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Surrealist Art

8,879 Results
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
Folklore Dance Abstract Composition
Folklore Dance Abstract Composition

Folklore Dance Abstract Composition

By Malgosia Kiernozycka

Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL

Folklore Dance, acrylic on canvas. Malgosia Kiernozycka was born in Wroclaw, Poland. She graduated high school at the School of Fine Arts and received a scholarship from the Mini...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Iggy Pop 80s Soldier album, Studio Portrait 1979, Colour Photograph, Framed
Iggy Pop 80s Soldier album, Studio Portrait 1979, Colour Photograph, Framed

Iggy Pop 80s Soldier album, Studio Portrait 1979, Colour Photograph, Framed

By Brian Griffin 1

Located in London, GB

Iggy Pop - FROM THE ALBUM COVER SOLDIER 1980, STUDIO PORTRAIT (1979), 1979 Archival Pigment Print, Framed Image size 30 x 30 cm Frame: 55 x 45.5 cm © Brian Griffin "I remember this...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Glass, Wood, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Color, Archival Pigment

Writings I.
Writings I.

Writings I.

By Juan Álvarez Cebrián

Located in CAMPO REAL, ES

"Writings I" is a work that invites reflection on the nature of writing and the human creative process. With a vertical format divided into two distinct parts, the painting displays ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Relics
Relics

Relics

By Alisa Leonets

Located in Zofingen, AG

Relics (series “1000 and 1 Night”) In this work, the space of falling in love shifts from the present into the realm of memory. Ordinary objects lose their everyday nature and become...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Yulianna Verba "Cosmic Consciousness" Contemporary Spiritual Abstract Painting
Yulianna Verba "Cosmic Consciousness" Contemporary Spiritual Abstract Painting

Yulianna Verba "Cosmic Consciousness" Contemporary Spiritual Abstract Painting

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Cosmic Consciousness marks a powerful threshold in Yulianna Verba’s metaphysical series, inviting the viewer into the liminal moment where the game of life pauses—and pure awareness ...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Ceramic, Oil Pastel, Acrylic

"Blue Fossil" Gerome Kamrowski, Abstract Surrealist, Biomorphic Expressionism
"Blue Fossil" Gerome Kamrowski, Abstract Surrealist, Biomorphic Expressionism

"Blue Fossil" Gerome Kamrowski, Abstract Surrealist, Biomorphic Expressionism

By Gerome Kamrowski

Located in New York, NY

Gerome Kamrowski Blue Fossil, 1960 Acrylic and styrofoam on board 17 x 46 inches Gerome Kamrowski was born in Warren, Minnesota, on January 19, 1914. In 1932 he enrolled in the Saint Paul School of Art (now Minnesota Museum of American Art - MMAA), where he studied with Leroy Turner...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Foam, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Board

François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) Sirens (women-headed birds in greek mytholo
François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) Sirens (women-headed birds in greek mytholo

François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) Sirens (women-headed birds in greek mytholo

By François-Xavier Lalanne

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

François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) Sirens (women-headed birds in greek mythology), 2005 Techniques : aquatint and soft varnish on paper, hand signed in pencil by François Xavier L...

Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Delightful Conversation with Earl Grey

Delightful Conversation with Earl Grey

By Linda Ridd Herzog

Located in Napa, CA

Largely self-taught, Linda Ridd Herzog’s paintings boast unbelievably detailed animals and objects in fantastical, surreal scenes. Growing up in Utah, Herzog found herself so inspir...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sixties
Sixties

Sixties

By Marcello Petisci

Located in West Hollywood, CA

“Sixties” by Marcello Petisci captures the bold energy, color, and cultural style of the 1960s. The composition centers on a sleek vintage race car wi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled Gargoyle
Untitled Gargoyle

Untitled Gargoyle

By Esteban Chavez

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Artists proof printed on 100% cotton rag monochromatic Panoramic

Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Lithograph

Tertia Die Resurrexit  - Lithograph  - 1964

Tertia Die Resurrexit - Lithograph - 1964

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Roma, IT

Tertia die resurrexit ("Raised up the Third Day") is an artwork realized in 1964. It is part of Biblia Sacra vulgatæ editionis published by Rizzoli-Mediolani between 1967 and 1969. Color lithograph on heavy rag paper. Signed and dated on plate on the right margin. Perfect conditions. Prov. Private Collection, Southern France. This artwork represents the Resaurrection of God after his Death. According to the Scriptures, in fact the God raised up after three days. In the representation there are two figures that spread light and brightness. The spontaneous Bulletism process and the richiamo colors in the image truly highlight Dali’s range of creativity and use of space. The lithograph is part of the imponent work Biblia Sacra vulgatæ editionis published by Rizzoli-Mediolani between 1967 and 1969. It was illustrated by Salvador Dalí with a suite of 105 colored lithographs after water-color artworks. The paper sheets are signed and dated on plate, and each of them comes with a Japanese paper tissue with a printed biblical quotation. In 1963, Biblia Sacra was commissioned by Giuseppe Albaretto, a very pious man, who was one of Dalí’s closest friends and patrons between the 1950s and the 1960s. Giuseppe Albaretto and his wife Mara commissioned several of Dalí's works, and became important publishers of his etchings and lithographs, including the Biblia Sacra. Through these commissions, Albaretto hoped that Dalí would reconcile with religion. The friendship between the Albarettos and Salvador Dalì provided the art world with some of the most spectacular Surrealist artworks. These works are a few of the most desirable graphic works ever created by the artist. In the preface of the work, the publisher asserts that the lithographs “configure, in both a universal and a personal way, the dynamic vision that characterizes the relationship between men and God”. Salvador Dalí (Figueres, 1904 – Figueres, 1989) is considered one of the most versatile and prolific artists of the XX century and the founding father of Surrealism. In the course of his long career, he successfully experimented with sculpture, fashion, writing, and filmmaking. In his early use of organic morphology, his work bears the stamp of Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. His work is also characterized by a fascination with classical art, manifested in the realistic style and religious symbolism of his latest works. Dalí was born near Barcelona to a middle class family. He soon demonstrated an interest in art, and, at the age of 18, he attended the Special Painting, Sculpture and Engraving School of San Fernando in Madrid. His eccentricity was notorious, and at first even more famous than his works. When he traveled to Paris, he met Pablo Picasso in his studio and took inspiration from Cubism. In 1928, he collaborated with Buñuel on Un Chien Andalou...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Goldfish XLIII, Painting, Oil on MDF Panel
Goldfish XLIII, Painting, Oil on MDF Panel

Goldfish XLIII, Painting, Oil on MDF Panel

By Daniel Loveday

Located in Yardley, PA

A further exploration of the Goldfish theme. Painting onto a solid surface allows the colours to be more concentrated and richer. This painting is sold without a frame but pleas...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

"T'ou't se tient" original lithograph

"T'ou't se tient" original lithograph

By Roberto Matta

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: original lithograph. Issued in 1975 for XXe Siecle (issue no. 45), published in Paris by San Lazzaro. Sheet size 12 1/8 x 9 1/2 inches (310 x 240mm). Not signed.

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Poems Secrets The Beach at Sete
Poems Secrets The Beach at Sete

Poems Secrets The Beach at Sete

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Hollywood, FL

ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Poems Secrets The Beach at Sete MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Editions Argillet, Paris EDITION NUMBER: 114/145 MEASUREMENTS: 11" ...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Masked Cowboy
Masked Cowboy

Masked Cowboy

By Marcel Dzama

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Marcel Dzama is one of the most successful contemporary Canadian artists, beloved for his unmistakable version of Surrealism. Born in Winnipeg in 1974, Dzama achieved an internation...

Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Art

Materials

Ink, Mixed Media

Lithograph 1977 CERET (Maeght 1120) Pencil Signed HC
Lithograph 1977 CERET (Maeght 1120) Pencil Signed HC

Lithograph 1977 CERET (Maeght 1120) Pencil Signed HC

By Joan Miró

Located in New York, NY

ORIGINAL PENCIL SIGNED MIRO LITHOGRAPH, the glare is from my camera (sorry) Joan Miro CERET MAEGHT 1120 Year done: 1977 21.5x29 inches sight size 29.5x37 inches with frame Lithog...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - Mother
French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - Mother

French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - Mother

By Helen Uter

Located in Paris, IDF

Oil on canvas Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper, she create...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Replaced Reality
Replaced Reality

Replaced Reality

Located in Zofingen, AG

Sometimes I try so hard to hold onto the good things inside me that I start using them as a shield. I gather memories, little joys, beauty, closeness—everything that once helped me f...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Self-Posession
Self-Posession

Self-Posession

By Marcel Dzama

Located in Toronto, Ontario

With his unmistakable version of contemporary Surrealism, as comical as it is otherworldly, Marcel Dzama is one of Canada's most internationally successful artists. Born in Winnipeg...

Category

1990s Surrealist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Glean - Landscape, Sown Field w/ Two Rabbits, Graphite, Archival Paper
Glean - Landscape, Sown Field w/ Two Rabbits, Graphite, Archival Paper

Glean - Landscape, Sown Field w/ Two Rabbits, Graphite, Archival Paper

By John Hrehov

Located in Chicago, IL

The pristine, symmetrical and orderly landscape brings an unnatural stillness to John Hrehov's painting entitled "Glean". The rabbits are central to the sparse landscape, feasting on a freshly sown field. Straight lines and geometric patterns are used to compose a glossy concept of reality. The drawing is matted and framed in a simple black wooden frame measuring 26 x 30 inches. John Hrehov Glean graphite on archival paper 25h x 29w in 63.50h x 73.66w cm JHR003 John Hrehov Education 1985 MFA-Painting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1981 BFA-Painting, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH. Solo Exhibitions 2017 John Hrehov, Paintings and Drawings. Tom Thomas Gallery...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Graphite

1950’s French Surrealist Signed Oil Painting Yellow Pink & Blue
1950’s French Surrealist Signed Oil Painting Yellow Pink & Blue

1950’s French Surrealist Signed Oil Painting Yellow Pink & Blue

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Tristan Fabris, 20th Century French Surrealist artist Abstract Surrealist Figurative study signed and dated verso oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 32 x 26 inches private collection, ...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pig Heaven

Pig Heaven

By Linda Ridd Herzog

Located in Napa, CA

Largely self-taught, Linda Ridd Herzog’s paintings boast unbelievably detailed animals and objects in fantastical, surreal scenes. Growing up in Utah, Herzog found herself so inspir...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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.