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.
Alice in Wonderland : Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill - Handsigned Woodcut
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador DALI Alice in Wonderland : The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill, 1968 Heliogravure and Woodcut Handsigned on pencil Printed signature in the plate Justificated E.A (artist pro...
Etching, Woodcut
"My Peace", Surreal, Dove, Bird, Blue, White, Oil Painting
Located in Franklin, MA
Anita Zotkina’s “My Peace” is an 8 x 10 x 0.7 inch surrealist oil painting on canvas depicting a luminous white dove standing within a quiet atmosphere of soft blue and lavender tone...
Canvas, Oil
A Colorful 1930s Modern Surrealist Abstraction by Hananiah Harari "The Military"
Located in Chicago, IL
A Colorful, 1930s Modern Surrealist Abstraction by Notable New York Avant Garde Artist, Hannah Harari (Am. 1912-2000). Titled "The Military", the artwork is ink and colored pencil ...
Paper, Color Pencil, Ink
$424Sale Price|20% Off
Conventional sentiment. Limited edition print Surreal Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Giclee limited edition print by worldwidely established Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. Figurative surrealistic print with man and a woman standing on the road. The road is transformin...
Paper, Color
Melrose Animal House - Abstract Architectural Monochromatic Watercolor Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a colorful artist who lives and paints in Sweden. Most of her works are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Bernhardsson travels the world...
Paper, Mixed Media
$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
Triumph Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Artwork Title: Triumph Medium: Original Oil on Linen Dimensions: 40" x 32" x 1" (101 x 81 x 3 cm) Year: 2024 Unframed, Stretched o...
Canvas, Oil
$90Sale Price|43% Off
Untitled IV (Jörg Remé, Jörg Krichbaum, ~43% OFF - MUST GO)
By Jörg Remé
Located in Kansas City, MO
Joerg Reme Untitled IV from "von den Stunden" Folio Color Lithograph on handmade paper with deckled edges 1972 Size: 11.75 x 8.325 inches (29.8 × 21.1 cm) Edition: 31 of 250 Signed i...
Lithograph
Let's Move In Together - Abstract Color Drenched Architecture 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
$450
Flower Pot 3 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Still Life, Nature, 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 Aka...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Night Swim" (2024) Original Oil Painting on Panel
By Nadezda
Located in Denver, CO
Nadezda's beautiful handmade oil on panel painting "Night Swim" (2024) is a portrait of a young girl in a surreal scene, laying in ocean waters while carried by a shiver of sharks. ...
Oil, Panel
$424Sale Price|20% Off
Silent confession. Limited edition print Surreal Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Giclee limited edition print by worldwidely established Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. Figurative surrealistic print with a woman whose dress is made out of sea. There is a ship. Artw...
Paper, Color
Italian Surrealist Colorful Metal Enamel Plaque Painting Wall Hanging Art Luigi
Located in Surfside, FL
Biomorphic Surrealism. Signed Luigi, Enamel on metal (probably copper). Mounted to a plexi or acrylic purple mounting. I am assuming it is Italian as it is signed Luigi but it might ...
Enamel
Please, don't look, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Elena Done
Located in Yardley, PA
Please, don’t look. I’m not offering you this moment. I’m not hiding — I’m just not performing. ? I turn away, and in that gesture, I become mine again. Please, D...
Oil
original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. This lithograph was printed in 1953 for the "Improvisations" portfolio, published by the Artists Equity Association of New York on the occasion of the 19...
Lithograph
Salvador Dali "Ultra Surrealist, Corpuscular Galutska"
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: Ultra Surrealist Corpuscular Galutska Series: Memories of Surrealism Date: 1971 Medium: Lithograph with etching Unframed Dimensions: 29.75" x 21.25...
Lithograph, Etching
$683
Surreal Pop Art Limited Edition Etching Indian Artist Woman Tree Hair Pots
Located in Norfolk, GB
From emerging Indian artist Sonal Varshneya Ojha are the last available works from her Limited Edition of 7 series Kissa Goi. Art 1821 is selling the last 14, different works, of th...
Archival Paper, Etching
$519Sale Price|20% Off
Paris, limited edition, Surreal, Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Size of sheet is ca. 29.5 x 21 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 com...
Paper, Color
$380Sale Price|20% Off
FALLING RIBBON Signed Mini Lithograph, Red Satin, Surreal Beach Scene
Located in Union City, NJ
FALLING RIBBON is a hand drawn limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archival A...
Lithograph
$2,750
Justine y el Marquez de Sade, Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Jose Luis Cuevas
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jose Luis Cuevas Title: Justine y el Marquez de Sade from the Intolerance Portfolio Year: 1989 Medium: Etching with Aquatint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 50 Paper...
Etching, Aquatint
$297Sale Price|33% Off
Analphabetogramme - Signatur Objekt Nr. 23 (Collages, Assemblages, Surrealism)
By Jiri Kolar
Located in Kansas City, MO
Jiri Kolar (Jiří Kolář) Analphabetogramme - Signatur Objekt Nr. 23 (Collages, Assemblages, Poetry, Surrealism) Analphabétogramme (hand-pressed copper print) with matte Year: 1995 Size: 12×11.6×0.6in Edition: 756 of 990 Signed, numbered by hand Publisher: First Edition, Verlag Rommerskirchen, Rolandseck - Germany COA provided Ref.: 924802-1933 White original cardboard in a Plexiglas slipcase, signed and numbered, number 756 of 990. 28 pages in block book form, texts and colored illustrations of collaged sculpture photographs, 1 loosely enclosed hand-signed original hand-pressed copper print ("Analphabétograms") under passepartout. The cardboard cover is cut out like a passe-partout so that the title illustration is visible when the book is hung on the wall as an art object using the acrylic glass frame provided. Tags: Czech artist,Poet,Visual artist,Political activist,Collages,Assemblages,Poetry,Surrealism,Dada...
Copper
Souvenir De Voyage - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1961 gouache op paper by René Magritte, printed signature of Magritte and numbered from the edition of 300. The lithograph features the dry stamps of the Magritte Foundation & ADAGP and is countersigned in pencil by Mr. Charly Herscovici, President of the Magritte Foundation, Chairman of the Magritte Museum and unique representative of the Magritte Succession. A proof of edition is printed on the back of the lithograph, guaranteeing its authenticity. Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist whose witty and thought-provoking images challenged observers? preconditioned perceptions of reality. Magritte's work frequently displays a juxtaposition of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things.Magritte grew up in a simple and somewhat tragic household. His father was a modest tailor. His mother, who was mentally unsound, committed suicide in the year 1912. Magritte started drawing at a young age, and his first paintings, produced c. 1915, were Impressionistic in style.Magritte first worked as a draughtsman in a wallpaper factory and, in the year 1922, fell in love with and married Georgette Berger. In 1926, Magritte signed...
Lithograph
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
My Favorite Pet -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, Modern
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
$400Sale Price|50% Off
Raccoon (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Raccoon Watching Fish, 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
$30,400Sale Price|20% Off
Elements, Surrealism, Chicago Artist, Planets
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
William Samuel Schwartz (Russian/American, 1896-1977) Signed: William S Schwartz (Lower, Left) " Elements ", c. 1928-29 (Date based Upon 8 Pl...
Canvas, Oil
$1,100
A Unique, Enigmatic Modern Surrealist City Interior Scene with Figure Profile
Located in Chicago, IL
A Unique, Unusual Surrealist Interior Scene with Abstracted Figure by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting an abstract city apartment interior wit...
Oil, Board
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) – Le Printemps – Color lithograph on paper
Located in Varese, IT
'Le Printemps'. Color lithograph on paper from the series 'Les Quatre Saisons', edited in 1972. Limited edition, numbered as 90/195 in lower left corner. Hand-signed in pencil by ar...
Paper, Lithograph
$3,900
Keeper of the Red Thread: framed oil painting, abstract landscape, figure, birds
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This is a signed, original oil painting by PA-based artist, Rachel Romano. It depicts a central figure in a white cloak surrounded by small white flowers and holding a long, red thre...
Linen, Oil, Panel
Salvador Dali Color Engraving, Signed, 1970, Tristan's Testament
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Tristan's Testament Portfolio: Tristan and Iseult Medium: Color engraving Year: 1970 Edition: XII/XXV Frame Size: 25 1/4" x 20 3/4" Sheet Size: 17 3/4" x...
Engraving
$2,200
"Wedgewood" by Ben Schonzeit (Photorealist, Surreal, Still life, Flowers, Tulip)
Located in New York, NY
b. 1942, Brooklyn, NY A pioneer in the SoHo art scene of the 1960s and one of the leaders of the Photorealist movement of the 1970s, Ben Schonzeit is best know for his still life pa...
Screen
Mathieu ROSIANU (1897-1969), untitled, circa 1945, gouache
Located in PARIS, FR
Mathieu (Matei) ROSIANU (1897-1969) Untitled, circa 1945 Gouache on card stock Stamped on the reverse side 4 x 3 inch frame : 11,8 × 11,8 inch Born in Bucharest in 1897 to a father...
Gouache
Untitled
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Untitled" 1982 is an original color etching with aquatint on Arches paper by French artist Jean Solombre, 1948-2005. It is hand signed, dat...
Etching, Aquatint
Surrealist painting on board, bright colors and green shadows, diptych
Located in Carballo, ES
Ventura A. Pérez (1992) is one of the most seductive artists on the contemporary Spanish scene. After earning a doctorate in contemporary art from the University of Vigo, he moved to...
Oil, Wood Panel
$880Sale Price|20% Off
Sphinx and Moon (Self Portrait) 1980s Pastel, Cleveland School Artist
By Mary Spain
Located in Beachwood, OH
Mary Spain (American, 1934-1983) Sphinx and Moon (Self Portrait), c. 1980 Pastel on paper 9 x 16.5 inches 17. 5 x 25 inches, framed Set in a realm of fantasy, Mary Spain’s work ex...
Pastel
$3,480
"La Peine Perdue (The Wasted Effort)" Lithograph after Painting by Rene Magritte
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"La Peine Perdue (The Wasted Effort)" is a color lithograph after original 1962 painting by Rene Magritte. Two blue curtains are parted on either side. Two curtain shaped mirrors show a sky and clouds. A ball sits right to the left of the mirrors. Art: 12 x 9.75 in Frame: 22.75 x 20.38 in René-François-Ghislain Magritte was born November 21, 1898, in Lessines, Belgium and died on August 15, 1967 in Brussels. He is one of the most important surrealist artists. Through his art, Magritte creates humor and mystery with juxtapositions and shocking irregularities. Some of his hallmark motifs include the bourgeois “little man,” bowler hats, apples, hidden faces, and contradictory texts. René Magritte’s father was a tailor and his mother was a miller. Tragedy struck Magritte’s life when his mother committed suicide when he was only fourteen. Magritte and his two brothers were thereafter raised by their grandmother. Magritte studied at the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts from 1916 to 1918. After graduating he worked as a wallpaper designer and in advertisement. It was during this period that he married Georgette Berger, whom he had known since they were teenagers. In 1926, René Magritte signed...
Lithograph
Lithographs II (1043), Modern Lithograph by Joan Miro
By Joan Miró
Located in Long Island City, NY
Joan Miro was a Spanish Surrealist artist, world-renowned for his unique art style that blended surrealist fantasy and modern life. This lithograph is part of the series "Lithographs...
Lithograph
The Furies - Woodcut Print attr. to Salvador Dalì - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
The Furies, from the Series "The Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri, is a woodcut print by Salvador Dalì realized in 1963. Good conditions. Not signed. Pla...
Woodcut
Saint Peter to Dante - Woodcut - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
Saint Peter to Dante - "The Divine Comedy" - Song 27 - Paradise is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alig...
Woodcut
Capitulo XXI, Surrealist Lithograph by Rufino Tamayo
Located in Long Island City, NY
Rufino Tamayo, Mexican (1899 - 1991) - Capitulo XXI, Portfolio: Apocalypse de Saint Jean, Year: 1959, Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives, Edition: 93/255, Size: 13 x 10 in. (33.02 x 25....
Lithograph
Light Angel Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Artwork Title: Light Angel Medium: Original Oil on Linen Dimensions: 36" x 39" x 1" (91 x 100 x 3 cm) Year: 2012 Unframed, Stretche...
Canvas, Oil
Purple Leaves - Large Colorful Surrealist Figurative Feminine Portrait Painting
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...
Canvas, Acrylic, Watercolor
Boston - Abstract Color Drenched Urban Cityscape Watercolor Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a colorful artist who lives and paints in Sweden. Most of her works are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Bernhardsson travels the world...
Paper, Mixed Media
Caja de Cebra, Handmade Bronze Zebra Box Sculpture, Signed Edition of 8
Located in Aventura, FL
Handmade bronze zebra box sculpture. Incised 'Pedro Friedberg' on the underside. Incised 6/8 on the underside. Size: 8.7 x 9 x 2.5 inches. Certificate of Authenticity is included...
Bronze
Sarah and the Angels - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1960
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
$1,120Sale Price|20% Off
White Stone Surrealist Painting, Late 20th Century, Cleveland Female Artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
Sally Lachina (American, 20th Century) White Stone, 1994 Acrylic on canvas Signed and dated lower right, signed, dated and titled verso 42 x 42 inches Sally Lachina is an American a...
Acrylic
Les Chants de Maldoror
Located in New York, NY
Heliogravure, etching, and drypoint, 1934. From the deluxe edition of 40 with the drypoint remarqué, before the published edition of 100 printed from the reduced plate. From the po...
Etching, Drypoint
$1,596Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Modernist Surreal "Metamorphosis" Still Life Exhibited Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist surreal interior scene oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 27 by 30 inches overall. Hands...
Canvas, Oil
Figurative Mixed Media Bust Sculpture in Ceramic Oxides and Carved Fir Wood
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This figurative mixed media bust sculpture in ceramic, metallic oxides and carved fir wood opens with a strong emphasis on material expression and emotional tension. The work belongs to the Xentes series, a body of sculptures by the Spanish artist Óscar Aldonza Torres that explores the dialogue between individuality and collective identity. The piece combines high-temperature ceramic for the head—treated with oxides and imitation gold leaf—with a tall fir-wood torso...
Metal, Gold Leaf
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
$800
Gaze 2 - 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
$7,120Sale Price|20% Off
Salvador Dali "Blackberries"
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: Blackberries Series: Fruits Date: 1970 Medium: Photolithograph with original engraving on Rives Unframed Dimensions: 22.5" x 14.5" Framed Dimensio...
Engraving, Lithograph
Faust Vignettes Faust Lisant
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Faust Vignettes Faust Lisant MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Editions Argillet, Paris EDITION NUMBER: 24/100 MEASUREMENTS: 15" x 1...
Etching
Cabeza Sobre Fondo Verde, Surrealist Etching by Rufino Tamayo
Located in Long Island City, NY
Rufino Tamayo, Mexican (1899 - 1991) - Cabeza Sobre Fondo Verde, Portfolio: Rufino Tamayo 15 aquafuertes, Year: 1979, Medium: Etching, signed and numbered in crayon, Edition: 14/...
Etching
The King's Feast, King Ubu - Original Lithograph (Maeght #399)
By Joan Miró
Located in Paris, IDF
Joan MIRO The King's Feast, King Ubu, 1966 Original lithograph (Atelier Mourlot, Paris) Unsigned Numbered 34 / 75 copies On Arches vellum 54 x 75 cm (c. 21.2 x 29.5 in) REFERENCE :...
Lithograph
$4,131
"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
$450Sale Price|50% Off
Turtle (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Turtle, 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
Île Saint-Louis - River Seine Paris France Surrealist Oil on Board Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
* No US duty or taxes to pay on this item * A very beautiful signed and dated 1972 oil on board depicting a surrealist view of the Île Saint-Louis in Paris at sunset. Striking and ...
Oil, Board
1971 L'Académie de Paris, Pencil Signed EA Colorful Etching
Located in New York, NY
Salvador Dali 1971 L'Académie de Paris Etching 19x25 inches Image 27x33 inches with frame overall good condition Pencil Signed lower right Pencil Edition Size EA This Large piece is pencil signed and has lots of light Colors "Academy of Paris - Dali" refers to the etching L'Académie de Paris (1971) by Salvador Dalí, created to commemorate his admission to the French Academy of Fine Arts. It also refers to the Dali Paris...
Lithograph
$1,196Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century Modernist Surreal Sunset Abstract Nude Woman Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school modernist surreal landscape. Oil on canvas, circa 1981. Signed on verso. Image size 30L x 18H. Housed in a period modern frame.
Canvas, Oil
Snail. By Constantin Selihanov. Bronze. 19x29x10 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Konstantin Vladimirovich Selikhanov (born June 18, 1967, Minsk) is a Belarusian sculptor, artist, and graphic artist, the grandson of sculptor S. I. Selikhanov. The alley leading to ...
Bronze