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.
Moses Makes Water Flow from the Rock - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1956
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval wove paper, realized by Marc Chagall in 1931-39 and published by Tériade in 1956. Edition of 275+30 out of commerce copies. Not signed nor numbered, as issued. ...
Etching
The Family of Mattathias - Lithograph - 1964
Located in Roma, IT
The Family of Mattathias 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 1969...
Lithograph
Familia Ruth Moabitidis Color Lithograph, Surrealist, Signed, 1964
Located in Roma, IT
Familia Ruth Moabitidis 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 1969....
Lithograph
Trois Grenades, Surrealist Lithograph by Andre Masson
By André Masson
Located in Long Island City, NY
Andre Masson, French (1896–1987) Date: 1950 Lithograph and Chine Colle, signed and numbered in pencil Edition, 30/30 Image Size: 12.5 x 8 inches Size: 17.75 x 12.5 in. (45.09 x 31.75...
Lithograph
Contemplating Self (Portrait, Floral, Dreamy, Surreal, Motion, Pose)
By David Pugh
Located in Kansas City, MO
David K. Pugh Contemplating Self From "BE, AND KNOW" Series Photographic Print on Fine Paper mounted on Foamcore 2026 Image Size: 19.69 x 27.44 inches (50.00 x 69.69 cm) Framed Size...
Photography
$5,158
Lady Guidivar- original etching by Salvador Dalí surrealism nude female on horse
Located in Schierensee, SH
"Lady Guidivar" is an original etching from 1969 by Salvador Dalí. It is on hand-woven paper (Arches), originally signed and numbered. Excellent condition. 20/125. Comes framed behi...
Etching
Abstract Composition - Original Lithograph by Michel Cadoret - 1976
Located in Roma, IT
Abstract Composition is an Original Litograph realized by Michel Cadoret in 1976. Good condition on a white cardboard, inside a package that presents t...
Permanent Marker
$15,000
Pablo Picasso THÉÂTRE OU TÉLÉVISION: CAPE ET ÉPÉE 1968 Aquatint - 347 Series
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Pablo Picasso’s 1968 etching and aquatint Théâtre ou télévision: cape et épée belongs to the artist’s late period, a time when he reflected intensely on the themes of performance, sp...
Archival Paper, Etching, Aquatint
$1,850
Innocence - 21st Century, Surrealism, Figurative Painting, Bulgy Eyes, Modern
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 Bor...
Canvas, Oil
Menorah - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Menorah is a lithograph on Arches paper realized by Max Ernst in 1972. Belongs to the suite "Judith". Limited edition of 500. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Godd conditions. ...
Lithograph
A Bras Le Corps, Original Etching, Modern, 1997, Signed
Located in OPOLE, PL
Pierre Alechinsky (1927) - A bras le corps Etching from 1997. Edition Z/Z. Dimensions of work: 67 x 50 cm. Hand signed. The work is in Excellent condition.
Etching
$2,796Sale Price|20% Off
Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Parallel, 1969
By Leonor Fini
Located in Fairfield, CT
This exquisite lithograph by Leonor Fini (1907–1996), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the folio Parallelement (Parallel), Paul Verlaine, illustre de lithographies originales de Le...
Lithograph
$19,600Sale Price|20% Off
Triumph of The Sea Lithograph, Hand Signed, Surrealist, 1964
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Triumph of The Sea MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Sidney Lucas, New York EDITION NUMBER: 12...
Lithograph
Salvador Dali American Trotting Horses No.1 rare poster for Tokyo Exhibit 1974
Located in Paonia, CO
Salvador Dali American Trotting Horses no.1 poster for Tokyo Exhibit 1974. This image is from the The Currier and Ives Suite of six litho...
C Print
The magician.
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
$3,960Sale Price|20% Off
Chalice of Love, Surrealist Lithograph, Hand Signed, Framed
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: The Chalice of Love MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali PUBLISHER: Levine and Levine EDITION NUMBER: 28/150 MEASUREMENTS: 21...
Lithograph
The day sailor.
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
Transplanting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
I used the activity of transplanting tree saplings as a way to connect the city and the country in this painting. I'm interested in surreal scenes where peopl...
Oil
Positive Drawing III, Surrealist Ink Wash on Paper by Dimitri Petrov
Located in Long Island City, NY
Dimitri Petrov, American (1919 - 1986) - Positive Drawing III, Year: 1976, Medium: Ink Wash on Paper, Size: 22 in. x 30 in. (55.88 cm x 76.2 cm)
Ink
Lieu Dit, Original Etching and Aquatint, Modern, 1988, Signed
Located in OPOLE, PL
Pierre Alechinsky (1927) - Lieu dit Etching and aquatint from 1988. The edition 25 of 90. Dimensions of work: 31 x 21 cm. Hand signed. The work is in Excellent condition.
Etching, Aquatint
$1,200
How to Keep Time to Music/Totally Nude, Surrealist Collage by Steven Kramer
Located in Long Island City, NY
Steven Kramer, American (1953 - ) - How to Keep Time to Music/ Totally Nude, Year: 1984, Medium: Lithograph and Screenprint Collage, signed, dated and numbered in pencil, Edition: ...
Lithograph, Screen
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
Petite Nus Etching by Salvador Dali, Surrealist, Hand Signed, 1972
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Petite Nus (From Apollinaire) MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Editions Argillet, Paris EDITION NUMBER: 86/95 PAPER: Japon Paper ME...
Etching
$2,700
"Cabinet Secretary in his Office", Surrealist, Portrait, Acrylic Painting
By John Baker
Located in Franklin, MA
John Baker’s “Cabinet Secretary in his Office” is an acrylic painting on canvas 36 x 42 inches in pinks, blues, reds, whites and greys. The secretary’s energies are depicted as both ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Gathering of Sad Clowns, Surrealist Lithograph by Marcel Marceau
Located in Long Island City, NY
Marcel Marceau, French (1923 - 2007) - Gathering of Sad Clowns, Portfolio: Le Troisieme Oeil (The Third Eye), Year: 1981, Medium: Lithograph on Arches Paper, signed and numbered i...
Lithograph
L'Arbre de l'Amour (The Tree of Love) - Original Lithograph by Mayo - 1980
Located in Roma, IT
Beautiful hand signed lithograph by the Greek painter naturalized French citizen Antoine Malliarakis (Mayo, 1905-1990). Edition 68/100, signed and dated in pencil lower right. Very ...
Lithograph
$2,063
Portrait of Woman - Original Etching by Johnny Friedlaender
Located in Roma, IT
Artist's Proof, Hand signed. Edition of 50 prints. Image Dimensions : 42 x 55 cm Very good conditions. This artwork is shipped from Italy. Under existing legislation, any artwork ...
Etching
"Garden of Inspiration" (2022) by Sybiline, Oil Painting, Ripe Yellow Pear
By Sybiline
Located in Denver, CO
Sybiline's (CAN based) "Garden of Inspiration" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a perfectly ripe yellow pear. About the Artist: Sybiline is a Canadian artist base...
Oil, Panel
The next big adventure.
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
$2,796Sale Price|20% Off
Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Parallel, 1969
By Leonor Fini
Located in Fairfield, CT
This exquisite lithograph by Leonor Fini (1907–1996), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the folio Parallelement (Parallel), Paul Verlaine, illustre de lithographies originales de Le...
Lithograph
Howdy! (Roses) - Original Blue Floral Arrangement in Boot Still Life Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a colorful artist who lives and paints in Sweden. Most of her works are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Bernhardsson travels the world...
Paper, Mixed Media
$340Sale Price|28% Off
Antoni Tàpies lithograph (derriere le miroir)
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Antoni Tàpies Lithograph c. 1967 from Derrière le miroir: Lithograph in colors; 15 x 22 inches. Very good overall vintage condition; contains center fold-line as originally issued...
Lithograph
$240Sale Price|20% Off
Hero
By Roman Sustov
Located in Palm Springs, CA
An ex libris print featuring the heroic figure of a man on horseback, in a blend of medieval and fantasy armor, with a vanquished dragon at his feet. Roman Sustov's prints often prov...
Aquatint, Etching
In Between Acts, Surrealist Lithograph by George Russin
Located in Long Island City, NY
In Between Acts George Russin, American (1910–2010) Date: circa 1979 Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition of 250 Size: 22 x 29 in. (55.88 x 73.66 cm)
Lithograph
Souls of Contumacy - Woodcut - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
Souls of Contumacy 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. Plate n.3 (as...
Woodcut
Spanish signed limited edition original art print engraving 15x21 in. n16
Located in Miami, FL
Andrés Barajas (Spain, 1941) 'Homenaje a Goya IV', ca.1990-1991 engraving on paper 15 x 20.9 in. (38 x 53 cm.) Edition of 225 ID: BAR1017-016-225 Hand-s...
Paper, Engraving, Screen
The News Lithograph Print, Surrealist Style, 19th Century, Unframed
Located in Roma, IT
The News is a print realized by an Anonymous artist in the 19th century. Lithograph on paper. Good conditions.
Lithograph
$412Sale Price|20% Off
Washington Square - Surrealist print, Figurative, Landscape, Vibrant colors
Located in Warsaw, PL
The work comes directly from the artist, is numbered out of limited edition of 20, signed and made on sealed paper. RAFAŁ OLBIŃSKI (born in 1943) He gr...
Paper, Color
Hell 24 - The Thieves - Woodcut - 1963 (Field #p. 189)
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Hell 24 - The Thieves Original woodcut Printed signature in the plate 1960/63 Printed on paper Vélin BFK Rives Size 32,8 x 26,4 cm (c. 13 x 10") REFERENCE...
Woodcut
Stallion. X One of a Kind Framed Mixed Media horse, Mixed Media on Paper
By Sia Aryai
Located in Yardley, PA
The history of the horse in China dates back over many centuries. The sixth animal in the Chinese zodiac is the horse. Power, beauty, and freedom symbolize the horse in Chines...
Mixed Media
Le Loup, la Chèvre et le Chevreau - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table 47 from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Signed in the plate. Very good condit...
Etching
Le Berger et son Troupeau - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Hand signed in pencil Very good conditio...
Etching
Le Curé et le Mort .... - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Hand signed in pencil. Very good conditi...
Etching
$1,375
Le Cygne et le Cuisinier (The Swan and the Cook)- Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Signed in the plate. Very good conditio...
Etching
El Ultimo viaje del buque fantasma, Plate IV
By Wifredo Lam
Located in Fairlawn, OH
El Ultimo viaje del buque fantasma, Plate IV Color lithograph, 1976 Signed and numbered in pencil (see photos) From: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, El Ultimo viaie del buque Fantasma (The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship (1868), 12 illustration by Wilfredo Lam Edition: 99 (6/99) This one of an edition of 99 from the deluxe edition of the book of the same title There was an additional edition of 200 books, signed and numbered on the justification page Publisher: Poligrafa, Barcelona Printer: Poligrafa, Barcelona The Gabriel Garcia Marquez/Lam book is an illustrated version of the short story, a man recalls the night during his boyhood when an enormous passenger ship went aground in his small town on the shores of the Caribbean. It is considered a Latin American masterpiece of surrealism and transculturation. (See below analysis of the story) Condition: slight yellows (aging) of paper small paper scuffs verso from previous hinges Sheet size: 22 x 29 7/8 inches About the author and the storyline of the book by Marquez: Gabriel García Márquez was born in 1927, he is a famous Colombian writer, novelist, short story writer, screenwriter and journalist. In 1982 he received the Novel Prize for Literature. He is an author sometimes inherently related to magical realism and his best-known work is the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude in which we find this literary genre. Summary of "The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship" (1868): The novel by Gabriel García Márquez, The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship, written in 1968, is written in a single great sentence, which tells the surprising and amazing adventure that has changed the existence of a child living in a coastal town with a small port sunny, almost forgotten by civilization. The days are peaceful, the nights are silent and illuminated only by the rotating beacon that, every fifteen seconds, transforms the town into a lunar camp with phosphorescent houses. During one night in March, the boy saw an immense afterlife ship that sails through the seas with all the dead crew and sometimes appears to the living, silently crossing the deserted sea, a huge and unexpected mass whose trajectory suddenly it seems to drift, and then runs aground on the reefs. This cataclysm is accomplished without disturbing the night's silence, and the next day the boy found no traces of the shipwreck and no one believed it, not even his mother. Time passes, and the same shipwreck occurs again, every year, on the same night in March; the adolescent...
Lithograph
The Divine Wood - Woodcut - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
The Divine Wood 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. Plate n.28 (as r...
Woodcut
Odes - Rare Book Illustrated by Demetrios Galanis - 1926
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 300 copies including 6 original etchings/sanguines and many gouaches inside the text by Demetrios Galanis. One of 243 copies on Vergé de Rives. Original editorial softcov...
Paper
Rabbit in Hat, Surrealist Screenprint by Igor Galanin
By Igor Galanin
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Igor Galanin Title: Rabbit in Hat Date: Circa 1985 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 175, AP 30 Paper Size: 40.5 x 30 ...
Screen
$4,950
King David, Surrealist Intaglio Etching and Color Pochoir by Salvador Dali
Located in Long Island City, NY
Salvador Dali, Spanish (1904 - 1989) - King David, Portfolio: Our Historical Heritage, Year: 1975, Medium: Intaglio Etching and Color Pochoir on Arches Paper, signed and numbered ...
Etching, Intaglio
Blue Corner, Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas by Richard Hagerty
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Richard Hagerty, American (1950 - ) Title: Blue Corner Year: circa 1980 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed l.r. Size: 40 x 55 in. (101.6 x 139.7 cm)
Canvas, Oil
Litografia titulada "SNCF ALPES" - Ed. Levine & Levine - Sin enmarcar
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Autor: Salvador Dalí i Domenech Litografía sobre papel Archés firmada en plancha y numerada a lápiz 1661/1700 Editada por Levine & Levine, New York 1984 Se presenta sin enmarcar ...
Lithograph
Surrealist Imperial Columns Giclée Print on Canvas, Hand Signed AP Edition
By Ferjo, Fernando de Jesus Oliveira
Located in Aventura, FL
Giclee on canvas. Hand signed and numbered by the artist. AP edition. Canvas is not stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authenticity included. All reas...
Canvas, Giclée
$2,800
10PM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures, Surrealist Etching by Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) - 10PM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures, Year: 1975, Medium: Etching with Aquatint, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 89/125, Image Size: 1...
Etching, Aquatint
Astres et Désastres, Original Etching, Surrealist, 1969, Signed
Located in OPOLE, PL
Pierre Alechinsky (1927) - Astres et désastres Etching from 1969. The edition 15 of 99. Dimensions of work: 52 x 67 cm. Hand signed. The work is in Excellent condition.
Etching
After Man Ray Black and White Photography of Max Ernst & Marie Berthe Aurenche
By Man Ray
Located in Barcelona, ES
Portrait of Max Ernst and Marie Berthe Aurenche photographed by Man Ray, circa 1930. A posthumous print from the original negative in 1977 by Pierre Gassmann. Gelatin silver bromid...
Photographic Paper
Sedet Sola Civitas - Lithograph - 1964
Located in Roma, IT
Holy Bible - Sedet sola civitas is Color lithograph on heavy rag paper realized in 1964. It is part of Biblia Sacra vulgatæ edition is published by Rizzoli-Mediolani between 1967 an...
Lithograph
The find.
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
Happy New Year Drawing, Surrealist Permanent Marker on Paper, 1960
By Léon Gischia
Located in Roma, IT
Happy New Year is an original black marker drawing on paper with autograph wishing notes by the French artist Léon Gischia to Nesto Jacometti, editor and collector of Graphic art. ...
Permanent Marker
When there's nobody worth talking to.
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
Visual Poem Lithograph by Joan Brossa, Limited Edition 27/100, 1980
By Joan Brossa
Located in Barcelona, ES
Visual poem made by Joan Brossa, circa 1980. Edition Numbered 27/100 Lithograph on Guarro paper. Limited edition. In very good condition. Measure: Width 38 cm (15 in) Height 50 cm...
Paper
Levi, Original Etching, Surrealist, 1973, Hand-signed
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Levi Etching from 1973. The edition of 77/195. Dimensions of work: 50 x 65.5 cm. Hand signed. Publisher: Transworld Art, Fribourg, Switzerland. Refe...
Etching