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.
Floral Still Life Postage Stamp Surrealist Collage painting
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Mabel Barnsbee (1892-1980). Miniature Watercolor Painting Surrealist Postage Stamp Collage. Image measures 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Measuring 11 x 13 inches in original frame. The Mysti...
Paper, Watercolor
Meeting point
Located in Zofingen, AG
In 2023, the painting was part of the exhibition project “Cosmonia of Senses” at the Korsaks Museum of Contemporary Ukrainian Art in Lutsk, Ukraine. Among 300 artists, my painting “M...
Canvas, Acrylic
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Joan Miro, Untitled, from Miro Sculpture, 1974
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Sans titre (Untitled), originates from the 1974 album miro sculpture (Miro Sculpture). Publi...
Lithograph
By the Pool, Pink Towel, Florance Italy
Located in Hudson, NY
“Friends of Friends” explores a playful world where dreams and reality meld together to create surreal moments. When engaging with Piussi's work, we enter an arena where we are imme...
Canvas, Oil
Le Téléphone (The Telephone)
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Le Téléphone (The Telephone) Drypoint etching with stencil from 1975. The edition 165/450 on Arches paper. Dimensions of sheet: 75 x 56 cm Dimensions ...
Drypoint, Etching
$1,350
"Swimming Suit 2" Figurative Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 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 ...
Photographic Paper
$3,000
You can not express yourself because we have a democracy, Figurative Surrealism
By Ashot Yan
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Figurative Surrealism Original Painting Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Figurative Surrealism, ...
Oil, Canvas
Sainte Lucie
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Saint Lucie MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Michelle Broutta, Paris EDITION NUMBER: 268/450 MEASUREMENTS: 35.5" x 25" YEAR: ...
Etching
The Canyon II - Abstract Color Drenched Dreamy Landscape Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Joan Miro, Miro in Ink I, from Indelible Miro, XXe Siecle, 1972
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Miro a l'encre I (Miro in Ink I), originates from the 1972 album Indelible Miro. Published by Societe Internationale d'Art ...
Lithograph
Positive Drawing I, Psychedelic Ink Wash on Paper by Dimitri Petrov
Located in Long Island City, NY
Dimitri Petrov, American (1919 - 1986) - Positive Drawing I, Year: 1976, Medium: Ink Wash on Paper, Size: 22 x 30 in. (55.88 x 76.2 cm)
Ink
$15,000
Limited Edition Portrait by Cuban Artist - Stainless Steel & Quartz Sculpture
By Hector Frank
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Limited Edition Portrait by Cuban Artist - Stainless Steel & Quartz Sculpture Despite international acclaim as one Cuba’s foremost living artists, Havana born Hector Frank never rec...
Stainless Steel
Salvador Dali "The Taming of the Shrew"
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: The Taming of the Shrew Series: Shakespeare II Date: 1971 Medium: drypoint Framed Dimensions: 25" x 19.75" Unframed Dimensions: 17.6" x 12.5" Sig...
Drypoint
Masque - Etching by Max Ernst - 1950
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Color etching on vellum. Image dimension 18x13 cm. Edition of 33/100. Hand signed in pencil. Light-stained, browned, with pinholes in two corners. Very rare.
Etching
Waiting Portrait Surrealism Original oil Painting
By Ashot Yan
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Figurative Surrealism Original Painting Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Portrait Surrealism, T...
Canvas, Oil
$425
THE VISITOR Signed Lithograph, Mini Surreal Landscape Seashell, Mountains, Water
Located in Union City, NJ
THE VISITOR is a hand drawn, limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archival Arc...
Lithograph
Vintage Silver Gelatin Photograph Surrealist Doll Art Photo, Jazz Photographer
Located in Surfside, FL
These were from a show of her work. Influenced by Surrealism and Dada Photographs these are images of old children's dolls in various states of decay. These bear the influence of Ha...
Silver Gelatin
"Terres de Grand Feu" original lithograph
By Joan Miró
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1956 for the art revue Derriere le Miroir (issue number 87-88-89) and published in Paris by Maeght. Size: 15 x 21 3/4 inches (380 x 555 mm). T...
Lithograph
Island. Ghost House, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A geometric outline of a woman's skull and a house contrast against a pale blue sky. The painting features vibrant and varied tones, with blocks of color outlin...
Acrylic
Henry V from Much Ado About Shakespeare
Located in Columbia, MO
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) was one of the most recognizable figures of 20th-century art, known for his eccentric persona and for pushing Surrealism into the cultural mainstream. A pai...
Color, Drypoint, Etching
Yellow Cat with Smilling Sun and Moon - Original Handsigned Lithograph
By Corneille
Located in Paris, IDF
Guillaume Corneille (1922-2010) Yellow Cat with Smilling Sun and Moon , 1996 Original color lithograph Signed and dated in pencil Artist proof On vellum, 56 x 70 cm (c. 22 x 28 in) ...
Lithograph
"Entrance and Exit" - Oil on Canvas Symbolic Surrealist Painting 2015
Located in Denver, CO
Vachagan Narazyan’s Entrance and Exit (2015) is an original oil on canvas painting that exemplifies the artist’s poetic and allegorical approach to spatial imagery. The composition c...
Canvas, Oil
Pegasus, Surrealist Etching by Andre Masson
By André Masson
Located in Long Island City, NY
This striking etching by Andre Masson from circa 1970 depicts the mythological Pegasus through the lens of Surrealist Figurative art and classical symbolism. Masson’s interpretation ...
Etching
$19,600Sale Price|20% Off
Espace-temps en fusion (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Title: Espace-temps en fusion (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13), Imaginations et Objets du Futur (Fusing space-time, Imaginations and Objects...
Mixed Media, Drypoint, Lithograph, Screen
Sculpture of a red figure / - The crazy dance of life -
Located in Berlin, DE
George Lilanga (1934 Kikwetu - 2005 Dar es Salaam), Sculpture of a red figure, circa 1995. Polychrome wood, 80 cm (height) x 40 cm (width) x 25 cm (depth), signed on the carved base ...
Wood
The Sleep
By Arik Brauer
Located in Columbia, MO
Brauer’s 1973 illustrations for The Hasidic Tales are extraordinary examples of etching pushed to its expressive limits. Through the masterful use of layered aquatint, Brauer achieve...
Handmade Paper, Etching, Aquatint
Le Demon Ailé - Etching and Drypoint - 1969
Located in Roma, IT
Le demon Ailé is a wonderful black and white drypoint realized in 1969. The artwork is from the portfolio "Vénus aux fourrures", edited by Pierre Argillet, Parigi, 1969. Hand signed in pencil by the artist on the lower margin. Dry stamp on the lower right margin Numbered on the lower left margin. Ed.21/75. Good conditions except for some light yellowing of paper along the margin. Ref: Michler Lopsinger, "Salvador Dali Catalogue Raisonne of Etchings and Mixed-Media Prints 1924-1980", Prestel 1994, n. 371. 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. Dalí epitomizes the idea that life is the greatest form of art; André Breton said about him: “It is with Dalí that, for the very first time, the windows of the mind are wide open”. He always pushed boundaries, and he did the same with conventional lithography. He experimented a lot, also with techniques that would not be allowed today. He was a prolific printmaker, using techniques as drypoint, etching, woodcut and lithography. His output is esteemed at 1700 prints...
Drypoint, Etching
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Joan Miro, Untitled, from Derriere le Miroir, 1971
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Sans titre (Untitled), originates from the 1971 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 193-194, octobre-novembre 1971, published by ...
Lithograph
$245
What's Meant To Be - Abstract Figurative Black & White Mixed Media Portrait 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 ...
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$2,200
"The Oracle of Time" (ca. 2016) By John Tarantola, Surrealist Oil Portrait
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "The Oracle of Time" (ca. 2016) is a beautiful surrealist painting done with oil on panel, which depicts a nude male figure posing with a roma...
Oil, Panel
$3,895
Salvador Dali Color Lithograph, Signed, 1972, Twelve Apostles, Christ/Patricius
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Christ (Patricius) Portfolio: 1972 The Twelve Apostles (Knights of the Round Table) Medium: Lithograph Year: 1972 Edition: 38/350 Frame Size: 29 7/8" x 2...
Lithograph
Individual Etchings: Diane de Poitiers
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Salvador Dali Individual Etchings: Diane de Poitiers, Published 1971 Medium: Copper Etching on Arches Paper Edition: 108/150 Artwork Size: 25 x 20 in Framed Size: 33 x 28 in T...
Etching
Human Thoughts (The Dreamer) - Lithograph by André Masson - 1970ca
By André Masson
Located in Roma, IT
Hand Signed and numbered in pencil. Edition of 100. Graphic work dedicated to Jean Cocteau. Very good condition.
Lithograph
Five Framed Etchings by Joan Miro, from Journal d'un graveur 1975
By Joan Miró
Located in Long Island City, NY
Five etchings from the Journal D'un Graveur, a series which is made up of 3 Volumes, each containing a suite of 15 dry-points, preceded by an engraving in color wash, etching and aqu...
Drypoint, Etching
La Grande Bagnante, Surrealist Lithograph by Franco Gentilini
Located in Long Island City, NY
This elegant 1971 lithograph by Franco Gentilini presents a monumental bather figure through the artist’s distinctive blend of Figurative art and Surrealist sensibility. Gentilini’s ...
Lithograph
Man Ray - Alphabet Pour Adultes, Silkscreen & lithograph, Hand Signed/N, Framed
By Man Ray
Located in New York, NY
Man Ray Alphabet Pour Adultes (Alphabet For Adults), 1970 Silkscreen in colors and lithograph on paper mounted on wood veneer mounted on card stock. Hand Signed. Numbered. Dated. Ha...
Mixed Media, Pencil, Lithograph, Screen
Salvador Dali Portrait Etching, Signed, 1974, Le Portrait de la Fontaine
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Le Portrait de la Fontaine Portfolio: Le Bestiaire de La Fontaine Medium: Engraving on Richard de Bas paper Year: 1974 Edition: XII/CXX Framed Size: 36 3...
Etching
Cityscape
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Cityscape" c.1990 is an original color serigraph by Ukrainian/American artist Anatole Krasnyansky. It is hand signed and numbered 24/350 in black ink by the artist. The artwork size is 9.35 x 11.15 inches, framed size is 19.75 x 21.75 inches. Custom framed in a gold and silver frame, with off white matting. It is in excellent condition. About the artist: Anatole Krasnyansky (born in 1930; Kiev, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian-American artist who has gained prominence by pioneering a new watercolor technique. Krasnyansky added paper texture as a component of his watercolors. With this new process, Krasnyansky added texture and depth to the watercolor medium and expanded its expressive possibilities to a level usually associated with oil painting. Biography He was born in Kiev, growing up and living during the times when Ukraine was a part of the U.S.S.R. Krasnyansky received master's degrees in fine art and architecture. He found that the freedom of expression that he needed in his artwork could not be found within the strictures of the Soviet Union and moved to the United States in 1975. In the U.S., Krasnyansky found valuable use for his knowledge of architecture, design and his imagination. and found success in multiple artistic pursuits. Almost surreal, Krasnyansky’s figures are recognizable form while incorporating elements of his Eastern heritage, the cubist ideas of Picasso and Braque, and as well as American culture. Accomplishments Krasnyansky began working as a scenic artist for ABC and CBS, including the production of two Academy Awards shows. He became a set designer for Universal Studios (credits including The Blues Brothers and Battlestar Galactica...
Screen
The Apparition of Saint James - Woodcut - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
The Apparition of Saint James - Song 26 - Paradise is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri. Plate n...
Woodcut
Joker Figurative Surrealism Bronze Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Artwork Title: Joker Medium: Original Oil on Linen, Bronze Sculpture Dimensions: 40" x 32" x 8" (101 x 81 x 20 cm) Year: 2024 Unfra...
Bronze
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Joan Miro, The Bird and its Nest, from Derriere le miroir, 1965
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled L'Oiseau et son Nid (The Bird and its Nest), from the folio Derriere le miroir, No. 151–152, originates from the 1965 editi...
Lithograph
Reclining Nude - Drawing by Henry Ramey - Early 20th century
Located in Roma, IT
Reclining Nude is a drawing artwork realized by Henry Ramey in 20th Century. Pencil and watercolor on paper. Hand-signed. Good condition. The artwork shows a watercolor painting ...
Watercolor
$750
A 1940s, Modern Abstract Surrealist Drawing by Hananiah Harari, "Sky Traffic"
Located in Chicago, IL
A Striking, 1940s Modern Surrealist Abstract Drawing, "Sky Traffic", by Notable New York Avant Garde Artist, Hannah Harari (Am. 1912-2000). Graphite on paper, dating from 1947. A...
Paper, Graphite
original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in Paris by Mourlot and published by Pierre à Feu and Maeght Editeur for the Marcel Duchamp / André Breton project Surréalisme en 1947. Issued in...
Lithograph
The Other Side of the Wall - Original Handsigned Etching - 150ex
By Lars Bo
Located in Paris, IDF
Lars BO The other side of the wall Original etching with aquatint Hnadsigned in pencil Numbered / 150 ex On vellum 50 x 65 cm (c. 20 x 26 inch) Very good condition, right margin li...
Etching, Aquatint
$480Sale Price|20% Off
"Yoga"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
"Art from Money." This painting has a philosophical meaning. It reflects the philosophy of human impact on the planet. Surrealist portraits, Cossacks, dancers, yogis. The painting i...
Paper, Oil
$18,000
La Musicale Sentiment, Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas by Frama
Located in Long Island City, NY
Georges Henrik Maryan (aka Frama), French (1949 - ) - La Musicale Sentiment, Year: 1995, Medium: Oil on Canvas, Size: 51 x 77 in. (129.54 x 195.58 cm), Frame Size: 52.5 x 78.5 in...
Oil
Vintage Modernist Surreal "Metamorphosis" Still Life Exhibited Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist surreal interior scene oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 27 by 30 inches overall. Hands...
Canvas, Oil
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Joan Miro, Untitled, from Miro Recent Paintings, 1953
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Sans titre (Untitled), originates from the 1953 album Miro Recent Paintings. Published by the Pierre Matisse Gallery, New Y...
Lithograph
Mujer en Rojo, Surrealist Lithograph by Byron Galvez
By Byron Gálvez
Located in Long Island City, NY
Title: Mujer en Rojo Date: 1980 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 100 Dimensions: 30 x 22 inches
Lithograph
$560Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled (Outsider Art Surrealist Figural Sculpture)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Rocco Monticolo (b. 1931). Untitled, 2022. Found antique object, wood, paint. Signed on reverse of face. Monticolo was born in Italy in 1931 and came to America in 1946. He joined ...
Steel
Color Rainbow : Biennale de Menton - Original lithograph poster (MOURLOT)
By Man Ray
Located in Paris, IDF
MAN RAY (Emmanuel Radnitsky, known as) (1890-1976) Menton Biennale, 1970 Original lithograph (Mourlot workshop) Signed on the plate On paper, 67 x 47 cm (c. 27 x 18 in) INFORMATION...
Lithograph
Enigma : Liberty - Original handsigned lithograph
Located in Paris, IDF
Franvis de SAINT GENIES (1925-) Enigma : Liberty Original lithograph Handsigned in pencil Limited /250copies On vellum 56 x 76 cm (c. 22 x 30 in) Excellent condition
Lithograph
Walk in Paradise Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting
By Ashot Yan
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Portrait Figurative Surrealism Original Painting Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Figurative Sur...
Canvas, Oil
Insomnia
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Insomnia” From the series “Arcana of the Heart” In this painting, the night sky transforms into a space of thoughts that refuse to let sleep come. Lights, resembling sun-stars, burn...
Canvas, Acrylic
Capricho de Goya n°63 - Héliogravure and Pochoir attr. to S. Dalì - 1977
Located in Roma, IT
Capricho de Goya n°63 is an original héliogravure and pochoir, realized by Salvador Dalí in 1977, hand-signed and numbered n°125/200. Included a wooden frame. In very good condi...
Engraving, Stencil
Reciprocity
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting “Reciprocity” is a visual meditation on the moment of fusion of two principles: feminine and masculine, spiritual and physical, internal and external. In it, a surrealis...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
Aphrodite
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Aphrodite Etching from 1963. Handsigned in two places. The edition 114/150. Dimensions of work: 76 x 56 cm Reference: Michler/Löpsinger 117 Side not...
Etching
Car Crash II, Surrealist Woodcut by Richard Bosman
Located in Long Island City, NY
Richard Bosman, American (1944 - ) - Car Crash II, Year: 1982, Medium: Woodcut on Japon, signed, numbered and dated in pencil, Edition: 60, Image Size: 35 x 48 inches, Size: 36....
Woodcut
Figure Astratte, Surrealist Screenprint by Remo Brindisi
Located in Long Island City, NY
Remo Brindisi, Italian (1918 - 1996) - Figure Astratte, Year: circa 1985, Medium: Screenprint on Fabriano, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: PA, Image Size: 17.75 x 21.5 in...
Screen