Skip to main content

Surrealist Art

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
1,609
3,656
1,668
2,092
960
1,027
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
14
25
6,095
3,271
4
19
124
109
154
494
1,535
1,952
520
302
12
115,878
63,486
56,410
27,910
14,647
6,654
5,800
4,129
3,122
2,520
2,375
2,134
613
5,735
2,571
911
3,911
2,477
1,457
1,200
1,197
1,037
1,004
529
326
323
311
311
268
256
243
243
170
134
127
113
2,700
2,511
1,667
1,578
1,570
804
392
333
261
196
1,616
2,580
5,564
3,237
Style: Surrealist
Pippin Bumble's Favorite Time of Day, Oil Painting
Pippin Bumble's Favorite Time of Day, Oil Painting

Pippin Bumble's Favorite Time of Day, Oil Painting

By Diane Flick

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A robot elephant balances an heirloom tomato and a pot of daisy flower on its head. This is artist Diane Flick's first painting using AI-generated reference p...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Waiting Portrait Surrealism Original oil Painting
Waiting Portrait Surrealism Original oil Painting

Waiting Portrait Surrealism Original oil Painting

By Ashot Yan

Located in Granada Hills, CA

Figurative Surrealism Original Painting Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Portrait Surrealism, T...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Femme à l'escargot
Femme à l'escargot

Femme à l'escargot

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in OPOLE, PL

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Femme à l'escargot Etching from 1967. The edition of 122/145 on Japan paper. Enhanced with watercolor.. Dimensions of work: 38 x 28.5 cm. Hand signed....

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Un Longue Apres Midi
Un Longue Apres Midi

Un Longue Apres Midi

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Un Longue Apres Midi" 1984 is an original color etching with aquatint on Arches paper by French artist Jean Solombre, 1948-2005. It ...

Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Historical Document - Hunter Thompson
Historical Document - Hunter Thompson

Historical Document - Hunter Thompson

By Ralph Steadman

Located in Hollywood, FL

Artist: Ralph Steadman Title: Historical Document - Hunter Thompson Medium: One color silkscreen on White Rising Stonehenge Deckle Edge Paper Size: 13 x 22 Inches Edition: of 300 Ye...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Silk, Screen

The world of the ocean
The world of the ocean

The world of the ocean

Located in Zofingen, AG

At first glance, it is an ocean. Vast, deep, and silent. But at its bottom lies Adam. A young Adam, immersed in a stillness that feels like the end of everything. This is a biblical ...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

(after) Kurt Seligmann - pochoir

(after) Kurt Seligmann - pochoir

By Kurt Seligmann

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: pochoir (after the painting). This exquisitely rich impression on black wove paper was published in 1941 by the Nierendorf Gallery, of New York, for the cover of a now quite ...

Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Five Red Tulips - Framed Pink Original Whimsical Floral Artwork on Canvas
Five Red Tulips - Framed Pink Original Whimsical Floral Artwork on Canvas

Five Red Tulips - Framed Pink Original Whimsical Floral Artwork on Canvas

By Carlos Gamez de Francisco

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Carlos Gamez de Francisco’s "The House at the End of the Road" is a striking blend of hyperrealism, figurative surrealism, and imaginative narrative art. This 12-inch round acrylic p...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joan Miro, Untitled, from Joan Miro, 1956
Joan Miro, Untitled, from Joan Miro, 1956

Joan Miro, Untitled, from Joan Miro, 1956

By Joan Miró

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Sans titre (Untitled), originates from the 1956 publication Joan Miro. Published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, and printed by M...

Category

1950s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

original lithograph

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...

Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Petrified Origin: Surrealist Oil on Canvas, Signed, 1967
The Petrified Origin: Surrealist Oil on Canvas, Signed, 1967

The Petrified Origin: Surrealist Oil on Canvas, Signed, 1967

By Antoni Pitxot

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Title: The Petrified Origin Artist: Antoni Pitxot i Soler (1934–2015) Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 25.6 x 31.9 in (65 x 81 cm) Date: 1967 Condition: Unframed Signature: Signed lower right: Pitxot Provenance: Private collection Notes: Early work from Pitxot’s mature period, featuring the symbolic and meticulously rendered stone forms that would define his artistic identity. 📝 Work Description In The Petrified Origin, Antoni Pitxot presents a haunting and timeless vision of a single, eroded rock suspended in a dreamlike, undefined space. The stone, modeled with sculptural precision, appears to float over a subtly reflective surface, devoid of background or narrative context. Its porous texture, cracks, and shadows evoke a fossilized memory — a silent relic of geological time. Painted in 1967, this piece exemplifies Pitxot's unique visual language, developed through his practice of collecting stones along the Costa Brava and transforming them into anthropomorphic and symbolic compositions. The result is both surreal and solemn, an ode to nature’s memory and the enduring presence of the inanimate. 👤 About the Artist Antoni Pitxot i Soler (born in Figueres, 1934 – died in Barcelona, 2015) was a Catalan painter deeply rooted in the surrealist tradition. Coming from an artistic family —his uncle was Ramon Pichot, a friend of Picasso and Dalí— Pitxot trained as a draughtsman and painter from a young age. In the 1960s, he settled in Cadaqués, where he developed his distinct artistic universe. His paintings revolve around stone as a symbol of permanence, transformation, and memory. Pitxot created sculptural assemblages from real coastal stones and later immortalized them in oil on canvas. His works often hint at human figures, ancient myths, and allegories of time. 🎭 Connection with Salvador Dalí Pitxot was not only a close friend of Salvador Dalí but also one of his closest collaborators. Dalí admired his work and invited him to co-design the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres. After Dalí’s death...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Locomotion paradisiaque intra-utérine (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13)
Locomotion paradisiaque intra-utérine (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13)

Locomotion paradisiaque intra-utérine (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13)

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Title: Locomotion paradisiaque intra-utérine (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13), Imaginations et Objets du Futur (Paradise intrauterine locomo...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Drypoint, Lithograph, Screen

Two Figures 1939 - British Surrealist art figurative painting
Two Figures 1939 - British Surrealist art figurative painting

Two Figures 1939 - British Surrealist art figurative painting

Located in Hagley, England

This superb British 1930's modern art tempera Surrealist painting is by noted interwar artist Blair Hughes-Stanton. Painted in 1939 it is entitled two Figures 1939 verso and may rela...

Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Tempera

When there's nobody worth talking to.

When there's nobody worth talking to.

By Maggie Taylor

Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

In 1981 Maggie Taylor (b. 1961) began to photograph while she was a student at Yale University majoring in philosophy. She primarily took photographs of suburban landscapes and stran...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

LOVE ISLAND - Original people surrealistic painting-contemporary art
LOVE ISLAND - Original people surrealistic painting-contemporary art

LOVE ISLAND - Original people surrealistic painting-contemporary art

Located in London, Chelsea

We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Star Wars Galaxy Darth Vader 1994 Signed Limited Edition Lithograph
Star Wars Galaxy Darth Vader 1994 Signed Limited Edition Lithograph

Star Wars Galaxy Darth Vader 1994 Signed Limited Edition Lithograph

Located in Rochester Hills, MI

Ken Steacy 1994 Signed Limited Edition Star Wars Galaxy Darth Vader "Galaxy" 1994 Artist: Ken Steacy Medium: Lithograph Arches Paper Paper Size: 23½" x 30" inches Image Size: 17½" x...

Category

1990s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Nexus - Squirrel Leaps Between Trees and Table Setting, Original Oil, Framed
Nexus - Squirrel Leaps Between Trees and Table Setting, Original Oil, Framed

Nexus - Squirrel Leaps Between Trees and Table Setting, Original Oil, Framed

By John Hrehov

Located in Chicago, IL

Desert cactus, in full bloom, sit atop a table scape while a squirrel leaps between snow covered pines in the background in John Hrehov's painting titled "Nexus". The saturated colors bring a liveliness and warmth to this surreal scene. This piece is floated in a white wooden frame measuring 32h x 25w x 2d inches. John Hrehov Nexus oil on canvas 30h x 24w in 76.20h x 60.96w cm JHR022 John Hrehov Education 1985 MFA-Painting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1981 BFA-Painting, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH. Solo Exhibitions 2017 John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Tom Thomas Gallery, Indiana University East, Richmond, IN. 2012 Shades from White to Black, New Drawings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY. 2011 John Hrehov: Charcoal. Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne. 2009 John Hrehov: A Survey 1999-2009 Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY. Paintings and Drawings. Seerveld Gallery, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, IL. 2004 John Hrehov: Drawings and Paintings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY. 2002 Paintings. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY. 2001 Charcoal. Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne. John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Wood Street...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Joan Miro, Untitled, from Trace on the Water, 1963 (after)
Joan Miro, Untitled, from Trace on the Water, 1963 (after)

Joan Miro, Untitled, from Trace on the Water, 1963 (after)

By Joan Miró

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph after Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the album Trace sur l'eau (Trace on the Water), originates from the 1963 edition published b...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Joan Miro, Lithograph V, from Lithographs I, 1972
Joan Miro, Lithograph V, from Lithographs I, 1972

Joan Miro, Lithograph V, from Lithographs I, 1972

By Joan Miró

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Lithograph V, from the album Joan Miro Lithographs, Volume I, originates from the 1972 edition published by Tudor Publishin...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Purple Leaves - Large Colorful Surrealist Figurative Feminine Portrait Painting
Purple Leaves - Large Colorful Surrealist Figurative Feminine Portrait Painting

Purple Leaves - Large Colorful Surrealist Figurative Feminine Portrait Painting

By Carlos Gamez de Francisco

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The figurative surrealist paintings of Carlos Gamez de Francisco are heavily influenced by his Cuban upbringing. This presence exposed Francisco to the world of figurative arts while...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Watercolor

Tramp (pet dog, beagle, troubadour guitare, animal portrait, surrealist painting
Tramp (pet dog, beagle, troubadour guitare, animal portrait, surrealist painting

Tramp (pet dog, beagle, troubadour guitare, animal portrait, surrealist painting

By Rudolf Kosow

Located in Quebec, Quebec

"Tramp," by Rudolf Kosow, is a whimsical painting that delights in its surreal juxtaposition of scale and serenity. At the center is a beagle's face, depicted with lifelike detail and expressiveness, eyes glistening with a calm intelligence that beckons the viewer into a state of contemplation. Positioned against the backdrop of the dog's vast visage, a small, solitary figure strums a guitar. The musician, dressed in casual attire, appears as a wandering troubadour, his music resonating with the quietude of the scene. This miniature man, though diminutive in size, plays a significant role in the narrative, providing a sense of companionship and shared experience. The painting's title, "Tramp," suggests a free spirit, both in the itinerant musician and the beagle, known for its adventurous and exploratory nature. Kosow's piece is an ode to the wandering souls and the moments of unexpected harmony they encounter. Through "Tramp," we are reminded of the melodies that score our journeys and the silent kinship we find along the way. It is an invitation to embrace the music of life, to find connection in the tranquility of existence, and to acknowledge the symphonies that unfold in the presence of kindred spirits, regardless of their size or form. keywords; painting on canvas, surrealist painting, animal vs human, americana, nature, man, man vs nature, surrealism, giant animal...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Sea Horse (Hippocampus)"
"Sea Horse (Hippocampus)"

"Sea Horse (Hippocampus)"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Sea Horse (Hippocampus) is a fine-art silk print by Natalia Kolpakova, depicting a monumental seahorse-shell transformed into an inhabited Trojan vessel. Combining surrealist archite...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Silk

Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Hollywood, FL

ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Crazy Horse MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 223/250 MEASUREMENTS: 30.5" x 22.25" YEAR: 1968 FRAMED: No CERTIFICATE OF AUT...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Vitraux in Four Sheets Royal Insect
Vitraux in Four Sheets Royal Insect

Vitraux in Four Sheets Royal Insect

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Hollywood, FL

ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Vitraux in Four Sheets Royal Insect MEDIUM: 4 Lithographs SIGNED: 1 Lithograph is Hand Signed by Salvador Dali EDITION NUMBER: 1 lithograph is numbe...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Surrealist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Surrealist art 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 art 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, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Salvador Dalí, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, and Leonor Fini. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Lithograph 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 art, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for art 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 $1,450,000, while the average work sells for $1,426.