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.
$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
(after) Marino Marini - "Le cheval au manège" 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 x 3 3/4 inches (130 x 93 mm)...
Lithograph, Stencil
$1,425
The Family - Abstract Colorful Architectural 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, Acrylic
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
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
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
$244Sale Price|50% Off
Litografia Original VI (Abstract, Modern, Surrealism, 50% OFF - MUST GO)
By Joan Miró
Located in Kansas City, MO
Joan Miró Litografia Original VI Color Lithograph Year: 1975 Size: 13.25 × 10 inches (33.65 x 25.4 cm) Catalogue Raisonné: Queneau, Miro Lithographe II, 1952-1963, p.35 Publisher: Ma...
Lithograph
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Peace Out - 21st Century, Contemporary, Surrealism, African Nature, Fashion
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This piece explores the complex nature of human emotion through modern portraits. I blend raw feelings with stylized details, often changing normal body shapes by giving my figures l...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
Tauromachie au Papillons - Surrealist Lithograph, Signed, 1972
Located in Roma, IT
Color lithograph on Arches paper. Artist proof aside of the ediion of 250. Hand signed in pencil. Ref. Michler-Lopsinger 1358. Rare colorful lithograph representing one of the ar...
Lithograph
$471
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
Desert Goddess / - Transcendental Realism -
Located in Berlin, DE
Karin Hauke, Desert Goddess, 1976. Oil on wood, 70 x 50 cm (image size), 73 cm x 53 cm (frame), signed “K. HAUKE” lower right and dated “[19]76.” - Small flaking in the lower area, o...
Oil
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
Le Cavalier Triomphant Drypoint Etching, Surrealist, Signed, 1973
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Le Cavalier Triomphant Drypoint etching on chromolithograph, embossed from 1973. The edition HC. Countersigned by the editor. Additionally dedicated b...
Etching, Drypoint
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
"Entrance and Exit" - Oil on Canvas Symbolic Surrealist Painting 2015
Located in Denver, CO
Vachagan Narazyan’s Entrance and Exit (2015) is an original oil on canvas painting that exemplifies the artist’s poetic and allegorical approach to spatial imagery. The composition c...
Canvas, Oil
Pair of Surreal Miniature Wooden Hand and Foot Chair Sculptures
Located in Houston, TX
Dimensions listed are for each individual hand and the price is for the pair. Artist Biography: Artist and designer Pedro Friedeberg is known for his surrealist paintings, prints, a...
Wood
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
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
And a good handsome shape it is.
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...
Digital Pigment
$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
$471
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
La Maestra Interior, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Elena Done
Located in Yardley, PA
She raises her hands not to command, but to listen. The space around her is surreal, broken, shifting - a theatre of past selves, masks, fragments. :: Painting :: Surrealism :: T...
Oil
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
Venus à Giraffe - Sculpture by Salvador Dalí - 1973
Located in Roma, IT
Bronze, dark and brown patina, realized in 1973. Dali's printed signature in on the plinth. Edition 616/1000 on the side. Foundry stamp "Fonderia Venturi". Published by Euro Art. ...
Bronze
(after) Marino Marini - "Cavalier et cheval, bordure orange" 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 x 3 3/4 inches (130 x 97 mm)...
Lithograph, Stencil
Flight of fancy.
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...
Digital Pigment
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
1966 original exhibition poster by Man Ray at Los Angeles County Museum of Art
By Man Ray
Located in PARIS, FR
The 1966 original exhibition poster by Man Ray for "À l'heure de l'observatoire – les amoureux" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is a captivating piece of art history....
Paper, Lithograph
$1,653Sale Price|63% Off
Nudist Woman Surrealist Oil Painting, Signed, Mid-20th Century
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Nudist Women, Signed Oil Painting By French artist Claude Benard, (1926 - 2016) Signed by the artist on the lower left hand corner, Oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 32 x...
Oil
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
"Honfleur Street" (2024) By Christopher Clark, Cityscape, Oil & Acrylic
Located in Denver, CO
Christopher Clark's "Honfleur Street" is an original, handmade oil & acrylic painting that depicts an abstracted cityscape bustling with people and the sun brightly reflecting off of...
Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Long Gaze - 21st Century, Contemporary, Surrealism, African Nature, Fashion
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This piece explores the complex nature of human emotion through modern portraits. I blend raw feelings with stylized details, often changing normal body shapes by giving my figures l...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
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
Pegasus, Surrealist Etching by Andre Masson
By André Masson
Located in Long Island City, NY
This striking etching by Andre Masson from circa 1970 depicts the mythological Pegasus through the lens of Surrealist Figurative art and classical symbolism. Masson’s interpretation ...
Etching
Large Original Surrealist Bronze Marble Sculpture Alma Del Quijote Salvador Dali
Located in Surfside, FL
Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989) Alma del Quijote Bronze with marble base Edition: AB 52/100 Signed by Dalí This Surrealist sculpture depicts a dynamic and fragmented Don Quixote...
Marble, Bronze
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
The hostess.
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...
Digital Pigment
Anthem (Black Surrealist Philadelphia artist)
By Roland Ayers
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Roland Ayers (1932-2014). Anthem, 1972. Ink on Paper, 4.75 × 7 inches. Signed and dated. Measuring 12 × 16 inches in acid-free matting. Artist and art educator, Roland Ayers...
Paper, Ink
$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
The Four Ages of Man Suite
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: The Four Ages of Man Suite Juventud Adolescencia Madurez Vejez MEDIUM: 4 Lithographs SIGNED: Each lithograph is Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Galerie Spect...
Lithograph
$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
Island. Full Moon, Oil Painting
By Guigen Zha
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The surrealist portrait painting depicts a pale-faced woman gazing into the distance. Flowers and bare branches adorn her hair. A bright blue sky and a full moo...
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
$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
The Immaculate Conception, Signed Surrealist Lithograph by Salvador Dali
Located in Long Island City, NY
Salvador Dalí was born in May 11, 1904 in the small agricultural town of Figueres, Spain. Figueres is located in the foothills of the Pyrenees, only sixteen miles from the French bor...
Lithograph
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
The Garden, Surrealist Screenprint by Antonio Peticov
Located in Long Island City, NY
Antonio Peticov, Brazilian (1946 - ) - The Garden, Year: 1983, Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 250, 35 AP, Image Size: 31 x 21 inches, Size: 36 x 26...
Screen
$3,120Sale Price|20% Off
The Happy Couple, Mid Century Surrealist Fantasy Landscape by Ohio artist
By Mary Spain
Located in Beachwood, OH
Mary Spain (American, 1934-1983) The Happy Couple Oil on canvas Signed middle right, signed and titled verso 22 x 26 inches Set in a realm of fantasy, Mary Spain’s work exhibits oddly distorted figures in a child-like manner with an underlying sense of absurdity. Through her toylike and primitive style, Spain created surrealistic dramas that puzzle and entrance the viewer. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Mary Spain studied art at Syracuse University and moved to Ohio in the 1960s to teach art at Chagrin Falls...
Oil
Italian Surrealist "Butterflies Under the Sea, 1962" Painting
By Giordano Falzoni
Located in Surfside, FL
Genre: Contemporary Subject: Abstract Medium: Oil Surface: Canvas Country: Italy Dimensions: 19 3/4" x 15 1/2" x 3/4" Dimensions w/Frame: 26" x 22" Giordano Falzoni (Italian, 1925-...
Canvas, Oil
$2,010Sale Price|25% Off
Vintage Oil Painting of Fantasy Cottage in the Woods with Flowers & Gardens
Located in Preston, GB
Vintage Oil Painting of Fantasy Cottage in the Woods with Flowers & Gardens Art measures 36 x 24 inches Frame measures 40 x 28 inches
Canvas, Oil
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
Moses and Monotheism
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled, "Moses and Monotheism" 1979, is a copper embossed bas relief by artist Salvador Dali, 1904-1989. It is hand signed in felt pen at the lower right corner. The art...
Copper
The Beloved Feeds Between the Lilies - Lithograph - 1971
Located in Roma, IT
Etching with pochoir and gold overlay. Edition of 121/250. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Ref. Michler-Lopsinger 477c. Very good condition. The artwork is from the series So...
Lithograph
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...
Oil
Lost in Paradise, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Inspired by her travels, artist Marie-Eve Champagne paints a curated collection of imagery that combines collage and surrealist pictorial approaches. Two oversi...
Acrylic
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
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Female Birds of Prey
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen
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