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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
The bird watchers.

The bird watchers.

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

The toast of last night.

The toast of last night.

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

The weight of the world.

The weight of the world.

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

Fauteuil à respirer pneumatique (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13)
Fauteuil à respirer pneumatique (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13)

Fauteuil à respirer pneumatique (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13)

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Title: Fauteuil à respirer pneumatique (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13), Imaginations et Objets du Futur (Pneumatic breathing chair, Imagina...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Drypoint, Lithograph, Screen

Leonor Fini, serigraph on Rives paper, circa 1970
Leonor Fini, serigraph on Rives paper, circa 1970

Leonor Fini, serigraph on Rives paper, circa 1970

By Leonor Fini

Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Print handsigned by surrealist artist Leonor Fini, increasingly esteemed with the movement of rediscovering art by women. This silkscreen is in perfect condition and from a series nu...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Salvador Dali "The Golden Fleece"
Salvador Dali "The Golden Fleece"

Salvador Dali "The Golden Fleece"

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Boston, MA

Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: The Golden Fleece Series: Aranella Date: 1974 Medium: drypoint printed in color Signature: Pencil signed Edition: 127 / 300 Literature: Albert F...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Color, Drypoint

Clown, Surrealist Etching by James Kearns
Clown, Surrealist Etching by James Kearns

Clown, Surrealist Etching by James Kearns

By James Kearns

Located in Long Island City, NY

James Kearns, American (1924 - ) - Clown, Year: circa 1975, Medium: Etching on Rives, signed, titled and numbered, Edition: 44/50, Image Size: 14.5 x 8.75 inches, Size: 22 x 15 in....

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Man Ray, Composition, Man Ray (after)
Man Ray, Composition, Man Ray (after)

Man Ray, Composition, Man Ray (after)

By Man Ray

Located in Southampton, NY

Lithograph on vélin paper. Inscription: unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, Man Ray, 1984. Published by Centre National des Arts Plastiques, Ni...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Phenomenon II (oil painting surrealist cat paws men vintage clothing nostalgia)
Phenomenon II (oil painting surrealist cat paws men vintage clothing nostalgia)

Phenomenon II (oil painting surrealist cat paws men vintage clothing nostalgia)

By Rudolf Kosow

Located in Quebec, Quebec

People encounter a domestic animal that is commonplace and familiar, but the disproportionate scale creates fascination, fright and this perspective renders the human speechless. Similar to the satirical novel "Gulliver's Travels", people are confronted with an inexplicable encounter and do not know how to react to it. Is the situation perplexing because a dog is huge, just taking a nap and does not notice the people around it, or are humans too tiny and do not recognize their "absurd" existence? keywords; surrealism, animals, cat, oil painting, earth tones, figurative painting, strangeness, contemporary surrealistic, unsettling, contemporary figurative painting, dreams, symbolic composition, cat paw

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Composition, Variations sur l'imaginaire, André Masson
Composition, Variations sur l'imaginaire, André Masson

Composition, Variations sur l'imaginaire, André Masson

By André Masson

Located in Southampton, NY

Lithograph on vélin de Rives paper. Inscription: hand signed and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, Variations sur l'imaginaire, 1972. Published by Philipp...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst

Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst

By Max Ernst

Located in Southampton, NY

Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

La Thora Rouge
La Thora Rouge

La Thora Rouge

By Marc Chagall

Located in OPOLE, PL

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - La Thora Rouge Etching and aquatint from 1981. An unnumbered and unsigned copy outside from signed edition of 60. Dimensions of sheet: 49.5 x 32.5 cm D...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Visionary Mystical Landscape Mississippi Artist
Visionary Mystical Landscape Mississippi Artist

Visionary Mystical Landscape Mississippi Artist

Located in Soquel, CA

Vibrant landscape with a group of trees by H. W. Shankle (20th Century). The trees, clouds, and ground are all swirling, as if warped by the perspective of the viewer, creating a fantastical feeling to the composition. In the Visionary Artist style. Signed and dated "H. Shankle 71" along the bottom edge. Label from exhibition on verso. Presented in a distressed frame. Board size: 16"H x 20"W Hugh W. Shankle (American, b. 1921) was a photo technician with WLBT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi, during the late 1950s and '60s. He was also the official photographer for the Mississippi Art...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Cardboard

Andre Masson, Untitled, from The Seventh Song, 1974
Andre Masson, Untitled, from The Seventh Song, 1974

Andre Masson, Untitled, from The Seventh Song, 1974

By André Masson

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite engraving by Andre Masson (1896–1987), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the folio Le septieme chant, la mort d'Isidore Ducasse, Jeudi 24 Bovembre 1870, 7 Rue du Faub...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Engraving

Psalm - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1960s
Psalm - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1960s

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...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Curious (black old dog, snout, lady, vintage, animal, surrealist oil painting)
Curious (black old dog, snout, lady, vintage, animal, surrealist oil painting)

Curious (black old dog, snout, lady, vintage, animal, surrealist oil painting)

By Rudolf Kosow

Located in Quebec, Quebec

"Curious," by Rudolf Kosow, is an engaging portrayal of inquisitiveness and wonder, bridging the natural world and humanity. Dominating the scene is a giant bulldog, its face a tapestry of textures from the soft fur to the glistening nose, each detail crafted to convey a lifelike presence. Facing the monumental canine is a small-scale girl, her posture embodying the essence of childhood wonder as she stands before the immense animal. Her tilted head and attentive stance suggest a moment of mutual discovery and fascination. This poignant interaction is a snapshot of the innocent and pure connections that can occur across the divides of size and species. Kosow's "Curious" captures the beautiful moments of discovery that occur when the young and the gentle giants of the animal kingdom meet, encapsulating a shared curiosity that transcends words. The artwork serves as a reminder of the universal language of wonder that connects us all. keywords; painting on canvas, surrealist painting, animal vs human, americana, nature, man, man vs nature, surrealism, giant animal...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Femme à le béquille
Femme à le béquille

Femme à le béquille

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in OPOLE, PL

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Femme à le béquille Etching from 1969. 66/145 on Japan paper. Dimensions of work: 38 x 28 cm. Hand signed. Publisher: Graphik Europa Anstalt. Refere...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Composition, Feuilles éparses, Valentin Hugo
Composition, Feuilles éparses, Valentin Hugo

Composition, Feuilles éparses, Valentin Hugo

Located in Southampton, NY

Etching on vélin cuve de Rives paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, Feuilles éparses, 1965. Published and printed by Louis B...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Drypoint

UNTITLED

UNTITLED

By Sofia Ruiz

Located in Los Angeles, CA

"UNTITLED" OIL AND ACRILIC ON CANVAS SIGNED 35.5 X 27.5 INCHES Sofía Ruiz was born in 1982. What she expresses through her paintings has to do with whe...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Vintage Poster Modern Art Museum - 1977

Vintage Poster Modern Art Museum - 1977

Located in Roma, IT

Vintage Poster Modern Art Museum is a vintage Lithograph and Offset poster realized after Joan Mirò (1893-1983) in 1977. Good conditions. Joan Miró (20 April 1893 – 25 December 198...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Offset, Lithograph

Spirit with Horns - Abstracted Figurative Composition in Acrylic on Paper
Spirit with Horns - Abstracted Figurative Composition in Acrylic on Paper

Spirit with Horns - Abstracted Figurative Composition in Acrylic on Paper

By Michael William Eggleston

Located in Soquel, CA

Wonderful abstracted surreal figure of a spirit by Michael Eggleston (American, 20th Century). This piece is bold and lively, with bright colors and rich blacks. This horned spirit i...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, India Ink

Parrot  (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)
Parrot  (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)

Parrot (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Parrot, ca. 1975-80. Gouache on Arches rag paper, Sheet measures 23 x 30 inches. Image measures 22 x 29 inches. Signed lower left. Excellent condition. Unframed.

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Gouache, Rag Paper

Collective letter
Collective letter

Collective letter

By Anastasiia Grygorieva

Located in Edinburgh, GB

This picture is included in the series of artworks "Pathos of the Bureaucracy". 100x100cm / oil on canvas/ 2017 The picture is ready to hang (edges of a picture is painted) Signed on the front and back. Certificate of authenticity is included. This is my humorous reaction to the bureaucracy. So often we come across unnecessary laws that say that you need to take permission from someone, and you run from one agency to another, and then notice that part of life has passed.. In the picture, the cancer writes a collective letter to the slug...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Le Torse
Le Torse

Le Torse

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in OPOLE, PL

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Le Torse Etching from 1969. 66/145 on Japan paper. Dimensions of work: 38 x 28 cm. Hand signed. Publisher: Graphik Europa Anstalt. Reference: Michl...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Chemin de ronde

Chemin de ronde

By Pierre Alechinsky

Located in OPOLE, PL

Pierre Alechinsky (1927) - Chemin de ronde Lithograph from 1977. The edition XVII/XXX on Arches paper. Dimensions of work: 63 x 92 cm. Hand signed. The work is in Excellent cond...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Salvador Dali "The Curse Conquered"
Salvador Dali "The Curse Conquered"

Salvador Dali "The Curse Conquered"

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Boston, MA

Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: The Curse Conquered Series: After 50 Years of Surrealism Date: 1974 Medium: drypoint engraving with hand coloring on Arches Unframed Dimensions: 2...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Drypoint, Engraving

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.