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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
Untitled (Two Birds) - Etching by Max Ernst - 1972
Located in Roma, IT
Etching and aquatint on Japan paper, realized in 1972. Printed and published by Georges Visat, Paris. Edition of 100, numbered 99/100 and hand signed in pencil.
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

1960's British Surrealist Oil Painting - Blooming Energy Abstract
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: 1960's British Surrealist Oil Painting - Blooming Energy Abstract Artist: Elvic Steele Medium: Oil on board, unframed Size: 6 height x 4.5 width Condition: Good Provenance: a...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Surrealist Oil Painting Magical Realism Lionel Kalish Italian Home Fantasy Scene
Located in Surfside, FL
Lionel Kalish (American B.1931) "A Villa on the Sea", c. 1980 Oil on canvas Hand signed lower right L.Kalish Bark Frameworks Inc. N.Y. label verso 16" x 24" Lionel Kalish born...
Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Fallen" (2017) By John Tarantola, Original Nude Oil Portrait Painting
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "Fallen" (2017) is a beautiful surrealist oil on panel painting that depicts an athletic nude male figure crawling forward weary through a des...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

The corridor of Katmandu, from The Hippies
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: The corridor of Katmandu Portfolio: The Hippies Medium: Etching on Arches wove paper Date: 1969 Edition: Unnumbered proof Frame Size: 34 1/4" x 27 1/2" S...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Joan Miro, L’Oro dell’Azzurro (Framed)
Located in Manchester, GB
Joan Miro, L’Oro dell’Azzurro (Framed) Giclee print Framed in a sustainably sourced black frame gallery with UV protection acrylic glazing 67 x 80 cm 'The Gold of the Azure' w...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Giclée

Le cheval de triomphe
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Pégase Lithograph from 1970. Dimensions of work: 68 x 50 cm On B.F.K Rives paper as stated in the Field catalogue. Reference: Field 72-6G The work is...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Salvador Dali PEACE AT LAST! Lithograph
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989) Marking(s); notes: signed, blind stamp; ed. LVIII/C; 1973 Materials: lithograph on Piera paper Dimensions (H, W, D):...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Advice from a Caterpillar (Field 69-5, A-M), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Héliogravure on Papeterie de Mandeure vélin paper. Paper Size: 16.93 x 11.22 inches. Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered, as issued. Catalogue raisonné references: Dalí, ...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Composition (Dupin 119), Feuilles éparses, Joan Miró
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Aquatint and etching on vélin cuve de Rives paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, Feuilles éparses, 1965. Published and print...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

The Lovers - Héliogravure by Marc Chagall - 1960
Located in Roma, IT
Héliogravure on brown-toned paper, so signature. On bot sheets, recto and verso. Edition of 6500 unsigned copies. Printed by Mourlot and published by Tériade, Paris. Ref. Mourlot,...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Butterfly suite : Auvergne - heliogravure and lithograph - 1969
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador DALI (1904-1969) (after) France : Auvergne, 1969 Lithograph and Heliogravure / Photogravure after an original design by Dali Blind stamp signature bottom right Numbered / 1...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure, Lithograph

"The Post-Truth Era: First Impact", Surrealist, Collage, Acrylic Painting, 2018
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “The Post-Truth Era: First Impact” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 20 x 16 x 1.5 inches in pinks, oranges, blues and whites. During the last decade, as the...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

"Soft Lights" Heavy Textured Monterey California Seascape Original Oil on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
"Soft Lights" - Heavily Textured Monterey California Seascape in Oil on Canvas Textured impressionist seascape by Monterey, California artist Dick Crispo (American, b. 1945). The oc...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

"La Soledad / Robinson Crusoe" Contemporary Red Surrealistic Triangle Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Contemporary surrealistic figurative triangle painting by an artist named Zeus. The work features a realistically rendered male figure in robes reaching out towards a floating eyebal...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Salvador dali 'Passiflora lauigera - 1968' Lithograph/Etching, Signed & numbered
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Passiflora laurigera (Le vine, Passionflower) Portfolio: 1968 Flora Dalinae Medium: Photolithograph, etching, and pochoir in colors on BFK Rives Date: 19...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Photographic Film, Lithograph

Held Inside a Shaft of Light (Window, Skyscape, Warm, Dreamy, ~29% OFF)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Annieo Klaas Held Inside a Shaft of Light 2023 Oil on Canvas 40 x 30 inches (101.6 x 30.48 cm) Signed lower right COA provided *On stretcher frame - gallery wrapped - ready to hang ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

watermelon print kitchen art
Located in Roma, GB
limited edition print on paper hand signed certificate of authenticity
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

C Print, Paper, Color, Digital, Laser

Lincoln in Dalívision /// Salvador Dalí Abraham Lincoln Surrealism Lithograph
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Salvador Dalí (Spanish, 1904-1989) Title: "Lincoln in Dalívision" *Signed by Dalí in pencil lower right Year: 1977 Medium: Photolithograph and Etching with Embossing on Arche...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Lithograph

"Studio Sketch of Alicia", Surrealist, Portrait, Collage, Acrylic Painting, 2020
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Studio Sketch of Alicia” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 20 x 16 inches in oranges, greys and pinks. Baker says, "I often sketch visitors to my studio tha...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

'Body and Soul' — Mid-20th Century Surrealism
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Federico Castellon, 'Body and Soul', 1938, lithograph, edition 30, Freundlich 3. Signed in pencil. Signed in the stone, lower left. A fine, richly-inked, atmospheric impression on cr...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Terres de Grand Feu" original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1956 for the art revue Derriere le Miroir (issue number 87-88-89) and published in Paris by Maeght. Size: 15 x 21 3/4 inches (380 x 555 mm). T...
Category

1950s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Original 1969 Surrealist Bronze, Marble Sculpture Alma Del Quijote Salvador Dali
Located in Surfside, FL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) – Surrealist bronze sculpture by Salvador Dalí depicting an interpretation of the soul of Don Quiote. The sculpture is mounted on...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Five Continents - United Nations
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Five Continents - United Nations MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: World Federation of United Nations Associations EDITION NUMBER: ...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Schéhérazade - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1950 oil on canvas by René Magritte, printed signature of Magritte and numbered from the edition of 275. The lithograph features the dry stamps of the Mag...
Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Marc Chagall and Charles Sorlier, Carmen, Lithograph, signed 98/150 Mourlot CS39
Located in New York, NY
Marc Chagall (After) and Charles Sorlier (his collaborator and printer) Carmen, Metropolitan Opera, New York City, 1966 Color Lithograph on Arches watermarked Paper with deckled edg...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

L'Enfer XIX (Field 189-200; M/L 1039-1138), La Divine Comédie
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Woodcut in colors on vélin pur chiffon de Rives paper. Paper size: 13 x 10.375 inches. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Catalogue raisonné reference: Michler & Löpsin...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Woodcut

Sandias, Surrealist Mixographia by Rufino Tamayo
Located in Long Island City, NY
Rufino Tamayo, Mexican (1899 - 1991) - Sandias, Year: 1977, Medium: Mixographia, signed and numbered in crayon, Edition: 31/100, Size: 29 x 20.75 in. (73.66 x 52.71 cm), Publishe...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Miró, Composition (Cramer 83; Mourlot 347), Derrière le miroir (after)
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Lithograph on vélin paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the volume, Derrière le miroir, N° 139-140, 1963. Published by Aimé Maeght, Éd...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Creation - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1960
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...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Dante and Beatrice - Original WATERCOLOR, Signed (Descharnes #d6970_1951)
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador Dali Divine Comedy : Dante and Beatrice, 1952 Original watercolor Signed in lower center Dated 1952 On vellum lined on thin board 42 x 30 cm (c. 17 x 12in) REFERENCES : Th...
Category

1950s Surrealist Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

Magritte, Ma Mere l'Oye (after)
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Lithograph in Colours on Vélin d'Arches paper. Edition: 350, plus proofs. Signed in the plate by the artist; hand signed in pencil by the printer, Fernand Mourlot. Good Condition; ne...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Surrealist composition
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: collotype (after the Miro lithograph). Printed in 1947 in an edition of 1500 by Meriden Gravure and published by Curt Valentin for "The Prints of Joan Miro" portfolio. Size: ...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Les Anatomes, Plate F - Etching by Man Ray - 1970
Located in Roma, IT
Les Anatomes, Plate F is a contemporary artwork realized by Man Ray in 1970 Mixed colored etching Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Edition 26/100 Ref. Anselmino 70F Includes ...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

October Dusk - Original Atmospheric Mountain Landscape Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rob Katkowski’s original oil painting, October Dusk, is an atmospheric and contemplative work that captures the essence of twilight, blending symbolic abstraction with the quiet beau...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Surrealist composition
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: collotype (after the Miro lithograph). Printed in 1947 in an edition of 1500 by Meriden Gravure and published by Curt Valentin for "The Prints of Joan Miro" portfolio. Size: ...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Florals Narcissus (Phones) Andalou
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Florals Narcissus (Phones) Andalou MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 1/350 MEASUREMENTS: 21.75" x 29.5" YEAR: 1972 FRAMED: No...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

La Grande Guerre - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1954 oil on canvas by René Magritte, plate-signed by Magritte and numbered from the edition of 300. The lithograph features the dry stamps of the Magritte...
Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Micro Gestalt Series #3b
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Acrylic and ink on canvas.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Acrylic

Joseph and his brothers - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1978
Located in Roma, IT
Joseph and his brothers is a contemporary artwork realized by Marc Chagall in 1978. Mixed colored lithograph. Image dimensions: cm 36.5x30 Hand Signed and numbered in pencil 25/50...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Occasion
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Maggie Taylor's digital creations are emblematic, afterimages that invite, transport and are unforgettable. Taylor's images are built, layer by layer and object by object, through a ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Goddess the Violinist and Swan
Located in Zofingen, AG
As the artist, I've poured my soul into this canvas, blending oils to evoke a sense of enigmatic allure and surreal wonder. With each stroke, I've strived to weave a narrative that t...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Miró, Poême pour Dorothea Tanning, XXe Siècle (after)
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Lithograph on vélin paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition, with centerfold, as issued. Notes: From the volume, XXe Siècle, Hommage à Dorothea Tanning...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Salvador Dali, "Les Amoureux" Signed & numbered Lithograph Suite Of 3
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
This beautiful suite consists of "Anthony & Cleopatra", "The Garden of Eden", "Lancelot & Guinevere", Portfolio features three lithographs in colors. Each lithograph editioned and si...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Lithograph

"Voyage en Céphalie" by Jean-Pierre BURQUIER - Oil on Canvas - 81x65 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Jean-Pierre Burquier is firstly painter and graphic artist. He creates surrealist paintings since he was 20 years. Following a chance meeting with an ostrich egg, he decided to move ...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Encircled' — Mid-Century Surrealism, Atelier 17
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Ian Hugo, 'Encircled', engraving, 1946, edition 50. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered '5/50' in pencil. With the blind stamp 'madeleine-claude jobrack EDIT...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Engraving

20th Century Surrealist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Beachwood, OH
Surrealist Landscape Oil on canvas 'R. Lee Glenn' verso 30 x 24.25 inches 31.75 x 26.75 inches, framed Surrealism aims to revolutionize human experience. It balances a rational visi...
Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Floral Crown and Snail: Surreal Portrait with Whimsical Details. Lim. Ed. 25/25
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This vibrant and whimsical artwork combines surrealism with nature-inspired symbolism to create a striking visual narrative. At its center, a female figure gazes outward, adorned wit...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Metal

Que Font Ces Gens - Ink Drawing by Salvador Dalì - 1945
Located in Roma, IT
Que font ces gens is a beautiful modern artwork realized by Salvador Dalì in 1945. China Ink Drawing on paper. Original outstanding drawing realized to illustrate the book "The Labyrinth" by Maurice Sandoz, published in 1945. Signed and dated on the lower right recto. Executed on thick cream wove paper, not laid down and taped to the mount along the upper edge. The upper, right and lower edges are slightly unevenly cut. There are two pinholes towards the upper right and upper left corners. The sheet is time stained and there is a spot of foxing beneath the lower edge of the drawing. There are some remnants from previous mounting at the upper two corners not visible when framed. There are handling marks to the perimeter of the sheet. The ink is strong and well preserved. The artwork is accompanied by authentication of Robert P. Descharnes, Paris 2003, reference archive: D-3461. Prov. Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Sale...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

1960's British Surrealist Oil Painting - 'Jungle Struggle' Fantasy Abstract
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Stunning original oil painting by Elvic Steele depicting this surrealist fantasy abstract painting. Elvic Steele is a fascinating English painter. Her works entrance the observer, d...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Trapped in Shimmering Blue, Surreal Landscape, Fauvist Northern Lights on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is a beautiful landscape painting by Alexandra Czierpka. By reducing color and form to their essentials, she invites the observer to contemplate the harmony between humans and n...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Paper

Nabuchodonosor Rex Babulonis - Lithograph - 1967/69
Located in Roma, IT
Nabuchodonosor Rex Babulonis ("Nebucchadenezzar King Of Babylon") is an artwork realized in 1964. It is part of Biblia Sacra vulgatæ editionis published by Rizzoli-Mediolani between...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Dream a Marcos, Figurative Surrealism, Original oil Painting
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2018 Style: Portrait, Surrealism, Subject: The Dream a Marcos, Size: 19" x...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Lierre
Located in OPOLE, PL
Henri Matisse (1869-1954) - Lierre Lithograph from 1958. Dimensions of work: 35.5 x 26.4 cm Plate signed. Publisher: Tériade, Paris. First, original edition. The work is in Exc...
Category

1950s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Celestial Elephant
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Celestial Elephant or Space Elephant MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Levine and Levine for DALART EDITION NUMBER: I 285/350 MEAS...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

1960's British Surrealist Oil Painting - 'Bright Green Garden' Fantasy Abstract
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Stunning original oil painting by Elvic Steele depicting this surrealist fantasy abstract painting. Elvic Steele is a fascinating English painter. Her works entrance the observer, d...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

"Hombre contemplando la luna" signed / numbered original etching
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original etching and aquatint. Signed in pencil and numbered 68 of 80. Printed in 1947 on Velin de Hollande paper and published in New York by the Quadrangle Press as a speci...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

1960's British Surrealist Oil Painting - 'Summer Warmth' Pink Flower Abstract
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Stunning original oil painting by Elvic Steele depicting this surrealist fantasy abstract painting. Elvic Steele is a fascinating English painter. Her works entrance the observer, d...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

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.

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