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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.

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Style: Surrealist
Contact
Contact

Contact

By Airom

Located in Santa Monica, CA

Painting depicts contact, ambiguous as to whether it could be adverse contact or intimate contact between the focal characters.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

India Ink, Oil

Salvador Dali "Romeo and Juliet"
Salvador Dali "Romeo and Juliet"

Salvador Dali "Romeo and Juliet"

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Boston, MA

Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: Romeo and Juliet Series: Much Ado About Shakespeare Date: 1968 Medium: original drypoint engravings Framed Dimensions: 22.5" x 18.5" Signature: P...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Drypoint

"Les chiens ont soif" lithograph

"Les chiens ont soif" lithograph

By (after) Max Ernst

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: lithograph (after the drawing). Printed by Mourlot for the deluxe limited edition portfolio "Les chiens ont soif", this is one of 250 impressions on BFK Rives wove paper (the...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Brunetto Latini - Woodcut Print - 1963
Brunetto Latini - Woodcut Print - 1963

Brunetto Latini - Woodcut Print - 1963

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Roma, IT

Brunetto Latini from the Series "The Divine Comedy" - Song 16 - Hell is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Comedy" by Dante...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Woodcut

Urashima Taro
Urashima Taro

Urashima Taro

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in OPOLE, PL

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Urashima Taro Drypoint etching with stencil from 1974. The edition of XVII/LXXV on Richard de Bas paper. Dimensions of work: 66 x 52 cm. Hand signed. ...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

1980’s French Surrealist Oil Painting Abstract Figurative Composition
1980’s French Surrealist Oil Painting Abstract Figurative Composition

1980’s French Surrealist Oil Painting Abstract Figurative Composition

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Tristan Fabris 1989, French Surrealist artist Abstract Surrealist Figurative study oil on canvas, unframed inscribed verso dated 1989 painting: 32 x 25.5 inches private collection, F...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Femme et Oiseaux dans la Nuit" original pochoir

"Femme et Oiseaux dans la Nuit" original pochoir

By Joan Miró

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: original pochoir stencil print in four colors. Catalogue reference: Dupin 50. Printed in 1947 in an edition of 1500 by Meriden Gravure and published by Curt Valentin for the ...

Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Stencil

In Japan Surrealist Offset Print Exhibition Poster, 1985, Unframed

In Japan Surrealist Offset Print Exhibition Poster, 1985, Unframed

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Original exhibition poster published in Japan in 1985 for a special show dedicated to modern and contemporary masters. Printed in Japan, the poster reflects the high-quality standard...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Offset

Vintage Poster - Exhibition at Galerie Maeght - 1978

Vintage Poster - Exhibition at Galerie Maeght - 1978

Located in Roma, IT

Vintage Poster Exhibition Galerie Maeght is a vintage Lithograph and Offset poster realized after Joan Mirò (1893-1983) in 1978. Good conditions. Joan Miró i Ferrà (20 April 1893 –...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Offset, Lithograph

1950’s French Surrealist Signed Oil Painting Cubist Blue Green Cream Abstract
1950’s French Surrealist Signed Oil Painting Cubist Blue Green Cream Abstract

1950’s French Surrealist Signed Oil Painting Cubist Blue Green Cream Abstract

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Tristan Fabris 1950's, French Surrealist artist Abstract Surrealist Figurative study oil on canvas, framed signed and dated 55' inscribed verso framed: 25 x 33 inches canvas: 23 x 32...

Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Revelatum Est - Lithograph - 1964

Revelatum Est - Lithograph - 1964

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Roma, IT

Color lithograph on heavy rag paper realized in 1964, It is part of Biblia Sacra vulgatæ edition is published by Rizzoli-Mediolani between 1967 and 1969. Signed and dated on plate o...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

In My Heart - Original Figurative Monochromatic Red Art Charcoal on Sheet Music
In My Heart - Original Figurative Monochromatic Red Art Charcoal on Sheet Music

In My Heart - Original Figurative Monochromatic Red Art Charcoal on Sheet Music

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 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media

Consumed, Surrealist Lithograph by Andre Masson
Consumed, Surrealist Lithograph by Andre Masson

Consumed, Surrealist Lithograph by Andre Masson

By André Masson

Located in Long Island City, NY

Andre Masson, French (1896 - 1987) - Consumed, Portfolio: Dessins Erotiques, Year: 1971, Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 23/125, Image Size:...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

9 of Pentacles, Oil Painting
9 of Pentacles, Oil Painting

9 of Pentacles, Oil Painting

By Rachel Srinivasan

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
The artwork depicts the Nine of Pentacles card, symbolizing rapidly growing success, incoming financial satisfaction, and wealth. White bison figures represen...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Grotesque  - Etching - 1960s
Grotesque  - Etching - 1960s

Grotesque - Etching - 1960s

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Roma, IT

Etching on chamois-colored laid paper, realized in 1968/69. Plate from "Faust (La Nuit de Walpurgis), published by Argillet, Paris. Edition of 49/150, hand colored. Hand signed an...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Nereid - Nude Female Figure with Elongated Limbs in Outstretched Yoga Pose
Nereid - Nude Female Figure with Elongated Limbs in Outstretched Yoga Pose

Nereid - Nude Female Figure with Elongated Limbs in Outstretched Yoga Pose

By Oliver Hazard Benson

Located in Chicago, IL

Nereid is a sea nymph, a female spirit of sea waters. She symbolizes everything that is beautiful and kind about the sea. Her melodious voice sing as she dances and twists on a sea ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

The Lost Trace / - The Holy Night as a real dream -
The Lost Trace / - The Holy Night as a real dream -

The Lost Trace / - The Holy Night as a real dream -

By Ernst Fuchs

Located in Berlin, DE

Ernst Fuchs (1930 Vienna - 2015 ibid), The Lost Trace, 1972. Vernis mou and aquatint etching, 46.8 x 36.4 cm (plate), 66 x 50 cm (sheet), 69.5 x 53.5 cm (frame), WVZ Hartmann no. 185...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Cat Friends

Cat Friends

By Leonor Fini

Located in Columbia, MO

LEONOR FINI Cat Friends 1973 Color lithograph Ed. 157/230 12.5 x 9 inches

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

High Wire, Surrealist Lithograph by George Russin
High Wire, Surrealist Lithograph by George Russin

High Wire, Surrealist Lithograph by George Russin

Located in Long Island City, NY

High Wire George Russin, American (1910–2010) Date: circa 1980 Lithograph, signed in pencil Image Size: 23 x 15.5 inches Size: 29 x 21 in. (73.66 x 53.34 cm)

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Homme baisant la chaussure
Homme baisant la chaussure

Homme baisant la chaussure

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in OPOLE, PL

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Homme baisant la chaussure Etching from 1969. 66/145 on Japan paper. Dimensions of work: 38 x 28 cm. Hand signed. Publisher: Graphik Europa Anstalt. ...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Hard Margins - Woodcut - 1963
Hard Margins - Woodcut - 1963

Hard Margins - Woodcut - 1963

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Roma, IT

Hard Margins - Hell Plate 19, is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri. Not signed, as issued. G...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Woodcut

French Surrealist Oil Painting Figurative Scene Family with Horse Landscape
French Surrealist Oil Painting Figurative Scene Family with Horse Landscape

French Surrealist Oil Painting Figurative Scene Family with Horse Landscape

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Figurative Abstract French School oil painting on board painting: 22.5 x 22.5 inches condition: overall very good and pleasing provenance: from a private collection of this artists w...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Aracne - Woodcut - 1963
Aracne - Woodcut - 1963

Aracne - Woodcut - 1963

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Roma, IT

Aracne -  "The Divine Comedy" - Song 12 -  Purgatory  is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri. Not s...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Woodcut

The Prophet - Héliogravure by Marc Chagall - 1960
The Prophet - Héliogravure by Marc Chagall - 1960

The Prophet - Héliogravure by Marc Chagall - 1960

By Marc Chagall

Located in Roma, IT

Héliogravure on brown-toned paper, so signature. Héliogravure  on bot sheets, recto and verso. Edition of 6500 unsigned copies. Printed by Mourlot and published by Tériade, Paris. ...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Reaching for the stars - Black and white surrealist photography, Edition of 20
Reaching for the stars - Black and white surrealist photography, Edition of 20

Reaching for the stars - Black and white surrealist photography, Edition of 20

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

A quiet interplay of light, shadow, and form, 'Reaching for the stars' captures a fleeting, dreamlike moment in surrealist composition. The softly illuminated hand reaches toward blu...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Giclée

Femme et Chien devant la Lune
Femme et Chien devant la Lune

Femme et Chien devant la Lune

By Joan Miró

Located in New York, NY

A superb impression of this very scarce, early color pochoir. Signed, dated "1935" and numbered 58/60 in pencil by Miro. Published by Adlan, Barcelona. Ink stamp on the reverse indic...

Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Color, Stencil

Rene Magritte, The Beautiful Captive, 1968 (after)
Rene Magritte, The Beautiful Captive, 1968 (after)

Rene Magritte, The Beautiful Captive, 1968 (after)

By René Magritte

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph after Rene Magritte (1898–1967), titled La Belle Captive (The Beautiful Captive), from the folio Les Enfants Trouves de Magritte (The Found Children of Magritte), 1968, originates from the edition published by A.C. Mazo et Cie, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, on November 20, 1968. The work embodies Magrittes sustained inquiry into semiotics and visual epistemology, translating his characteristic strategies of displacement, symbolic inversion, and conceptual ambiguity into an image that operates as both a poetic metaphor and a philosophical proposition concerning the instability of meaning. Executed as a lithograph on grand velin dArches paper, this work measures 17.5 x 23.5 inches (44.5 x 59.7 cm). Signed in the plate by the artist; hand signed by Fernand Mourlot, Editeur. The edition exemplifies the technical mastery of the Mourlot atelier. Artwork Details: Artist: After Rene Magritte (1898–1967) Title: La Belle Captive (The Beautiful Captive), from the folio Les Enfants Trouves de Magritte (The Found Children of Magritte) Medium: Lithograph on grand velin dArches paper Dimensions: 17.5 x 23.5 inches (44.5 x 59.7 cm) Inscription: Signed in the plate by the artist; hand signed by Fernand Mourlot, Editeur Date: 1968 Publisher: A.C. Mazo et Cie, Paris Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris Catalogue Raisonne: Magritte, Rene, et al. Rene Magritte: Catalogue Raisonne, Vol. 3. Menil Foundation; Philip Wilson Publishers; Distributed in the USA and Canada by Rizzoli International, 1992, nos. 791–792 and 1056; vol. 5, p. 218, Bibliography entry 68.28. Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the folio Les Enfants Trouves de Magritte, 1968 Notes: Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), Finished printing in Paris on November 20, 1968, on the presses of Mourlot, for the lithographs. The unpublished text by Louis Scutenaire was composed in Elzevir Casion corps 28 and printed by Fequet et Baudier, typographers. The unpublished compositions numbered from I to IV were specially made by Rene Magritte for this album. The compositions of the Enchanted Domain, are the renderings of the eight paintings of the mural of the Casino de Knokke. They were printed with the benevolent authorization of Mr. Gustave J. Nellens. Justification of the draw, this album was taken from CCCL examples on grand velin dArches numbered from I to CCCL, plus a few examples for collaborators and assistants. About the Publication: Les Enfants Trouves de Magritte (The Found Children of Magritte), published in 1968 by A.C. Mazo et Cie, Paris, represents one of the most significant late life print projects devoted to Rene Magrittes work. Conceived as both a literary and visual tribute, the folio pairs texts by the Belgian writer Louis Scutenaire, Magrittes close friend and fellow Surrealist, with lithographic interpretations produced at the Mourlot atelier, the premier lithographic workshop of twentieth century France. The album includes compositions by Magritte alongside lithographic renderings of the celebrated Enchanted Domain mural from the Casino de Knokke, printed with the authorization of Gustave J. Nellens, who commissioned the original mural. Issued in a single edition of CCCL examples on grand velin dArches, the folio stands as a testament to the collaboration between artist, writer, publisher, and master printer, and remains one of the most culturally important Surrealist print albums of the post war era. About the Artist: Rene Magritte (1898–1967) was a Belgian Surrealist painter whose visionary, intellectual, and poetic imagery redefined twentieth century art and forever changed how the world perceives reality and illusion. Celebrated for his calm precision and thought provoking juxtapositions of ordinary objects in extraordinary contexts, Magritte used painting as a philosophical tool, transforming the everyday into visual paradoxes that challenged the boundaries between what is seen and what is known. Born in Lessines, Belgium, and trained at the Academie Royale des Beaux Arts in Brussels, he absorbed early influences from Cubism, Futurism, and Symbolism before embracing Surrealism, where he found his true voice. In Paris, he became part of the avant garde circle that included Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray—all artists whose radical ideas helped him forge his distinctive synthesis of logic and mystery. Unlike Dalis dream...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

CONSCIUM EST ABYSSUS QUAE SEPARAT
CONSCIUM EST ABYSSUS QUAE SEPARAT

CONSCIUM EST ABYSSUS QUAE SEPARAT

Located in Zofingen, AG

This work speaks of the invisible rupture that doesn’t arise from a lack of love, but from the misalignment of awakening. One already sees. The other is still asleep. And between the...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Ruth glaneuse

Ruth glaneuse

By Marc Chagall

Located in Paris, FR

Original lithograph by Marc Chagall from The Bible of 1960 Ruth glaneuse Unsigned 35 x 26 cm Excellent condition

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Pillar of Strength 3 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Woman, African
Pillar of Strength 3 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Woman, African

Pillar of Strength 3 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Woman, African

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Pillar of Strength” is a radiant fabric collage painting that pays homage to the unshakable resilience, grace, and dignity of the African woman. Composed entirely from intricately la...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Fabric, Canvas

Shitakiri (The tongue-cut sparrow)
Shitakiri (The tongue-cut sparrow)

Shitakiri (The tongue-cut sparrow)

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in OPOLE, PL

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Shitakiri (The tongue-cut sparrow) Drypoint etching with stencil from 1974. The edition of XVII/LXXV on Richard de Bas paper. Dimensions of work: 66 x ...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

Six Birds
Six Birds

Six Birds

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork "Six Birds" c.1990, is an acrylic painting on canvas by Mexican artist Gustavo Martinez, b.1941. It is signed at the lower left corner by the artist. The canvas size is ...

Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

BREEZINESS. Original Painting by Stasy Vo
BREEZINESS. Original Painting by Stasy Vo

BREEZINESS. Original Painting by Stasy Vo

Located in Zofingen, AG

Imagine the warm smell of summer. Here you go to the park in a high mood. And there everything is in bloom, there are lovely flowers spread in the field, the sun is pleasantly warmin...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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.