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.
The Cliche, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson commissioned a formal family portrait, insisting their beloved pet elephant, Elbert, be included. Elbert is family, after all. When the co...
Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Flower Pot 4 - 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
$12,000Sale Price|20% Off
Escargot
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Escargot MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali EDITION NUMBER: I/XXV MEASUREMENTS: Paper: 14.48" x 11" Frame: 19" x 15" YEAR: 1970 ...
Etching
$502Sale 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
Saturn Over Titan Tower, UT, by Astronomical Artist Joe Bergeron
Located in New York, NY
Joe Bergeron (American) Saturn From Titan, 1980 Oil on canvas Framed: 40 x 30 x 1 1/2 in. Signed lower right: Bergeron 80 Inscribed verso Joe Bergeron grew up in the twin hamlets of Endicott and Endwell in upstate New York. As a boy he taught himself the constellations using a cardboard star wheel, watching in awe as stars he had never before identified rose according to prediction. Later he began a more thorough examination of the heavens using various small telescopes. A devoted hiker, Joe prowled his surroundings at all hours of the day and night, often discovering semi-abandoned sites of human activity which his imagination invested with the mystery of ancient ruins. Joe was known as a "class artist" in high school, mostly by virtue of superhero drawings done in ballpoint pen. His early efforts at painting were clumsy at best and disastrous at worst, leading him to be intimidated by the brush. Finally, called upon to produce planetarium shows during a summer job, Joe taught himself to paint so he could create visuals for the shows. Soon he was selling paintings and drawings at science fiction art...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
Dali, Femme à tete de Roses (after)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Title: Femme à tete de Roses Year: 2004 Medium: Lithograph on wove paper Size: 30.25 x 22 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Unsigned and unnu...
Lithograph
Framed Drue Lithograph by Surrealist Leonora Carrington
By Leonora Carrington
Located in Columbia, MO
Leonora Carrington (British-Mexican 1917 - 2011) was a painter, writer, and key figure in Surrealism whose work explored the sacred, the mystical, and the magical in everyday life. B...
Lithograph
Intriguing Surrealist Painting of Downtown Chicago by James Mesplé
Located in Chicago, IL
An Intriguing 1991 Surrealist painting of downtown Chicago by artist James Mesplé. Oil and tempera on panel. Signed and dated "James Mesplé 1991", lower right; titled on label on ...
Oil, Tempera, Panel
Queen of the Chanterelles - Surrealist Figurative in Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Queen of the Chanterelles - Surrealist Figurative in Acrylic on Canvas Bright, fantastical composition by TEMBO (20th Century). A woman is depicted in profile, head slightly tilted ...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
$340Sale Price|20% Off
TREMOR Signed Mini Lithograph, Surreal Landscape Multicolor Sewing Thread Spools
Located in Union City, NJ
TREMOR is a hand drawn limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archival Arches pa...
Lithograph
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
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
Cadaver in Sepulchro Elisei, Surrealist Lithograph, Signed, 1964
Located in Roma, IT
Cadaver in sepulchro Elisei is a 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 1...
Lithograph
Breathe Charcoal and Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Surrealist, 2025
Located in Porto, 13
Breathe (2025) is a contemporary figurative painting by Brazilian artist Ritchelly Oliveira, executed in charcoal and acrylic on canvas. The monochromatic composition depicts a human...
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
$1,136
René Magritte - LES AMANTS Limited Surrealism French Art Contemporary
Located in Madrid, Madrid
René Magritte - LES AMANTS, 1928 (THE LOVERS) Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition: 275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Condition: New, in mint condition and never f...
Paper, Lithograph
$548Sale Price|20% Off
Alegoría al Fútbol club Barcelona - Óleo sobre tela
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada en la parte inferior y fechada del año 1981 Se presenta enmarcada (leves signos de uso en la enmarcación) Medidas de la obra: 92 x 73 cm. Medidas del marco: 103...
Oil
$4,950
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...
Etching, Photographic Film, Lithograph
Salvador Dali, Le Girafe en Feu (Giraffe Afire) from Le Jungle Humaine
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is a lithograph made from an original ink drawing with added color. It is from Dali's suite of 6 lithographs entitled "Le Jungle Humaine", which he created in 1976. This p...
Lithograph
Flowing Alloy - Digital Print by Kevin Abanto - 2023
By Kevin Abanto
Located in Roma, IT
Flowing Alloy captures the dynamic poetry of material in motion, as alloy becomes a liquid cascade. The canvas transforms into a cascade of forms, where each droplet echoes the harmo...
Digital
Incomparable Chant D'été De L'azur, Surrealist Etching with Aquatint by Jean Sol
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jean Solombre, French (1948 - ) - Incomparable Chant D'été De L'azur, Year: 1981, Medium: Etching with Aquatint on Arches, signed, titled, numbered and dated in pencil, Edition: 1...
Etching, Aquatint
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
$913Sale Price|20% Off
La Piscine, Lithograph, Modern, 1958, Excellent condition
Located in OPOLE, PL
Henri Matisse (1869-1954) - La Piscine Lithograph from 1958. Dimensions of work: 103 x 35.5 cm. Publisher: Tériade, Paris. Each copy of this Lithograph was originally published w...
Lithograph
Untitled - Lithograph by Dorothea Tanning - 1974
Located in Roma, IT
Untitled is an artwork realized by Dorothea Tanning in 1974. Colored lithograph. Good conditions. Printed by Atelier Pierre Chave in Vence, France. This lithograph was realized...
Lithograph
Destiny's Path, Hawaii - Surreal Mid Century Hawaiian Figurative Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
Destiny's Path, Hawaii - Surreal Mid Century Hawaiian Figurative Abstract Symbolistic and romantic 1940s surreal figurative of pastel orange figure journeying down path by Margueri...
Linen, Oil
$3,600
Salvador Dali Surrealist Etching Engraving Pochoir L'Automobile Da Vinci Hommage
Located in Surfside, FL
Salvador Dali Title: L'automobile (Automobile) 1975 From Portfolio, Hommage à Leonardo da Vinci (Great Inventions) Original Engraving and Etching with Pochoir on Arches paper Edi...
Paper, Etching, Engraving
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
$9,035
La Tauromachie Individuelle, Original Heliogravure, Surrealist, 1966, Signed
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - La Tauromachie Individuelle (Bullfight) Heliograviure with stencil from 1966. The edition LXIX/C on Japanese paper. Dimensions of sheet: 51.4 x 64.8 cm...
Heliogravure
RENÉ MAGRITTE Le Maître d'École - 1955 Limited edition Lithograph - Surrealism
Located in Madrid, Madrid
LE MAÎTRE D'ÉCOLE, 1955 (THE SCHOOLMASTER) Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition: 275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Observations: Lithograph on BFK Rives paper plat...
Lithograph
$7,996Sale Price|41% Off
Surrealist Mineral Landscape Spanish Catalan Oil Canvas Painting Dalí Circle art
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Dalí Circle Surrealist Mineral Landscape, Spanish Catalan Oil Painting Artist: Antoni Pitxot Soler / Antoni Pichot Soler (Figueres, 1934 – 2015) Title: Surrealist Mineral Landscape Date: 1985 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 50 × 61 cm / 19.7 × 24 in Framing: Unframed Signature: Signed and dated lower right Condition: Very good overall condition. Stable canvas and paint layer. Rich surface texture, visible impasto and original brushwork. Description Powerful surrealist oil painting by Antoni Pitxot Soler, one of the most important Catalan artists connected to Salvador Dalí’s inner circle and a key figure in the visual universe of Cadaqués and Figueres. Painted in 1985, this work belongs to Pitxot’s mature period and presents one of his most recognizable subjects: a dreamlike mineral landscape built from stones, fragments, shells, fossil-like forms and metamorphic shapes. The composition seems suspended between landscape, archaeology and hallucination, where inert matter becomes almost alive. The painting is especially strong visually. The lower section is constructed through a dense accumulation of sculptural forms, painted with thick, expressive brushwork and a refined chromatic range of blues, ochres, pinks, whites, greys and earthy tones. Above them, a floating organic form...
Oil
"La Deese de Cythere" from the suite "l'Art d'Aimer d'Ovide"
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled, "La Deesse de Cythere" from the suite, "l'Art d'Aimer d'Ovide" 1976. is an original wood engraving on Japan nacre paper by artist Salvador Dali 1904-1989. It i...
Woodcut
$456Sale Price|20% Off
Magic of an opera. 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 presentic an intricate scene on a lake with swans, pegasuses, ball...
Paper, Color
Ex Aegypto Vocavi Filium Meum, Surrealist Lithograph, Signed, 1964
Located in Roma, IT
Ex Aegypto Vocavi Filium Meum is a 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...
Lithograph
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
Miró Lithographe II - Plate X - Lithograph by J. Mirò - 1975
By Joan Miró
Located in Roma, IT
"Miró Lithographe II - Plate X" is a lithograph realized by Joan Miró in 1975. Perfect conditions. It comes from the set of 11 lithographs realized for the catalogue "Miró Lithograp...
Lithograph
Tomano Monote (Cupcake Boy)
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Alejandro Colunga is a renowned Mexican artist born in 1948 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. He is part of the Nueva Mexicanidad movement and is celebrated for his surrealist and fantastical...
Etching, Aquatint, Gouache
The Awakening of Boaz - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1960
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
The awakening of Boaz is an artwork from the Series "The Bible", by Marc Chagall in 1960. Mixed colored lithograph on brown-toned paper, no signature. Edition of 6500 unsigned lit...
Lithograph
$2,595
Salvador Dali Surrealist Etching, Signed, 1980, from Neuf Paysages Portfolio
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Paysage avec figures-soleil from sun Portfolio: Neuf Paysages Medium: Etching Year: 1980 Edition: 3/49 Sheet Size: 14 7/8" x 14 7/8" Signature: Initialed...
Etching
"Henry IV" Salvador Dalí, Surrealist, Shakespeare, Illustration, Stylized
Located in New York, NY
Salvador Dalí Henry IV, from the Shakespeare II Suite, 1970 Signed lower right, numbered lower left, inscribed on the reverse Color etching and drypoint on B.F.K. Rives vellum paper ...
Paper, Etching
Believe - 21st Century, Contemporary, Surrealism, African Nature, Fashion
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Believe is a moving meditation on hope, self-worth, and the courage to look past our limits. Standing on a bed of clouds, the figure wears an oversized blue coat and giant red boots,...
Canvas, Acrylic
$822Sale Price|20% Off
The Inferno, Canto 21 - Le Diable noir, Woodcut, Surrealist 1960
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - The Inferno, Canto 21 - Le Diable noir Original woodcut from 1960. Dimensions of work: 33 x 26.2 cm Publisher: Les Heures Claires, Paris. Reference: C...
Woodcut
$7,500
Mystery of Sleep (The Hermit), Signed Surrealist Lithograph by Salvador Dali
Located in Long Island City, NY
A clock-faced figure wearing monk's robes floats in a blue void above a roiling storm cloud. This Surrealist lithograph by Salvador Dali shows the figure in movement, traveling with ...
Lithograph
Psalm - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1960s
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Psaume is an artwork realized by March Chagall, 1960s. Lithograph on brown-toned paper, no signature. Lithograph on both sheets. Edition of 6500 unsigned lithographs. Printed by M...
Lithograph
Unicorn Pigeon - Original contemporary artwork - surrealistic animal painting
By JJ Galloway
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...
Canvas, Oil
$8,750Sale Price|30% Off
Joan Miró “Italia 1969” Hand Signed Lithograph, Galleria del Milione, Milan 1970
By Joan Miró
Located in Miami, FL
JOAN MIRÓ (1893–1983) – “ITALIA 1969” Color Lithograph ⚜ Hand Signed and Numbered ⚜ Gilt Wood Frame ARTWORK DETAILS: ▸ Title: Italia 1969 ▸ Artist: Joan Miró (1893–1983) ▸ Medium: C...
Offset
Iesu Nativitas - Lithograph - 1964
Located in Roma, IT
Holy Bible - Iesu Nativitas is a Color lithograph on heavy rag paper realized in 1964 by Salvador Dalì, It is part of Biblia Sacra vulgatæ edition is published by Rizzoli-Mediolani b...
Lithograph
Art Deco Embossed Serigraph Print by Erte, 1991, Boudoir
By Erté
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Erté Title: Boudoir Medium: Embossed serigraph Year: 1991 Edition: 290/300 Sheet Size: 41 3/4" x 29 1/4" Image Size: 35 1/4" x 23 1/4" Signature: Stamped signature
Screen
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
"The Unicorn's Garden, " Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Rhonda Libbey's "The Unicorn's Garden" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a grey unicorn in a lush garden of cat faced flowers and rollin...
Gold Leaf
$22,000Sale Price|20% Off
Flora Dalinae Viola Cogitans Etching, Surrealist, Signed, 7/200, 1968
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
$34,000Sale Price|20% Off
Piano surréaliste, Salvador Dali
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Title: Piano surréaliste Year: 1984 Medium: Bronze Edition: 350, plus proofs Size: 26.3 x 15.7 x 12 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Incised...
Bronze
$14,000Sale Price|20% Off
Conquest of Cosmos Frozen Watches of Space Time
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Conquest of Cosmos Frozen Watches of Space Time MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 105/195 MEASUREMENTS: Paper: 39.5" x 27.25" Fra...
Etching
Rues et Visages de Paris - Surrealist Book with 20 Etchings, 1926
Located in Roma, IT
Rues et Visages de Paris (Streets and Faces of Paris) is a rare book whose purpose is to introduce the city of Paris in the first page of 20th Century, written by Valery Larbaud and ...
Paper
Every Night from Now On, Original Lithograph, Modern, Signed, 1967, Framed
By Joan Miró
Located in OPOLE, PL
Joan Miro (1893-1983) - Toute nuit désormais (Every Night from Now On) Lithograph from 1967. The edition of 99/100 on Arches paper with full margins. Dimensions of sheet: 31.1 x 2...
Lithograph
Army Of Caine Large Oversize Pop Art Print Signed Limited Edition
By BATIK
Located in London, GB
Army Of Caine by B A T I K Pop art work featuring multiples of Michael Caine in Get Carter mode - possibly his most iconic movie role. Archival pigment pop art print signed & ...
Black and White, Archival Pigment
$1,036Sale Price|20% Off
Sky Bird, Braniff International Airways Flying Colors Collection
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Alexander Calder (1898-1976) Title: Sky Bird, Braniff International Airways Flying Colors Collection Year: 1975 Medium: Lithograph on vélin d’Arches paper Size: 20 x 26 inche...
Lithograph
Three Children, Surrealist Lithograph by Jean Jansem
By Jean Jansem
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jean Jansem, French (1920 - 2013) - Three Children, Year: circa 1960, Medium: Lithograph, signed in the plate lower right, Image Size: 12.5 x 9.5 inches, Frame Size: 20.25 x 17.2...
Lithograph
$11,600Sale Price|20% Off
Surrealist Etching: Memories of Surrealism Space Elephant, Hand Signed
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Memories of Surrealism Space Elephant MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali EDITION NUMBER: EA MEASUREMENTS: 29.75" x 21.25" YEAR: ...
Etching
Composition, Lithograph, Signed, Edition of 150+XXX, 1971
By André Masson
Located in Roma, IT
Lithograph on Arches paper. Hand signed, dated and numbered in pencil. Edition of 150+XXX. Arches watermark. Very good condition.
Lithograph
$2,595
Salvador Dali Surrealist Etching, Signed, 1980, from Neuf Paysages Portfolio
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Fantasmes de la plaine d'Ampurdam from begonia Portfolio: Neuf Paysages Medium: Etching Year: 1980 Edition: 3/49 Frame Size: 22" x 22" Sheet Size: 14 7/8...
Etching
Le Plagiat - 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 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