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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
Les Tiroirs
Les Tiroirs

Les Tiroirs

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in OPOLE, PL

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Les Tiroirs Etching from 1967. Th edition of 122/145 on Japan paper. Enhanced with watercolor.. Dimensions of work: 38 x 28.5 cm Publisher: Graphik Eu...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Etching

Storm Brewing, Oil Painting
Storm Brewing, Oil Painting

Storm Brewing, Oil Painting

By Kat Silver

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A child wearing a mask sits in an open field surrounded by bunnies. Dark clouds gather on the horizon, evoking a sense of looming uncertainty. Inspired by the c...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Bobby' Nightmare (pug dog face helicopter vintage surreal oil painting)
Bobby' Nightmare (pug dog face helicopter vintage surreal oil painting)

Bobby' Nightmare (pug dog face helicopter vintage surreal oil painting)

By Rudolf Kosow

Located in Quebec, Quebec

"Bobby's Nightmare" by Rudolf Kosow is a striking blend of humor and surrealism, juxtaposing an exaggeratedly expressive pug with an intense military scene. The dog's bulging eyes, lolling tongue, and shocked expression contrast sharply with the highly detailed helicopter and soldiers descending from the sky, creating an absurd and unexpected composition. The painting plays on the idea of a pet's anxiety, turning an ordinary moment of canine surprise into an action-packed, almost cinematic spectacle. The hyperrealistic rendering of the pug’s fur and facial details enhances the surrealism, making the implausible scene feel eerily convincing. With its mix of realism and whimsy, Bobby’s Nightmare captures the chaotic energy of an overactive imagination—whether that of a dog startled by its surroundings or a playful human interpretation of a pet’s exaggerated emotions. keywords; painting on canvas, surrealist painting, americana...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

La Sibylle et les étoiles
La Sibylle et les étoiles

La Sibylle et les étoiles

By André Masson

Located in OPOLE, PL

André Masson (1896 - 1987) - La Sibylle et les étoiles Lithograph from 1976. Edition 91/100. Dimensions of work: 50 x 66 cm. Hand signed. The work is in Excellent condition.

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Gerard Tunney, Dancers with Fans, Original surreal painting
Gerard Tunney, Dancers with Fans, Original surreal painting

Gerard Tunney, Dancers with Fans, Original surreal painting

By Gerard Tunney

Located in Deddington, GB

A group of dancers chat and gossip using the fans to emphasise l their reactions The triangles of the fans are echoed throughout the painting; in the dancers’ feet, the dancers’ arms...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

The Face in the Windmill
The Face in the Windmill

The Face in the Windmill

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in New York, NY

Color Lithograph. Artist's proof, aside from an edition of 150. Signed and inscribed "EA" in lower right and left corner respectively. Published by Sidney Z. Lucas, New York. C...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Color

El Ultimo viaje del buque fantasma, Plate X
El Ultimo viaje del buque fantasma, Plate X

El Ultimo viaje del buque fantasma, Plate X

By Wifredo Lam

Located in Fairlawn, OH

El Ultimo viaje del buque fantasma, Plate X Color lithograph, 1976 Signed in pencil lower right corner (see photo) 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 delixe 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) Sheet size: 29 7/8 x 22 inches Condition: Very fresh colors and condition Slight scuffing verso from previous hinges Reference: Lam-Tonneau-Ryckelnck CR360 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...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Winter Punks"
"Winter Punks"

"Winter Punks"

By Natalia Kolpakova 1

Located in Edinburgh, GB

"Winter Punksis a nostalgic, surrealist tribute to lost youth, rebellion, and the eternal echo of subculture. In this intricate winter scene, time loops like a Möbius strip—skaters, ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Silk

Le Feu Vert
Le Feu Vert

Le Feu Vert

By Wifredo Lam

Located in Hollywood, FL

Artist: Wifredo Lam Title: Le Feu Vert Medium: Lithograph Signed: Hand Signed by Wifredo Lam Edition: 82/100 Measurements: Paper: 27.5" x 19.86" Frame: 29" x 27" Publisher: Poli...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Salvador Dali "Love's Labors Lost" Drypoint
Salvador Dali "Love's Labors Lost" Drypoint

Salvador Dali "Love's Labors Lost" Drypoint

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Boston, MA

Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: Love’s Labors Lost Series: Shakespeare II Date: 1971 Medium: drypoint Framed Dimensions: 21.75" x 18.75" Signature: Pencil signed Edition: 128/2...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Drypoint

Symbols Devil
Symbols Devil

Symbols Devil

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Hollywood, FL

ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Symbols Devil MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: EGI/Vanguard Studios (Beverly Hills) EDITION NUMBER: 26/150 MEASUREMENTS: 16" x 16" ...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Vesna – 14-03-22, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Vesna – 14-03-22, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Corne Akkers

Located in Yardley, PA

Shifting Gear Another Risque painting depicting my muse Julia Filament. Two oil paintings earlier I already did an Ukrainian theme but why not use it once again. After all, the Ru...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Ritual. 2022. oil on cardboard, 40x30 cm

Ritual. 2022. oil on cardboard, 40x30 cm

By Juris Dimiters

Located in Riga, LV

Ritual. 2022. oil on cardboard,, 40x30 cm Juris Dimiters (1947) Education: 1958-1965 Janis Rozentals Art High School of Riga 1965-1973 Art Academy of Latvia, Painting Department, specialism in scenography. Solo shows: 1981- Baiba & Leo Benias Gallery, West Berlin (as part of the Skulme family exhibition) 1984- Museum of Foreign Art , Riga; Cēsis Exhibition Hall; 1986- Firebird Gallery, Alexandra; International Images, Pittsburgh, USA. 1987- Exhibition Hall, Jurmala. 1987- Exhibition Hall, Stockholm, Sweden (as part of the Skulme family exhibition) 1989- Delta Art Gallery, Nijmegen (The Netherlands). 1992- Maya Polsky Gallery, Chicago, USA. 2000- State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow and State Museum of Art , Riga. 2004- Riga Museum of History and Navigation. 2007- Imagine Gallery, Riga. 2007- Art gallery Laipa, Valmiera. 2007- Moscow house, Riga. 2009- Zurab Tsereteli...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Salvador Dali "Apricot Knight"
Salvador Dali "Apricot Knight"

Salvador Dali "Apricot Knight"

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Boston, MA

Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: Apricot knight Series: Flors Dali (The Fruits) Date: 1969 Medium: Lithograph with original drypoint remarques Unframed Dimensions: 29.92" x 22.05" ...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Drypoint

Risque – 31-01-22, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper

Risque – 31-01-22, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper

By Corne Akkers

Located in Yardley, PA

Different Styles Another variation in the Risque Series. After my last graphite pencil drawing ‘Risque – 22-01-22’ I was searching for something new. I just don’t like to ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Pencil

The Lost Trace / - The Holy Night as a real dream -
The Lost Trace / - The Holy Night as a real dream -

The Lost Trace / - The Holy Night as a real dream -

By Ernst Fuchs

Located in Berlin, DE

Ernst Fuchs (1930 Vienna - 2015 ibid), The Lost Trace, 1972. Vernis mou and aquatint etching, 46.8 x 36.4 cm (plate), 66 x 50 cm (sheet), 69.5 x 53.5 cm (frame), WVZ Hartmann no. 185...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Fruits of Passion, 1980 (after)
Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Fruits of Passion, 1980 (after)

Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Fruits of Passion, 1980 (after)

By Leonor Fini

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite heliogravure, titled Sans titre (Untitled), after Leonor Fini, from the album Fruits de la passion, trente-deux variations sur un theme de Leonor Fini (Fruits of Passi...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Precious Pearls - Original Oil on Canvas, Handsigned
The Precious Pearls - Original Oil on Canvas, Handsigned

The Precious Pearls - Original Oil on Canvas, Handsigned

Located in Paris, IDF

Modesto ROLDAN The Precious Pearls Original Oil on Canvas Handsigned on the bottom left On canvas 24 x 30 cm (c. 9.5 x 12 inch) Presentend in golden wood frame 33 x 37 cm (c. 13 x 1...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Nachtgespenst / Night ghost

Nachtgespenst / Night ghost

By Franz Rogler

Located in Wien, 9

Franz Rogler (1921 -1994) studied wood and stone sculpture with Wilhelm Gösser at the Graz School of Applied Arts and attended the master class for painting with Rudolf Szyszkowitz. During his studies he was drafted for military service and, together with fellow artist Hans Fronius, was deployed as a war painter in Austria, Germany, Italy, the former Yugoslavia, Greece and Russia. During this time he completed studies at the Academy in Zagreb and organised exhibitions in Austria. In 1944 he deserted and managed to escape to Switzerland, where he settled in Basel after his internment and came into contact with the Swiss Surrealists of "Group 33" and with the artists Hans Arp, Max Ernst and Meret Oppenheim through his friend Regula Weilenmann. After the end of the war, he studied at the Basel Art School with Walter Bodmer and Heinrich Müller, which introduced him to Constructivist art. In 1947 Rogler returned to Graz and became a member of the Graz Secession. From 1948 to 1950 he studied at the Vienna Academy with Albert Paris Gütersloh, before returning to Graz as a freelance artist in 1950. In 1953 he received the Art Prize of the City of Graz and his works were published in the first issue of the "Surrealist Publications" edited by Edgar Jené and Paul Celan...

Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Monkey Girl II, Copper and Resin Sculpture by James Johnson
Monkey Girl II, Copper and Resin Sculpture by James Johnson

Monkey Girl II, Copper and Resin Sculpture by James Johnson

By James Johnson

Located in Long Island City, NY

A mixed media sculpture by James Johnson from 2002. A pregnant female figure of epoxy resin with copper wings and a simian face. Artist: James Johnson Title: Monkey Girl 2 Year...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Copper

Orange Shell
Orange Shell

Orange Shell

By Fanny Brennan

Located in Greenwich, CT

Orange Shell is a lithograph on paper with an image size of 3.75 x 3.5 inches, initialed 'FMB' lower right and annotated lower left, framed in a contemporary silver and dark gray fra...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Modern Figurative Surrealist Watercolor Painting, Drawing 'Prince of Innocence'
Modern Figurative Surrealist Watercolor Painting, Drawing 'Prince of Innocence'

Modern Figurative Surrealist Watercolor Painting, Drawing 'Prince of Innocence'

By Gary Hansmann

Located in Surfside, FL

Angelic boy with a devil figure. Gary Hansmann (1947-2008) was active/lived in California. He is known for abstract, Surrealism figure painting. Gary William Hansmann was born Dec. 4, 1940, in San Diego to Ethel May Williams and Lester Hughes Hansmann. He grew up in Encinitas and served in the Army in the early 1960s. Gary Hansmann, San Diego artist, teacher and gallery owner, was known for his Surrealist drawings and graphics. He spent time working in Paris and exhibiting his art throughout Europe, but San Diego was home until he moved to Washington state. His life partner was fellow artist, Jill Hosmer. Mr. Hansmann, a respected printmaker and prolific artist, created thousands of drawings, prints and paintings as well as hundreds of poems. His interest in bullfighting led to a book of poetry and illustrations on the subject, “La Corrida, The Run”, a collection of poetry & artwork written as he was preparing for his first bullfight. Prologue written by famous Mexican Matador Antonio Lomelin. The book is written in English and translated into Spanish on opposing pages and was published in 1983. Mr. Hansmann taught intaglio and monotype at the Academy of Fine Arts in San Diego from 1977 to 1980 and at the San Diego Museum of Art in 1980. He also gave lectures and demonstrations throughout the art community, including at the San Diego Art Guild in Del Mar and Artist Equity in San Diego. Although he attended Palomar College in San Marcos and studied lithography at the San Diego Academy of Fine Arts, Mr. Hansmann was mostly self-taught and self-educated. Mr. Hansmann had shows in several art-world capitals, including Paris; Lisbon, Portugal; Cologne, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; and New York. he had one-person exhibits at the Loft Gallery in Clarkston, the Lewis-Clark State College Center of Arts & History, the Carnegie Art Center in Walla Walla and the Valley Art Center in Clarkston. During his long, distinguished career as an artist he had numerous one-person exhibits all over the world and the United States. His group shows are too numerous to mention, but his one-person exhibits were in Koln, Germany; Bruxelles, Belgium; Paris, France; Viana do Castelo, Portugal; Lisbon, Portugal; Tecate, Mexico; and British Columbia, Canada; and many states at home. Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif. San Diego Academy of Fine Arts Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y. University of Southern California, Idyllwild (ISOMATA) University of San Diego San Diego Museum of Art James Copley Library, La Jolla, Calif. Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Venice, Italy Centre de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal Museo Taurino de la Communidad de Madrid, Madrid, Spain Atelier Lacouriere et Frelaut, Paris, France Gordon Gilkey Collection Portland Art Museum, Portland, Or. Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, India Ink, Watercolor

The Fisherman
The Fisherman

The Fisherman

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Hollywood, FL

ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: The Fisherman MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 44/150 MEASUREMENTS: 39.87" x 23.75" CONDITION: Excellent AUTHENTICATION: ...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Pollock Easter Egg"
"Pollock Easter Egg"

"Pollock Easter Egg"

By Kyrylo Bondarenko

Located in Edinburgh, GB

The Pollock Easter Egg. This series is dedicated to Ukrainian Easter eggs – pysankas. The Ukrainian pysanka is a symbol that unites all corners of our country. And its role is p...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Acrylic

La Ressuscitée, 1972 (Le Decameron, Plate J)
La Ressuscitée, 1972 (Le Decameron, Plate J)

La Ressuscitée, 1972 (Le Decameron, Plate J)

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Greenwich, CT

La Ressuscitée from Dalí's Le Décameron portfolio is a drypoint etching with color on paper, signed Dalí lower right and numbered 17/150 lower left. From the Swedish edition of 150 A...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Fruits of Passion, 1980 (after)
Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Fruits of Passion, 1980 (after)

Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Fruits of Passion, 1980 (after)

By Leonor Fini

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite heliogravure, titled Sans titre (Untitled), after Leonor Fini, from the album Fruits de la passion, trente-deux variations sur un theme de Leonor Fini (Fruits of Passi...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Fruits of Passion, 1980 (after)
Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Fruits of Passion, 1980 (after)

Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Fruits of Passion, 1980 (after)

By Leonor Fini

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite heliogravure, titled Sans titre (Untitled), after Leonor Fini, from the album Fruits de la passion, trente-deux variations sur un theme de Leonor Fini (Fruits of Passi...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

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.