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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
“Olé” Photography 24" x 36" inch Edition 1/7 by Brian Ziff

“Olé” Photography 24" x 36" inch Edition 1/7 by Brian Ziff

By Brian Ziff

Located in Culver City, CA

“Olé” Photography 24" x 36" inch Edition 1/7 by Brian Ziff Giclee (Archival Ink) Print on Canson Platine Fibre Rag Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA signed by the ar...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

Les Oiseaux du Loch The Birds of Loch Surrealist Creature Landscape Contemporary
Les Oiseaux du Loch The Birds of Loch Surrealist Creature Landscape Contemporary

Les Oiseaux du Loch The Birds of Loch Surrealist Creature Landscape Contemporary

By Gérard Willemenot

Located in Utrecht, NL

Les Oiseaux du Loch The Birds of Loch Surrealist Creature Landscape Contemporary Gérard Willemenot was born on February 11, 1943. World War II and his father's deportation to Mautha...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Tempera, Panel

Erhu
Erhu

James JeanErhu, 2019

$768Sale Price|80% Off

Erhu

By James Jean

Located in Dallas, TX

Erhu is a signed and numbered time-limited edition of giclée prints. The erhu, or spike fiddle, typically has two strings, but the instrument being played here is missing a tuning sp...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Fraternity  Fraternité - Portfolio with 9 Etchings by Kandinsky Miro Hayter
Fraternity  Fraternité - Portfolio with 9 Etchings by Kandinsky Miro Hayter

Fraternity Fraternité - Portfolio with 9 Etchings by Kandinsky Miro Hayter

By Wassily Kandinsky

Located in London, GB

VARIOUS ARTISTS Title: Fraternity Fraternité, 1939 Technique: Complete Set of Nine Original Hand Signed Etchings on Montval Wove Paper with the Accompanying Text and Portfolio Portfolio size: 24 x 17.5 x 2 cm. / 9.5 x 6.9 x 1 in. Additional information: Each of the works in the portfolio is hand signed in pencil by each artist. The portfolio is hand numbered in pencil “97” on the justification page. This portfolio was printed in the limited edition of 101 by Atelier 17 and Henri Hecht...

Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Profil rose

Profil rose

By André Masson

Located in New York, NY

A very good impression of this color lithograph. Signed and numbered 14/200 in pencil.

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Color, Lithograph

Grand Window Diptych, Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, 36x48
Grand Window Diptych, Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, 36x48

Grand Window Diptych, Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, 36x48

By Ferjo, Fernando de Jesus Oliveira

Located in Aventura, FL

Original oil painting on canvas. Hand signed on front by Ferjo. Total Image size: 36 x 48 inches (each canvas is 36 x 24 inches). Canvases are not stretched. Artwork is in excell...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Contemplative Garden
The Contemplative Garden

The Contemplative Garden

Located in Zofingen, AG

Flowers as part of an inner garden that observes both itself and the viewer simultaneously. The viewer becomes part of this exchange: they look and, in response, find themselves bein...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

From Miroir du Poète Album
From Miroir du Poète Album

From Miroir du Poète Album

By André Masson

Located in New York, NY

Color aquatint on black backround from Miroir du Poete, published by Louis Broder, Paris, 1960. II/VI of 6 on japon of a total edition of 66. Signed and numbered in pencil by the art...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Aquatint

Hello Hen! Large Surrealist Oil on Canvas, Colorful, Signed, 113x94 cm
Hello Hen! Large Surrealist Oil on Canvas, Colorful, Signed, 113x94 cm

Hello Hen! Large Surrealist Oil on Canvas, Colorful, Signed, 113x94 cm

By Frank Docherty

Located in Cotignac, FR

Large surrealist contemporary oil on canvas by Scottish artist Frank McLean Docherty R.S.W. This piece whilst wonderfully colourful, playful and erotic is typical of the witty sense of humour this artist displays in all his work. The title 'Hello Hen !' ( Hen being the scottish slang for 'girl' ) is used playfully as a double-entendre. In the image we see the artist has before him a beautiful naked woman and yet chooses to paint the real hen. Also we notice that the plant's flower heads under the woman are wilting and the artist pictured (a self portrait of Docherty), an older man, suggest that the artist's desires are on the wane. Docherty likes to tease us visually and asks questions and presents conundrums to the viewer. Frank McLean Docherty was born in Glasgow , Scotland in 1942. He became a student at Glasgow School of Art in 1960 and graduated from the Department of Printed Textiles in 1964. He taught in a secondary school in the East End of Glasgow for two years, thereafter departing to work in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland as a textile designer (Marks & Spencer, Heals and Liberty of London). He was also an illustrator for a range of newspapers and an Art Director of magazines. In 1973, he was appointed Principal Teacher of Art in a Scottish High School and in 1978 was honoured by the Queen when he was appointed Member of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours (R.S.W.) He left education in 1994. Since that time he has developed a vision which is quite unique in Scottish Art. Bank Managers, toucans, lighthouses, penguins, bowler hats, Frank Docherty...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Elektra" original lithograph

"Elektra" original lithograph

By Max Ernst

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: original lithograph. This impression was printed in 1939 for the art revue XXe Siecle (issue number 5-6) and published by San Lazzaro. A later edition was also published by X...

Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Ivanhoe - Rowena

Ivanhoe - Rowena

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Miami, FL

TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Salvador Dali Ivanhoe - Rowena 1978 Lithograph 29 1/2 x 21 1/2 in. Edition of 250 Pencil signed and numbered; certified authentic by Frank Hunter of the Sal...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Swimming Suit 2" Figurative Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian

"Swimming Suit 2" Figurative Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Swimming Suit 2" Figurative Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Domino Books
Domino Books

Domino Books

By Fanny Brennan

Located in Greenwich, CT

Domino Books is a lithograph on paper with an image size of 2 x 4 inches, initialed 'FMB' lower right and annotated lower left, framed in a contemporary silver and dark gray frame. N...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU... Limited Surrealism French Contemporary
René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU... Limited Surrealism French Contemporary

René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU... Limited Surrealism French Contemporary

By (after) René Magritte

Located in Madrid, Madrid

René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU LES MYSTÈRES DE L'HORIZON, 1965 Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition number: 131/275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Condition: N...

Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Les Six Masques Voyants - Lithograph by Man Ray - 1970
Les Six Masques Voyants - Lithograph by Man Ray - 1970

Les Six Masques Voyants - Lithograph by Man Ray - 1970

By Man Ray

Located in Roma, IT

Color lithograph on paper. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Edition of 80xXL. Drystamp Studio Marconi Grafica. Watermark MRD. Printer and editor: Multirevol & Studio Marc...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Das Mondgespenst / The ghost of the moon
Das Mondgespenst / The ghost of the moon

Das Mondgespenst / The ghost of the moon

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, India Ink

Blooming Deadwood Triptych, Surrealist Oil on Canvas
Blooming Deadwood Triptych, Surrealist Oil on Canvas

Blooming Deadwood Triptych, Surrealist Oil on Canvas

By Marie Cameron

Located in Burlingame, CA

Triptych - Three canvases hang together to create an over all dimension of 64x110 inches. left canvas no. 1) 64x23 inches / center canvas no. 2) 64x64 inches / right canvas no. 3) 64...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Critiques Dard
Critiques Dard

Critiques Dard

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. As with most of ...

Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Art

Materials

Ink, Mixed Media

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

Surreal Collage: 'The Witness'
Surreal Collage: 'The Witness'

Surreal Collage: 'The Witness'

By David Barnett

Located in New York, NY

Combining found elements with those fashioned by my own hand, my work encompasses two- and three-dimensional collage as well as sculptural objects. Infused with a rich sense of histo...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Celebration

Celebration

By Alejandro Rubio

Located in San Francisco, CA

Alejandro Rubio Celebration, 2024 Oil on canvas 30 x 30 inches This one-of-a-kind oil painting on canvas is stretched across wooden stretcher bars.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Les Six Masques Voyants - Lithograph by Man Ray - 1970
Les Six Masques Voyants - Lithograph by Man Ray - 1970

Les Six Masques Voyants - Lithograph by Man Ray - 1970

By Man Ray

Located in Roma, IT

Color lithograph on paper. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Edition of 80+XL. Drystamp Studio Marconi Grafica. Watermark MRD. Printer and editor: Multirevol & Studio Marconi,...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

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

Deja Vu. Removing, Oil Painting
Deja Vu. Removing, Oil Painting

Deja Vu. Removing, Oil Painting

By Guigen Zha

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
The painting shows a woman gently removing her veil, her calm presence emphasized by a subtle balance of cool blues and warm tones. Artist Guigen Zha’s delibe...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Le Château des Pyrénées - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Le Château des Pyrénées - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print

Le Château des Pyrénées - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print

By (after) René Magritte

Located in Sint-Truiden, BE

Numbered: 193/300 Color lithograph after the 1959 oil on canvas by René Magritte, printed signature of Magritte and numbered from the edition of 300. The lithograph features the dry...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Quevedos Visioner, Planche II
Quevedos Visioner, Planche II

Quevedos Visioner, Planche II

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in OPOLE, PL

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

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

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.