia etching titled "Metamorphosis" by Herbert L. Fink (American,1921 - 2006). Signed and dated 1982. Unframed. In mat. Image size: 13"H x 2...
Etching, Paper
$7,200
Dancing Wiseman, Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Figurative Surrealism Oil Painting Artist Tigran Hovumyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen Year: 2014 Style: Figurative Surrealism, S...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled - Lithograph by Wifredo Lam - 1970s
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
$7,500
Offering - Symbolic Landscape Painting, Waterfall, Anselm Kiefer Inspired Art
Located in New York, NY
This captivating painting features a dynamic interplay between nature and man-made objects, with cascading waterfalls forming a serene backdrop for symbolic objects in the foreground...
Plaster, Wood Panel, Pigment
Beyond Reach
Located in Zofingen, AG
Beyond Reach From the series «1000 and 1 Night» In this work, love unfolds as a form of invisible closeness — a presence without touch. The space between two people is not empty; ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Beaujolais - Abstract Muted Tone Architectural Still Life Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Readiness (Black Surrealist Philadelphia artist)
By Roland Ayers
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Roland Ayers (1932-2014). Readiness, 1971. Pen and ink drawing. 4 w. x 6 h. inches, Signed and dated lower right. Artist and art educator, Roland Ayers was born on July 2, 19...
Paper, Ink
Destiny (surrealist oil painting giant horse cowboy rider man brown equine)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
A quiet sense of inevitability permeates this surreal encounter between horse and rider, suspended against a vast sky streaked with rose-brown clouds. The figure—a small, contemplati...
Canvas, Oil
$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
Salvador Dali Color Engraving, Signed, 1970, The Three Bad Barons
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: The Three Bad Barons Portfolio: Tristan and Iseult Medium: Color engraving Year: 1970 Edition: 12/125 Frame Size: 25 1/4" x 20 3/4" Sheet Size: 17 3/4" x...
Engraving