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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 Slothful - Woodcut - 1963
The Slothful - Woodcut - 1963

The Slothful - Woodcut - 1963

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Roma, IT

The Slothful -  "The Divine Comedy" - Song 18 -  Purgatory is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri. ...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Woodcut

Joan Miro, Untitled, from Derriere le miroir, 1967
Joan Miro, Untitled, from Derriere le miroir, 1967

Joan Miro, Untitled, from Derriere le miroir, 1967

By Joan Miró

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Sans titre (Untitled), originates from the 1967 folio Derriere le miroir, L'oiseau solaire, l'oiseau lunaire, etin-celles (...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Dark Lemur - Etching by Leo Guida - 1970s

Dark Lemur - Etching by Leo Guida - 1970s

By Leo Guida

Located in Roma, IT

Dark Lemur is an Etching realized by Leo Guida in 1972s. Good condition, Hand signed, dated with pencil. Artist sensitive to current issues, artistic movements and historical techn...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Pablo Picasso THÉÂTRE OU TÉLÉVISION: CAPE ET ÉPÉE 1968 Aquatint - 347 Series
Pablo Picasso THÉÂTRE OU TÉLÉVISION: CAPE ET ÉPÉE 1968 Aquatint - 347 Series

Pablo Picasso THÉÂTRE OU TÉLÉVISION: CAPE ET ÉPÉE 1968 Aquatint - 347 Series

By Pablo Picasso

Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Pablo Picasso’s 1968 etching and aquatint Théâtre ou télévision: cape et épée belongs to the artist’s late period, a time when he reflected intensely on the themes of performance, sp...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Etching, Aquatint

La Venus aux Fourrures The Head
La Venus aux Fourrures The Head

La Venus aux Fourrures The Head

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Hollywood, FL

ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: La Venus aux Fourrures The Head MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 66/150 MEASUREMENTS: 15" x 11" YEAR: 1968 FRAMED: No CONDITION: Excellent AUTHENTICITY: This piece has been certified by Muse du Surrealisme - Christine Argillet REFERENCE: The Official Catalog of The Works of Salvador Dali by Albert Field page 40...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Memories Cast Adrift - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art
Memories Cast Adrift - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art

Memories Cast Adrift - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Robert Lebsack creates artworks using mixed media with ink, acrylic, and charcoal on archival copies of newspapers, textbooks, and sheet music. As a visionary artist, Lebsack weaves ...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel

Quevedos Visioner, Planche I
Quevedos Visioner, Planche I

Quevedos Visioner, Planche I

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in OPOLE, PL

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Quevedos Visioner, Planche I Etching from 1975. The edition of 295/300. Dimensions of work: 66 x 50 cm. Hand signed. Publisher: Galerie Börjeson, Mal...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

An Undying Wonderment - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art
An Undying Wonderment - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art

An Undying Wonderment - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Robert Lebsack creates artworks using mixed media with ink, acrylic, and charcoal on archival copies of newspapers, textbooks, and sheet music. As a visionary artist, Lebsack weaves ...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel

Ripple Effect l
Ripple Effect l

Ripple Effect l

By Paul Dempsey

Located in East Hampton, NY

Ripple Effect I Medium: Black & White Photography (printed on metal) Size: 30" x 20" (larger sizes available - inquire within) 16x24 on metal - 20x30 on metal Made to Order Wat...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Metal

"La race blanche (The White Race), " Lithograph after Painting by Rene Magritte
"La race blanche (The White Race), " Lithograph after Painting by Rene Magritte

"La race blanche (The White Race), " Lithograph after Painting by Rene Magritte

By René Magritte

Located in Milwaukee, WI

"La race blanche (The White Race)" is a color lithograph after the original 1937 painting by Rene Magritte. A female figure is made out of a mix of body parts. An eye sits on top of an ear, which is on top of a mouth, then two noses. Two breasts lying on a stomach; two arms come from the breasts. Legs are tucked under the stomach. This figure is on a sand dune next to the ocean. Art: 26.5 x 19.63 in Frame: 40.88 x 33.88 in René-François-Ghislain Magritte was born November 21, 1898, in Lessines, Belgium and died on August 15, 1967 in Brussels. He is one of the most important surrealist artists. Through his art, Magritte creates humor and mystery with juxtapositions and shocking irregularities. Some of his hallmark motifs include the bourgeois “little man,” bowler hats, apples, hidden faces, and contradictory texts. René Magritte’s father was a tailor and his mother was a miller. Tragedy struck Magritte’s life when his mother committed suicide when he was only fourteen. Magritte and his two brothers were thereafter raised by their grandmother. Magritte studied at the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts from 1916 to 1918. After graduating he worked as a wallpaper designer and in advertisement. It was during this period that he married Georgette Berger, whom he had known since they were teenagers. In 1926, René Magritte signed...

Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Homage to Mondrian Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, 30x40 in
Homage to Mondrian Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, 30x40 in

Homage to Mondrian Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, 30x40 in

By Ferjo, Fernando de Jesus Oliveira

Located in Aventura, FL

Original oil painting on canvas. Hand signed lower front by Ferjo. Canvas image size 30 x 40 x 1 inches. Canvas is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of au...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oneiric Landscape 3, Mixed Media on Paper

Oneiric Landscape 3, Mixed Media on Paper

By Veronica Dragnef

Located in Yardley, PA

Thinks related to dreams :: Mixed Media :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :: Signed: Yes :: Sig...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Theories II
Theories II

Theories II

By Juan Álvarez Cebrián

Located in CAMPO REAL, ES

"Theories II" is a surrealist work that explores human theories through time. In the center, two heads of classical sculptures emerge against a divided background. The head of Dionysus, in earthy tones, projects a vision that distorts reality, symbolizing man's illusory perspective. From this vision emerge colorful forms that converge towards a floating book...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Aurea
Aurea

Aurea

By Juan Álvarez Cebrián

Located in CAMPO REAL, ES

"Aurea: A Tribute to the Golden Dot." In the fabric of the universe, mathematics reveals patterns that transcend time and space. In the fabric of art, these patterns intertwine with ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Untitled, Madrid (Sandals w/ Grass)
Untitled, Madrid (Sandals w/ Grass)

Untitled, Madrid (Sandals w/ Grass)

By Chema Madoz

Located in Denton, TX

Edition of 15 Signed, dated and numbered. Chema Madoz is one of the most important contemporary Spanish photographers, who is greatly known for his monochromatic, surreal still-life...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Stardust
Stardust

Stardust

By Fanny Brennan

Located in Greenwich, CT

Stardust is a lithograph on paper with an image size of 2.5 x 3.25 inches, initialed 'FMB' lower right and annotated lower left, framed in a contemporary silver and dark gray frame. ...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

4500 Transformaciones, Painting, Oil on Canvas

4500 Transformaciones, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Andres Vivo

Located in Yardley, PA

Picture belonging to my human behaviour series Related to human rights Inspired by the dramatic artworks of Francisco Goya :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an off...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Nereid - Nude Female Figure with Elongated Limbs in Outstretched Yoga Pose
Nereid - Nude Female Figure with Elongated Limbs in Outstretched Yoga Pose

Nereid - Nude Female Figure with Elongated Limbs in Outstretched Yoga Pose

By Oliver Hazard Benson

Located in Chicago, IL

Nereid is a sea nymph, a female spirit of sea waters. She symbolizes everything that is beautiful and kind about the sea. Her melodious voice sing as she dances and twists on a sea ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

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

Joan Miro, Untitled, from Miro, Recent Unpublished Work, 1964
Joan Miro, Untitled, from Miro, Recent Unpublished Work, 1964

Joan Miro, Untitled, from Miro, Recent Unpublished Work, 1964

By Joan Miró

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the album Miro, Obra Inedita Recent (Miro, Recent Unpublished Work), originates from the 1964 e...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) and Claude Lalanne (1925-1919), Sphinx -2005
François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) and Claude Lalanne (1925-1919), Sphinx -2005

François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) and Claude Lalanne (1925-1919), Sphinx -2005

By François-Xavier Lalanne

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

François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) and Claude Lalanne (1925-1919), Sphinx, 2005 Techniques : aquatint and soft varnish on paper, hand signed in pencil by François Xavier Lalanne, i...

Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Oggetto Matematico (Mathematical Object )
Oggetto Matematico (Mathematical Object )

Oggetto Matematico (Mathematical Object )

By Man Ray

Located in Wien, 9

Man Ray is considered a representative of Dadaism and Surrealism. He was born in Philadelphia in 1890. Man Ray was active as a painter, object artist, photographer and film director. His art assemblages deal with questions about the unconscious, the apparent and the mythical. What is present behind what is represented or not is Ray's preoccupation in conceiving his experiments with different materials and techniques. He has his first solo exhibition at the Daniel Gallery in New York. Together with Marcel Duchamp he founded the DADA group in New York. In 1921 Ray moved to Paris, where he worked in the Montparnasse environment with artists such as Dalí, Ernst, Matisse, Miró, Mondrian and Tanguy. In 1922 there is a split in Paris between the Dadaists and the Surrealists. Man Ray joins the co-founders of Surrealism. National Socialism, which also showed its effects in Paris in the late 1930s, prompted the Jewish artist to decide to leave the country. After a major appearance at Georges Wildenstein's Beaux-Arts Gallery in Paris in the exhibition "Exposition Internationale du Surrealisme", he fled to New York via Spain and Portugal. After the Second World War, he brought the artistic collection he had left in Paris to the USA. As he could not enjoy the success and prestige in America that he had enjoyed in Paris, he returned to Paris in 1951. In 1958, the artist took part in the exhibition "Dada. Documents of a Movement" at the Kunstverein Düsseldorf and in the large Dada exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. His first major retrospective is shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1966. Man Ray died in Paris in 1976, leaving behind the "Man Ray Trust", a foundation established by his widow. Between 1934-36 Man Ray photographed...

Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Surreal Painting, Landscape, Clouds, Ocean, Blues, Elemental I by Joerg Dressler
Surreal Painting, Landscape, Clouds, Ocean, Blues, Elemental I by Joerg Dressler

Surreal Painting, Landscape, Clouds, Ocean, Blues, Elemental I by Joerg Dressler

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...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

l' Hirondelle
l' Hirondelle

l' Hirondelle

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist: Salvador Dali (Spanish surrealist, 1904-1989) Title: L'Hirondelle Year: 1973 Medium: Color lithograph Edition: Numbered XLVI/CCL in pencil Paper: Arches watermarked Image size: 18.5 x 25 inches paper size: 19 x 25.5 inches Signature: Hand signed in pencil by the artist Publisher: Martin Lawrence and Jacques Carpentier...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Correspondence by L. Gischia to N. Jacometti - 1960

Correspondence by L. Gischia to N. Jacometti - 1960

By Léon Gischia

Located in Roma, IT

This Correspondence between Léon Gischia and Nesto Jacometti, written in French and Italian , in 1960, is composed of 7 items, prefectly readable and in excellent conditions, except...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Permanent Marker

Les Chiens Ont Soif XII, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst
Les Chiens Ont Soif XII, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst

Les Chiens Ont Soif XII, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst

By Max Ernst

Located in Long Island City, NY

Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif XII, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 165/320, Size: 17 x 24.5 in. (43.18 x 62.23 c...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Once In A Lifetime
Once In A Lifetime

Once In A Lifetime

By David Najar

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Once In A Lifetime" c. 2000 is a giclee print by noted Israeli artist David Najar, born 1962. It is hand signed and numbered P....

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Giclée

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.