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Surrealist Art

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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.

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Style: Surrealist
YiJian Wang Surrealist Original Oil On Canvas "Caprice 2"
YiJian Wang Surrealist Original Oil On Canvas "Caprice 2"

YiJian Wang Surrealist Original Oil On Canvas "Caprice 2"

By YiJian Wang

Located in New York, NY

Title: Caprice 2 Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 15.5 x 11.5 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: This painting is unstretched Year: 2015 Artist: YiJian Wang...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"day between" - 1976 Surrealist Lithograph on Paper
"day between" - 1976 Surrealist Lithograph on Paper

"day between" - 1976 Surrealist Lithograph on Paper

By Jim Crabb

Located in Soquel, CA

"day between" - 1976 Surrealist Lithograph on Paper 1976 surrealist lithograph on paper titled "day between" by Jim Crabb (American, b. 1947). Small lithographic relief, depicting s...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Lithograph

"Man with Cup, " Painted Ceramic Figure
"Man with Cup, " Painted Ceramic Figure

"Man with Cup, " Painted Ceramic Figure

By Allan Winkler 1

Located in Chicago, IL

Although this whimsical sculpture by Allan Winkler has the look of outsider art, this ceramic work stems from the art school-trained artist’s interest in...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Ceramic, Acrylic

Art Brut figurative abstract Philadelphia Artist
Art Brut figurative abstract Philadelphia Artist

Art Brut figurative abstract Philadelphia Artist

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Jesse Soifer (1932-2013). Untitled #07, 1964. Ink on paper, sheet measures 12 x 14 inches. Dated and signed with artist monogram. Estate stamp on verso sheet with assignation numb...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

Landscape With Two Spheres
Landscape With Two Spheres

Landscape With Two Spheres

By Clayton Anderson

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist: Clayton Anderson – American (1943- ) Title: Landscape With Two Spheres Year: 1989 Medium: Liquitex with Polymer on 300lbs Arches Sight size: 10.5 x 16.5 inches. Sheet size: 19.5 x 25.5 inches Framed size: 22.5 x 28.5 inches Signature: Signed lower left in image and incised lower left of sheet Condition: Very good Frame: Framed in original maple frame. Frame in fair to good condition The painting is in very god condition. The frame is in fair to good condition with some scratches on the side bars. Clayton Anderson is a surrealist painter and a prominent member of the California Visionary Artists Group. He has been on the spiritual path his entire adult life. The quiet meditative quality that permeates his work is a genuine expression of his transcendental quest. He studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and worked with Ben Kimihira, Walter Stuempfig...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic Polymer

Have a nice day.

Have a nice day.

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

Lemon Tang-Original citrus wildlife painting-modern surrealist contemporary art
Lemon Tang-Original citrus wildlife painting-modern surrealist contemporary art

Lemon Tang-Original citrus wildlife painting-modern surrealist contemporary art

By Hallie Packard

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, Acrylic

Small Box / - Human society -
Small Box / - Human society -

Small Box / - Human society -

Located in Berlin, DE

Alla Victorovna Kraschina-Shadov (*1958), Small Box, 1999. Oil on canvas, 59 cm x 59 cm (image size), 63 cm x 63 cm (frame), monogrammed and dated 1999 on the lower right, also signe...

Category

1990s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

The Souls of  Contumacy - Woodcut - 1963
The Souls of  Contumacy - Woodcut - 1963

The Souls of Contumacy - Woodcut - 1963

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Roma, IT

The Souls of  Contumacy -  from the Series "The Divine Comedy"-  Song 3 -  Purgatory is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Co...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Woodcut

"Paris"
"Paris"

"Paris"

By Kyrylo Bondarenko

Located in Edinburgh, GB

One of my best works in this series is ""Art from Money."" This painting has a philosophical meaning. It reflects the philosophy of human impact on the planet. This prophetic paintin...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

"Spike Milligan (If)"
"Spike Milligan (If)"

"Spike Milligan (If)"

By Natalia Kolpakova 1

Located in Edinburgh, GB

"Spike Milligan(If) is a riotous homage to absurdity, theatricality, and the razor wit of British humor. This surreal silk composition draws inspiration from Milligan’s nonsensical p...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Silk

Lunar Wisdom

Lunar Wisdom

By Robert Cocke

Located in Dallas, TX

ARTIST STATEMENT "Since I began painting more than 30 years ago, my work has evolved dramatically in terms of style and subject matter. Underlying all the changes has been a consi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Convict and his Companion
The Convict and his Companion

The Convict and his Companion

By Joan Miró

Located in London, GB

This original etching and aquatint is hand signed in white pencil by the artist "Miró" in the lower right image. It is also hand numbered in pencil 35 from the edition of 50, at the ...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Untitled - IX

Untitled - IX

By Wojtek Kowalczyk

Located in Long Island City, NY

Untitled - IX Wojtek Kowalczyk, Polish (1960) Date: 2005 Lithograph, signed in pencil Size: 19.5 in. x 13.5 in. (49.53 cm x 34.29 cm) Frame Size: 21 x 18 inches

Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Commode"
"Commode"

"Commode"

By Natalia Kolpakova 1

Located in Edinburgh, GB

The artwork is print on silk and it is limited edition. A stunning exploration of memory, legacy, and hidden worlds, "Comode" is a surrealist masterpiece blending fine art illustrat...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Silk

Polar Bear and Puffin Balloons on Arctic Ice, Large Acrylic Painting on Linen
Polar Bear and Puffin Balloons on Arctic Ice, Large Acrylic Painting on Linen

Polar Bear and Puffin Balloons on Arctic Ice, Large Acrylic Painting on Linen

By Sofía Cristina Jiménez

Located in FISTERRA, ES

A pale-blue polar bear balloon stands on floating ice beneath a flying puffin in this large acrylic wildlife painting on linen. El oso polar y el puffin, created by Sofía Cristina Ji...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Linen, Acrylic

"Thirst" Black & White Photograph 49" x 39" in Limited Ed. 1/3 by Olha Stepanian
"Thirst" Black & White Photograph 49" x 39" in Limited Ed. 1/3 by Olha Stepanian

"Thirst" Black & White Photograph 49" x 39" in Limited Ed. 1/3 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Thirst" Black & White Photograph 49" x 39" in Limited Ed. 1/3 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Les Chiens Ont Soif XII, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst
Les Chiens Ont Soif XII, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst

Les Chiens Ont Soif XII, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst

By Max Ernst

Located in Long Island City, NY

Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif XII, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 165/320, Size: 17 x 24.5 in. (43.18 x 62.23 c...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

HOMAGE TO DE CHIRICO Signed Lithograph 1973 Surrealist Landscape with Still Life
HOMAGE TO DE CHIRICO Signed Lithograph 1973 Surrealist Landscape with Still Life

HOMAGE TO DE CHIRICO Signed Lithograph 1973 Surrealist Landscape with Still Life

By Antonio Recalcati

Located in Union City, NJ

HOMAGE TO DE CHIRICO is an original, hand drawn, stone lithograph by the Italian artist Antonio Recalcati (1938-2022) printed in Paris France c. 1973 using hand lithography techniques on archival printmaking paper, 100% acid free. HOMAGE TO DE CHIRICO presents a pop art style, surreal landscape depicting an ancient Roman monument and empty town square with a lone shadowy figure visible in the upper window; a mysterious still life arrangement is set in the foreground featuring a sandwich on a roll and drinking goblet positioned in the center. HOMAGE TO DE CHIRICO is very intriguing and somewhat amusing composition that keeps us guessing. Print size - 20.25 x 28.75 in., unframed, very good condition, vivid colors, pencil signed by Antonio Recalcati, Printer's Proof dedicated "Pour Joseph" In 1973, Paris Recalcati painted a series of pictures titled “The Boheme de Chirico”. It is an unconventional and ironic reading of the great Giorgio de Chirico. The metaphysical monuments in the squares are transformed into physical objects such as a sandwich, macaroni dish, Parma ham, etc. The exhibition at the “Galérie Mathias Fels” in Paris received great success from the critics. The text in the exhibition catalogue is by Alain Jouffroy. President Georges Pompidou, had sent a jeep from Élysée Palace to have some paintings to view. Recalcati took up the theme of "ham" several times, for example in a painting from 1973, "La bohème de Chirico, place d'Italie" or in the work "Jambon de Paris" from 1972. Recalcati often exhibited in the 1970's in Italy, Paris, Caracas, and New York. During this time the 'Ham series' was created. About the artist - Antonio Recalcati (2 May 1938 – 4 December 2022) was an Italian painter and sculptor, born in a working-class family in Bresso, a suburb of Milan. Born in 1938 in Bresso, near Milan, who died on 4 December 2022, Antonio Recalcati was a major artist of the second half of the 20th century. Known first as a painter of the New Figuration in Paris, he was later more closely related to the movement of the Narrative Figuration. Without an artistic background, he was noted in the first half of the 1960s by his "Imprections" (Impronte), paintings made by applying directly to the canvas and in oil his own body or empty clothes (shirts, underpants, body jerseys). This process is then of total originality. It carries an unprecedented expressionist charge, and it becomes enigmatic when combined with abstract shapes or narrative devices (space of the canvas separated into several boxes, such as a page of comics). Exhibited both in Italy; in Paris in the salons and galleries (Gallery Mathias Fels, gallery Claude Levin, Galerie André Schoeller); in Brussels (Fragmy Gallery, Lanzberg Gallery); in New York (Odissey gallery); he participates in historical exhibitions such as: (Paris, 1964); and , During these same years, he befriended poets (Jacques Prévert) and novelists (Dino Buzatti), and he participated – with other artists such as Gilles Aillaud, Eduardo Arroyo, and Jean-Jacques Lebel – in several collective works that had become emblematic of the commitment of a new generation of painters: Grand Tableau...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Platypus Conundrum
Platypus Conundrum

AiromPlatypus Conundrum

$480Sale Price|20% Off

Platypus Conundrum

By Airom

Located in Santa Monica, CA

Original painting by artist Airom

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Oil

Surrealist Scene
Surrealist Scene

Surrealist Scene

By Mario Doretti

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork, Surrealist Scene c.1980 is an original color lithograph by Italian/Israeli artist Mario Doretti, born 1929. It is Hand signed and numbered 43/200 in pencil by the artis...

Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Cantique du Singulier
Cantique du Singulier

Cantique du Singulier

By Aristide Caillaud

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Cantique du Singulier" 1977, is an original colors lithograph on Japan paper by noted French artist Aristide Caillaud, 1902-1990. It is hand signed and numbered ...

Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Before The Fog" - 1975 Surrealist Lithograph on Paper
"Before The Fog" - 1975 Surrealist Lithograph on Paper

"Before The Fog" - 1975 Surrealist Lithograph on Paper

By Jim Crabb

Located in Soquel, CA

"Before The Fog" - 1975 Surrealist Lithograph on Paper Black and white surrealist lithograph by Jim Crabb (American, b. 1947). Abstracted figures take up the paper, with a pop of go...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Lithograph

"Balcony"
"Balcony"

"Balcony"

By Natalia Kolpakova 1

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Balcony is a surrealist silk artwork where architecture, dream logic, and human emotion merge into a single theatrical tableau. A monumental spiral structure—part shell, part celesti...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Silk

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.