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.
Courtesans, Signed Surrealist Etching by Leonor Fini
By Leonor Fini
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Leonor Fini Title: Untitled IV Year: circa 1970 Medium: Etching, Signed and Numbered in Pencil Edition: 180/280 Size: 26 in. x 19.5 in. (66.04 cm x 49.53 cm)
Etching
Riders, Surrealist Lithograph by Robert Beauchamp
Located in Long Island City, NY
Robert Beauchamp, American (1923 - 1995) - Riders, Year: circa 1979, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 100, Size: 18 in. x 26 in. (45.72 cm x 66.04 cm)
Lithograph
$4,205
"La Bataille de l'Argonne (The Battle of Argonne), " Litho after Rene Magritte
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"La Bataille de l'Argonne (The Battle of Argonne)" is a color lithograph after the original 1959 painting by Rene Magritte. The landscape is shrouded by the mist of twilight. A cresc...
Lithograph
Touchdown Blooms, LA Rams - Quirky Still Life Collage Mixed Media Art on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a Swedish artist whose textured watercolor and collage artworks bring together bold color, geometric structure, and layered visual textures. Florals, foliage...
Paper, Mixed Media
Femme au Clown Drypoint Etching, Surrealist, Signed, 1969
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Femme au clown (Woman with Clown) Original drypoint etching with roulette and hand-applied watercolor on Japanese paper, from the deluxe edition of Faust. ...
Drypoint, Etching
$9,000
La Vent
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris, in the full swing of the Surrealist movement....
Paper, Ink
Gnomes et Gnose, Original Lithograph, Modern, 1974, Signed
Located in OPOLE, PL
Pierre Alechinsky (1927) - Gnomes et Gnose Lithograph from 1974. The edition of XVI/XXV. Dimensions of work: 75.5 x 54.5 cm. Hand signed. Publisher: Atelier Clot, Paris. Publis...
Lithograph
Untitled Abstract Lithograph by Jacques Hérold, Surrealist, 1974
Located in Roma, IT
Untitled from Le XX Siècle is an original artwork realized by Jacques Hérold in 1974. Original colored lithograph. Good conditions. Printed by Mourlot...
Lithograph
Purgatory 13 - The Second Terrace - Color woodcut - 1963 (Field p. 189)
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Purgatory 13 - The Second Terrace Color woodcut on paper Printed signature 1960/63 Printed on paper Vélin BFK Rives Size 32,8 x 26,4 cm (c. 13 x 10") REFE...
Woodcut
VIII from Les Marionnettes, Surrealist Gouache and Drypoint by Hans Bellmer
By Hans Bellmer
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Hans Bellmer, German (1902 - 1975) Title: VIII from Les Marionnettes Year: 1969 Medium: Hand-colored Drypoint Etching on Rice Paper, signed in pencil Image Size: 12 x 11 inch...
Gouache, Rice Paper, Drypoint
Le Delire du Couturier, Bleu, Rouge, Vert
By Joan Miró
Located in Wien, 9
Joan Miró, Le Delire du Couturier, Bleu, Rouge, Vert, 1969. Color lithograph, signed on lower right, numbered 2/30. Catalogue Raisonné: Mourlot 645.
Color, Lithograph
"Rene Magritte"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
In this oil painting, I explored a junction of surrealism and futurism, where the ordinary meets the fantastically impossible. I have manifest towns with vibrant, whimsical architect...
Oil, Board
Roads, Impressionist Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas, 2011
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The “Spirituality” series reached completion. Yet O. Khrapachov's search did not come to a dead end. His theory of the world's development points to the incompleteness of the cycle, ...
Oil, Canvas
Signs of the City -Vibrant Architectural Still Life Watercolor Painting on Paper
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, Watercolor
Blaze, Surrealist Lithograph by Robert Beauchamp
Located in Long Island City, NY
Robert Beauchamp, American (1923 - 1995) - Blaze, Year: 1980, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 200, Size: 32 in. x 25 in. (81.28 cm x 63.5 cm)
Lithograph
The Essence of Dali
By Salvador Dali and Philippe Halsman
Located in Buffalo, NY
The work offered for sale here is an original vintage silver gelatin print hand created by Halsman hand signed and exhibited at the International Center for Photography. Philippe Halsman was at one point considered the best photo-portraitist in France. He had an incessant interest in faces: “Every face I see seems to hide—and sometimes fleetingly reveal—the mystery of another human being.” Halsman’s photographs of politicians, celebrities, and intellectuals were featured widely in magazines like LIFE and Vogue. His more famous subjects included the likes of Marc Chagall, Le Corbusier, Audrey Hepburn, and Albert Einstein. He also had a 37-year collaboration with Salvador Dalí, which resulted in several famous surrealist series including the “Dalí’s Mustache” portraits...
Silver Gelatin
1967 Martin Engelman 'Thoughts' Surrealism Multicolor Lithograph
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Paper Size: 10.75 x 8.5 inches ( 27.305 x 21.59 cm ) Image Size: 10.75 x 8.5 inches ( 27.305 x 21.59 cm ) Framed: No Condition: A: Mint Additional Details: Derives from a publi...
Lithograph
Druid, Black and White, Original Painting, One of a Kind
Located in Granada Hills, CA
ARTIST: Aibek Begalin WORK: Original acrilic graphics, handmade artwork Medium: Acrylic and ink on paper YEAR: 2020 STYLE: Modern SUBJECT: DRUID SIZE: 12" x 9" x 0,1" inch, 21X29 cm ...
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
$6,000
Transfiguration /// Surrealism Salvador Dali Landscape Etching Face Lips Surreal
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989) Title: "Transfiguration" *Signed by Dali in pencil lower right Year: 1973 Medium: Original Etching on Auvergne paper Limited edition: 90/10...
Etching, Intaglio
Osso Sonata, music and anatomy , violin, face,
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In this series, Audrey Anastasi has shifted her focus away from naturalistic domestic settings to a dark, enigmatic, and some might say, unsettling, place. These figures could be heros and heroines of Greek tragedy...
Canvas, Oil
Surrealist composition - Hand-signed lithograph Leonor Fini Surrealist, 1975
By Leonor Fini
Located in New York, NY
Leonor Fini Surrealist composition, 1975 Colored etching on Arches paper 11 × 15 in 28 × 38 cm Limited edition of 185
Lithograph
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Surreal Painting, Landscape, Clouds, Ocean, Blues, Elemental I by Joerg Dressler
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
JOERG DRESSLER "Elemental I" Acrylic on Panel 14 x 11 inches _____________________________________ Joerg was born in Hanau, Germany. He received his MFA from the Hochschule für Gest...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Autobus, Surrealist Lithograph by Alejandro Colunga
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alejandro Colunga, Mexican (1948 - ) Title: Autobus Year: 1979 Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 110 Size: 25 x 36 in. (63.5 x 91.44 cm)
Lithograph
Self-Portrait Sundial
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Self-Portrait Sundial MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 103/150 MEASUREMENTS: 22.25" x 18" YEAR: 1966 CONDITION: Excellent ...
Lithograph
$2,700
"Madonna and Child Revisited" - surrealist still life painting, patterns, bird
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features hues of orange, yellow, purple and blue. Guy Robinson is inspired by the work of Paul Klee, Albrecht Durer and Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Guy Robinson is an Atlant...
Linen, Oil
Ruth glaneuse
By Marc Chagall
Located in Paris, FR
Original lithograph by Marc Chagall from The Bible of 1960 Ruth glaneuse Unsigned 35 x 26 cm Excellent condition
Lithograph
$14,800Sale Price|20% Off
Jardin biologique (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Title: Jardin biologique (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13), Imaginations et Objets du Futur (Organic garden, Imaginations and Objects of the ...
Mixed Media, Drypoint, Lithograph, Screen
Personne Suite No. 1
Located in Columbia, MO
Dorothea Tanning (American, 1910–2012) Etching on paper Signed to lower margin Edition 10/10 Initially associated with the Surrealist movement, Dorothea Tanning developed a person...
Etching
Femme et Chien devant la Lune
By Joan Miró
Located in New York, NY
A superb impression of this very scarce, early color pochoir. Signed, dated "1935" and numbered 58/60 in pencil by Miro. Published by Adlan, Barcelona. Ink stamp on the reverse indic...
Color, Stencil
Raising A Glass, Surrealist Etching by Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) - Raising A Glass, Year: circa 1943, Medium: Etching, Image Size: 9.75 x 8 inches, Size: 15 x 11.75 in. (38.1 x 29.85 cm), Reference: Unrecorde...
Etching
$4,400Sale Price|20% Off
"Three Medusas, " Eugene Berman, Surrealism, Greek Still Life
Located in New York, NY
Eugene Gustavovitch Berman (1899 - 1972) Three Medusas, 1968 Watercolor on paper 12 x 9 1/2 inches Initialed and dated lower right Provenance: Larcada Gallery, New York Frank Oehlsc...
Paper, Watercolor
Green Jump, Surrealist Lithograph by Robert Beauchamp
Located in Long Island City, NY
Robert Beauchamp, American (1923 - 1995) - Green Jump, Year: circa 1980, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 200, AP 45, Size: 25 x 32 in. (63.5 x 81.28...
Lithograph
De Mauvais Sujets - Planche V, Original Etching, Modern, 1958, Framed
By Marc Chagall
Located in OPOLE, PL
Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - De Mauvais Sujets - Planche V Etching and aquatint from 1958. An unnumbered and unsigned copy from a limited edition of 153. Dimensions of sheet: 43.5 x 32.5 cm Dimensions in frame: 63.2 x 53.2 cm Publisher: Les Bibliophiles de l’Union Française, Paris. Printer: Atelier Lacourière et Frélaut, Paris. Reference: Cramer 35 -- This original color etching comes from De Mauvais Sujets ("The Bad Subjects"), a 1958 illustrated portfolio that paired Marc Chagall’s artwork...
Etching, Aquatint
Surrealist Hound
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Amazing surrealist painting by Italian artist Nuccio Fontanella (1936-2005). Ink and watercolor on cold pressed illustration board. Image measures 13 x 18 inches; 20 x 25 inches framed...
Ink, Watercolor, Illustration Board
$1,610
Surreal Contemporary Figurative Mixed-Media Sculpture Found-Object American
Located in Buffalo, NY
One of a kind mixed-media sculpture by Philip Kuznicki from the Spirit exhibition. Comes in its original frame. Born in Dunkirk NY, Kuznicki started his career working for artists su...
Found Objects, Mixed Media
![Salvador Dali "Le Dos Divin de Gala" [Gala's Divine Back] Etching, 1974](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/salvador-dali-prints-works-on-paper-salvador-dali-le-dos-divin-de-gala-galas-divine-back-etching-1974-for-sale/a_28452/a_183373221784670622272/item_135662_catimage_1_master.jpg?width=240)
![Salvador Dali "Le Dos Divin de Gala" [Gala's Divine Back] Etching, 1974](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/salvador-dali-prints-works-on-paper-salvador-dali-le-dos-divin-de-gala-galas-divine-back-etching-1974-for-sale-picture-2/a_28452/a_183373221784670631957/item_135662_catimage_2_master.jpg?width=240)
Salvador Dali "Le Dos Divin de Gala" [Gala's Divine Back] Etching, 1974
Located in Astoria, NY
Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989), "Le Dos Divin de Gala" [Gala's Divine Back], Drypoint Etching with Pochoir, 1974, from "After 50 Years of Surrealism", published by Atelier Rigal,...
Drypoint, Etching
Crows, Surrealist Lithograph by Robert Beauchamp
Located in Long Island City, NY
Robert Beauchamp, American (1923 - 1995) - Crows, Year: circa 1975, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 100, Size: 18 in. x 26 in. (45.72 cm x 66.04 cm)
Lithograph
$3,376
Salvador Dali etching, signed with monogram, La Reine Iseult and her daughter
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Salvador Dalí (Spanish, 1904–1989) La Reine Iseult et sa fille (The Queen Iseult and her Daughter) Drypoint etching in colour From the 1970 Tristan and Iseult series, British book ed...
Etching
$5,130Sale Price|20% Off
Large Figurative Sculpture of Fragmented Female Body in Carved Polychrome Wood
By Jose Perozo
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Large figurative wood sculpture depicting a fragmented female body constructed from individually carved sections of chestnut, sapele, pine and oak. Arquitectura (Architecture) is a m...
Wood
$6,000
Hommage a Picasso (Cannes) (Cote d'Azur) /// Surrealism Salvador Dali Surrealist
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989) Title: "Hommage a Picasso (Cannes) (Cote d'Azur)" *Signed by Dali in pencil lower right Year: 1973 Medium: Original Drypoint Etching on Riv...
Drypoint, Etching, Intaglio
$6,208Sale Price|20% Off
REBEL (black pug carlin cowboys lasso vintage americana surrealist oil painting)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
A colossal black pug, its head resting heavily on the ground, gazes outward with an expression both sorrowful and unyielding. Its vast, glossy eyes shimmer w...
Canvas, Oil
Figures 1959 - Etching by Guelfo Bianchini - 1959
Located in Roma, IT
Figure 1959 is an original etching realized by Guelfo Bianchini in 1959. The artwork is hand-signed by the artist on the lower right corner, and numbered (33/60) on the lower left ...
Etching
"Salvador Dalí"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
In this painting, I've melded the whimsical with the surreal to explore the dichotomy between fantasy and reality. The jester, typically a figure of folly and transient joy, juxtapos...
Canvas, Oil
Trio, Surrealist Lithograph by Zina Rothman
By Zina Rothman
Located in Long Island City, NY
Zina Rothman, Russian (1941 - ) - Trio, Year: circa 1980, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil lower left, Edition: 22/200, Image Size: 12.5 x 18 inches, Size: 15 x...
Lithograph
$43,879Sale Price|20% Off
Morning glory. Surrealistic artwork. Oil on canvas, 65x92 cm
By Leonid Purygin
Located in Riga, LV
Bizarre scene of Lady in bed dreaming socially diverse erotic activities.
Canvas, Oil
$1,200
Around the Green Gravel - Surrealist Screenprint by Chris Van Allsburg
Located in Long Island City, NY
On a striped green lawn, figures in hooded white togas stand in rows, their backs to the viewer. Each holds out their left hand before them and resting on the flat of their palm is a black inkwell with a bright white feather quill sticking out of it. The artist is also responsible for writing and illustrating books like Jumanji and The Polar Express. From the Mother Goose Portfolio, this print is signed and numbered in pencil by the artist. Around the Green Gravel Chris Van Allsburg...
Screen
$3,895
Salvador Dali Color Lithograph, Signed, 1972, Twelve Apostles, Andrew (Camelot)
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Andrew (Visions of Camelot) Portfolio: 1972 The Twelve Apostles (Knights of the Round Table) Medium: Lithograph Year: 1972 Edition: 41/350 Frame Size: 29...
Lithograph
Untitled (29), Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Hans-Georg Rauch
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hans-Georg Rauch, German (1939 - 1993) - Untitled (29), Year: 1978, Medium: Etching with Aquatint, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 100, Size: 20 x 28 in. (50.8 x 71.12 cm)
Etching, Aquatint
$650
French Abstract Surrealist Lithograph Andre Masson Mourlot Paris Limited Edition
By André Masson
Located in Surfside, FL
This is from the suite by Jean Paul Sartre and Andre Masson, Limited edition of 175. published by Fernand Mourlot, 1961. The portfolio is numbered #29/175 and hand signed by Andre Ma...
Lithograph
Portrait 2, Surrealist Lithograph by Hans Graeder
By Hans Graeder
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hans Graeder, German (1919 - 1998) - Portrait 2, Year: circa 1979, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 100, Size: 23 in. x 34 in. (58.42 cm x 86.36 cm)
Lithograph
Imaginations & Objects of The Future Breathing Pneumatic Armchair
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Imaginations & Objects of The Future Breathing Pneumatic Armchair MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali PUBLISHER: Merril Chase, Chica...
Etching
Marée Haute, Original Etching, Modern, 1977, Signed, Excellent
Located in OPOLE, PL
Pierre Alechinsky (1927) - Marée haute Etching from 1977. The edition 114/150. Dimensions of work: 76 x 56 cm. Hand signed. The work is in Excellent condition.
Etching
Genuine Saint, Pop Art Oil on Canvas Painting by Michael Knigin
Located in Long Island City, NY
Genuine Saint Michael Knigin, American (1942–2011) Date: 1987 Oil on Canvas, signed, titled and dated Size: 60 x 72 in. (152.4 x 182.88 cm) Frame Size: 62 x 74 inches
Canvas, Oil
Two Dancers, Surrealist Etching and Aquatint by Martin Barooshian
Located in Long Island City, NY
Martin Barooshian, American (1929 - 2022) - Two Dancers, Year: circa 1979, Medium: Etching and Aquatint on Arches, initalied in the plate and signed in pencil, Image Size: 23 x ...
Etching, Aquatint
How Come, Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, 20th Century, Framed
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"How Come" is a Modern surrealist oil on canvas painting by Irving Norman in 1968. The artwork is 90 x 60 inches and 91 1/4 x 61 1/2 x 1 5/8 inches with the fram, weighing less than ...
Oil
Presidential office
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This picture is included in the series of artworks "Pathos of the Bureaucracy". 100x100cm / oil on canvas/ 2018 The picture is ready to hang (edges ...
Canvas, Oil
Tristan & Isolde
Located in Miami, FL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION Salvador Dali Tristan & Isolde 1972 Lithograph in Black and White Surface Rowlux with Color Added, Covered with Transparent and with Blue, Gold and Red ...
Lithograph
"Katalogumschlag (Mona Lisa)" by German Surrealist artist Paul Wunderlich - 1972
Located in Soquel, CA
"Katalogumschlag (Mona Lisa)" by German Surrealist artist Paul Wunderlich - 1972 Rare, limited-edition lithograph, on wove paper by celebrated German Surrealist artist Paul Wunderli...
Lithograph, Wove Paper
Les Chiens Ont Soif VI, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif VI, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 165/320, Size: 17 x 24.5 in. (43.18 x 62.23 cm...
Lithograph
Untitled (31), Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Hans-Georg Rauch
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hans-Georg Rauch, German (1939 - 1993) - Untitled (31), Year: 1978, Medium: Etching with Aquatint, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: HC X/X, Size: 20 in. x 28 in. (50.8 cm ...
Etching, Aquatint