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.
Random Access, Surrealist Oil Painting by Mark Kostabi
By Mark Kostabi
Located in Long Island City, NY
Random Access Mark Kostabi, American (1960) Date: 1988 Oil on Canvas, signed and dated lower right, signed, title and dated on verso Size: 42 x 30 in. (106.68 x 76.2 cm)
Oil
Stories will be told.
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
$3,120Sale Price|20% Off
Creative Rush (girl drawing blue sky figurative oil painting brown tonnes)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
Creative Rush by Rudolf Kosow is a captivating oil painting that captures the intimate and imaginative world of a child in the act of creation. The artwork depicts a young girl kneel...
Canvas, Oil
$23,960
Les Enchanteurs Signed Lithograph by Marc Chagall, Surrealist, 1969, Mourlot 569
By Marc Chagall
Located in Aventura, FL
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper. Hand signed and numbered by Marc Chagall. Mourlot 569 Edition 43/50 (there were also 25 artist's proofs). Image size 22 x 14.5 inches. Sheet size 29.75 x 20.75 inches. Frame size approx 35 x 27 inches. Artwork is in excellent condition. All reasonable offers will be considered. About the Artist: Marc Chagall (French/Russian, 1887–1985) was an artist whose work anticipated the dream-like imagery of Surrealism. Over the course of his career, Chagall developed the poetic, amorphous, and deeply personal visual language evident in paintings like I and the Village...
Paper, Lithograph
Untitled - Original Lithograph by Paul Wunderlich - 1970
Located in Roma, IT
Untitled 3 is an original artwork realized in 1970 by Paul Wunderlich. Hand signed lithograph. Edition of 30 prints (in Roman Numerals). Image dimensions: 60x45 cm. Very Good Conditi...
Lithograph
If I had a boat.
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
Cover for Menu, Trial Proof, Original Lithograph, Surrealist, 1964, Framed
By Marc Chagall
Located in OPOLE, PL
Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Cover for Menu (trial proof) Lithograph from 1964. Trial proof - unique work. Dimensions of sheet: 45 x 32 cm Dimensions in frame: 53.2 x 43.2 cm Publ...
Lithograph
LUVE
Located in Zofingen, AG
LUVE is a painterly work that uses the landscape of Volyn (Ukraine) as a point of departure for a much deeper exploration of inner space. Lutsk is not depicted literally; instead, it...
Canvas, Acrylic
Le Rebelle Aquatint Etching by Joan Miró, Signed, 4/75, 52x39 in
By Joan Miró
Located in Aventura, FL
Aquatint and etching in colors with carborundum on Mandeure rag paper. Hand signed lower right by Joan Miro. Hand numbered '4/75' lower left. Sheet size: 41 x 28.75 inches. Frame...
Paper, Lithograph
$2,165
Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) - Couple à cheval - Drypoint etching on paper - 1971
Located in Varese, IT
Drypoint etching with stencil on Rives paper, edited in 1971. Limited edition in 150 copies, numbered as EA (épreuve d'artiste) (artist's proof) in lower left corner. Hand-signed in ...
Paper, Etching
Almost home.
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
Arquitectura Alfabetizada (custom framed, hand signed serigraph)
Located in Aventura, FL
Serigraph in colors on paper. Hand signed lower front by Pedro Friedberg. Hand numbered 29/42 lower front. Image size: 9.5 x 25.5 inches. Framed as pictured in the signature Frie...
Paper, Screen
Untitled
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Matija Bobicic Title: Untitled Size: 23 x 29 Inches (Framed: 24.5 x 30.5 inches) Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Edition: Original Year: 2018 Not...
Canvas, Acrylic
$729Sale Price|20% Off
Classical Sculpture Fragments Painting Cut Paper Relief Sunset Landscape Art
By Gozo
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Surrealist acrylic painting on cut paper and mounted panel, depicting fragmented sculptures across a dreamlike sunset terrain. This original work by Gozo Collective is part of the Fr...
Paper, Spray Paint, Acrylic
WPA Magic Realism Oil Painting National Gallery MOMA Thornberg Female 1930's
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original oil on canvas by WPA era artist Cleo Sara Thornberg whose work is represented in the collections of the National Gallery, The MOMA, and The National Gallery. This utterl...
Canvas, Oil
Navigation without names.
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
Kindred spirits.
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
Les Ames Mortes by N. Gogol - Complete Suite by Marc Chagall - 1948
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Les Ames mortes (by N. Gogol) is a very rare suite of etchings realized by Marc Chagall (1887-1985). Complete set of 96 etchings hors-texte and 11 etched vignettes en-texte for the ...
Etching
Exhibition at the Maeght Gallery 1976 - Original Lithograph
By Joan Miró
Located in Paris, IDF
Joan MIRO (after) Exhibition at the Maeght Gallery, 1976 Original lithograph in colors (Atelier Arte, Maeght) Unsigned On thin paper 60 x 40 cm (c. 23,6 x 15,7 in) INFORMATION : Li...
Lithograph
The secret.
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
$540Sale Price|20% Off
Woodland Fancy, Mid-Century Fantastical Figurative Landscape 1969
Located in Soquel, CA
Unique and fantastical mid-century painting of a nude figure standing in front of a fish in the forest surrounded by flowers, plants, and a portrait by Kenneth Fong...
Paper, Gouache
The bath.
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
La Tia Surrealist Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas, Unframed
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful surrealist painting by Mauricio comes rolled in a tube and needs to be stretched when received. In his pieces, Mauricio combines his figurative expertise along with su...
Oil, Canvas
The Shepherd on the Hill - 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
$5,129
Poèmes, Planche IX, Trial Proof Woodcut, Surrealist, 1968, Framed, Excellent
By Marc Chagall
Located in OPOLE, PL
Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Poèmes, Planche IX (trial proof) Woodcut print from 1968. Trial proof - unique work. Dimensions of sheet: 32.5 x 25 cm Dimensions in frame: 53.2 x 43.2...
Woodcut
$5,520Sale Price|20% Off
Poems Secrets Frontispiece Etching, Surrealist, Hand Signed, 1967
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Poems Secrets Frontispiece MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Editions Argillet, Paris EDITION NUMBER: 75/145 MEASUREMENTS: 15.15"...
Etching
"Fountain"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The artwork is print on silk and it is limited edition. "Fountain" – Where Mermaids Reign In the heart of the city, a grand fountain became more than just a landmark—it became home ...
Silk
$3,728Sale Price|20% Off
Easy Rider (red wood horse on wheels Child toy cowboy blue sky surreal painting)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
This stunning oil painting depicts a cowboy riding a vintage red wooden horse on wheels against a summer blue sky. keywords; painting on canvas, surrealist painting, americana, man,...
Canvas, Oil
Cosmicstrip I, Aquatint Etching by Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Cosmicstrip I by Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911–2002) Date: 1959 Etching, signed and numbered in pencil Edition of 21/50 Image Size: 14.75 x 19.25 inches Frame Size: 23.75 x 28 inches ...
Etching, Aquatint
Rare Batan, John Sebastian Matta Clark Abstract Surrealist Oil Painting 1970s
Located in Surfside, FL
John Sebastian Matta ("Batan") Twinning Stars Hand signed verso John Sebastian Matta ("Batan") Twin Brother of Gordon Matta-Clark, Son of Surrealist Master Roberto Matta John Sebast...
Canvas, Oil
$5,240Sale Price|20% Off
Vicious Circle (donut cake lady dessert americana vintage surreal painting)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
A hyperrealistic doughnut dominates Vicious Circle, its glossy chocolate glaze reflecting light with mouthwatering precision. Seated atop it, a young woman in a vintage swimsuit appe...
Canvas, Oil
Cyclist - Lithograph by Alexandre Zlotnik - 1973
Located in Roma, IT
Cyclist is a print artwork realized by Russian artist Alexandre Zlotnik in 1973. Lithograph print on paper. Hand-signed and numbered by pencil on the lower, edition of 150 prints. ...
Lithograph
Sublime Deviation - Digital Print by Kevin Abanto - 2023
By Kevin Abanto
Located in Roma, IT
Sublime Deviation captures the essence of artistry that transcends the conventional, exploring the realms of human experience often left unspoken. The canvas becomes a tapestry of ra...
Digital
Dreaming with open eyes.
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
The patient traveler.
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
Composition Surrealist - Original Collotype after André Masson - 20th century
By André Masson
Located in Roma, IT
Surrealist Composition is an original collotype print realized after André Masson in the mid-20th Century. The artwork is in good conditions, and not signed. André Masson (1896-198...
Black and White
Sarah And The Angels - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1960
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Sarah And The Angels is an artwork realized by March Chagall, 1960s. Lithograph on brown-toned paper, no signature. Lithograph on both sheets. Edition of 6500 unsigned lithograph...
Lithograph
Salvador Dali "The Old Hippie"
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: The Old Hippie Series: The Hippies Date: 1969 Medium: drypoint with added color Signature: Pencil signed Edition: I...
Drypoint
Polished Nexus - Digital Print by Kevin Abanto - 2023
By Kevin Abanto
Located in Roma, IT
Polished Nexus invites viewers to an intersection of refined beauty, where each texture finds its nexus in polished elegance on the canvas. The play of light becomes a guide, leading...
Digital
Dante Alighieri - Woodcut Print - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
Dante Alighieri - from the Series "The Divine Comedy" is a woodcut print realized in 1963. Good conditions. Not signed, as issued. Plate n.7 (as rep...
Woodcut
$9,000
Surrealist Figure in Space-scape, Surrealist Wax Crayon Drawing by Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 -2002) - Surrealist Figure in Space-scape, Year: 1956, Medium: Wax Crayon on paper, unsigned, Size: 13 x 10 in. (33.02 x 25.4 cm), Frame Size: 20.5 x...
Wax Crayon
Cherries, Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Hank Laventhol
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hank Laventhol, American (1927 - 2001) - Cherries, Year: circa 1980, Medium: Aquatint Etching, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 300, AP XXXV, Image Size: 24 x 16 inches, S...
Etching, Aquatint
Mirò Lithographe I - Plate VIII - 1972
By Joan Miró
Located in Roma, IT
Original Lithograph. Not signed. Plate VIII from the suite of 11 lithographs realized for the catalogue "Mirò Lithographe I" edited by Graphis Arte, Livorno and Toninelli Arte Modern...
Lithograph
Movement - Original Mixed Media by Sergio Barletta - 1994
Located in Roma, IT
Movement is an original painting artwork in mixed media, ink, paste, tempera and watercolor, realized by Sergio Barletta in 1994 Hand-signed on the lower right. Titled on the lower ...
Mixed Media, Pastel, Ink, Tempera, Watercolor
My Favorite Pet -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, 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 Oluw...
Canvas, Acrylic
Cloud nine.
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
The patient traveler.
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
Bords de L'Oise - Etching by Charles-François Daubigny - Late 19th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Signed and titled on plate. Etching and aquatint print. Good condition.
Etching
That good night.
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
Warriors Dream, Surrealist Lithograph by Salvador Dali
Located in Long Island City, NY
Salvador Dali, Spanish (1904 - 1989) - Warriors Dream, Portfolio: Peace in Vietnam, Year: 1973, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 135/300, Size: 16.25 ...
Lithograph
Piccarda Donati - Woodcut Print - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
Piccarda Donati from the Series "The Divine Comedy" is a woodcut print realized in 1963. Good conditions. Not signed, as issued. Plate n.3 (as reported on the back of the artwork) ...
Woodcut
Vanilla.
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
Self portrait as a butterfly.
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
The garden game.
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
The weight of the world.
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
Hell Plate 29 - Woodcut - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
Hell Plate - 29 is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri. Not signed, ...
Woodcut
$47,600
Le Chevalet Aux Fleurs Signed Lithograph, Surrealist, Edition 34/50, Mourlot 838
By Marc Chagall
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed and numbered by the artist. Lithograph in colors on wove paper. Mourlot 838. Sheet size 30.25 x 20 inches. Image size 22.5 x 14.75 inches. Frame size approx 36.5 x 26.5 inches. Edition 34/50. Artwork is in excellent condition. All reasonable offers will be considered. About the Artist: Marc Chagall (French/Russian, 1887–1985) was an artist whose work anticipated the dream-like imagery of Surrealism. Over the course of his career, Chagall developed the poetic, amorphous, and deeply personal visual language evident in paintings like I and the Village...
Paper, Lithograph
The Saint - Original Etching on Paper by Guelfo Bianchini - 1960s
Located in Roma, IT
The Saint is an original modern Artwork realized in Italy by Guelfo Bianchini (Ancona, 1937) the 1960s. Original etching on paper. Hand-signed lower right corner. Limited edition...
Etching
$2,750
Justine y el Marquez de Sade, Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Jose Luis Cuevas
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jose Luis Cuevas Title: Justine y el Marquez de Sade from the Intolerance Portfolio Year: 1989 Medium: Etching with Aquatint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 50 Paper...
Etching, Aquatint
$2,370Sale Price|20% Off
Ball Game (Triptych)
Located in CAMPO REAL, ES
It is important to note that this work consists of three separate canvases, each one of 70x70x2. They make up a work of 210x70x2. The scene depicted is purely imaginary, where two wi...
Linen, Oil