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.
Pillar of Strength 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Woman, African
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Pillar of Strength” is a powerful fabric collage that celebrates the inner resilience, dignity, and grace of the African woman. Constructed with richly patterned textiles and bold, v...
Fabric, Canvas
Winter and Summer
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Winter and Summer MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: A/P MEASUREMENTS: 25" x 35.5" YEAR: 1973 FRAMED: No AUTHENTICITY: This pi...
Etching
$1,180Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage American Modernist Trompe L'Oeil Surreal Still Life Exhibited Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Amazing American modernist still life oil painting by Adrian Martinez (Born 1949) . Oil on canvas. Exhibited.
Canvas, Oil
original lithograph
By Max Ernst
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Catalogue reference Spies/Leppien 202. Published in 1971 by XXe Siecle. Sheet size: 12 1/4 x 9 3/8 inches (310 x 238 mm). Not signed.
Lithograph
"Smoking Lady" (2024) By Nadezda, Original Oil Painting on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
Nadezda's beautiful new oil on panel painting "Smoking Lady" (2024) is an abstract portrait of a woman wearing a black dress smoking inside of her brightly colored house, she is stan...
Oil, Panel
Rene Magritte, The Indiscreet Jewels, from XXe Siecle, 1963
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Rene Magritte (1898–1967), titled Les Bijoux indiscrets (The Indiscreet Jewels), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXVe Annee N°22, Noel 1963, o...
Lithograph
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Joan Miro, Untitled, from Joan Miro, 1956
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Sans titre (Untitled), originates from the 1956 publication Joan Miro. Published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, and printed by M...
Lithograph
$1,647Sale Price|20% Off
French Surrealist Figurative Male Nudes Seascape Oil Painting on Board
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title French Surrealist Figurative Male Nudes Seascape Oil Painting on Board Key Details Artist: French School Subject: Surrealist figurative scene with male nudes and seascape Mediu...
Oil
$450
Flower Pot 6 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Still Life, Nature, Floral
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Aka...
Canvas, Acrylic
TIE Fighter Beatles Large Oversize Pop Art Print Signed Limited Edition
By BATIK
Located in London, GB
TIE Fighter Beatles by B A T I K Pop art work featuring the Fab Four Paul McCartney , George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon running away from Star Wars TIE fighters chasing...
Black and White, Archival Pigment
The Pink Party - Cute Feminine Still Life Collage Mixed Media Artwork on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a colorful artist who lives and paints in Sweden. Most of her works are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Bernhardsson travels the world...
Paper, Mixed Media
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
"Recall, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Alla Bartoshchuk's "Recall" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a nude female figure in the company of laughing blue and purple women, wher...
Oil, Panel
1966 original exhibition poster by Man Ray at Los Angeles County Museum of Art
By Man Ray
Located in PARIS, FR
The 1966 original exhibition poster by Man Ray for "À l'heure de l'observatoire – les amoureux" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is a captivating piece of art history....
Paper, Lithograph
Alchimie des Philosophes L'Immortalite
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Alchimie des Philosophes L'Immortalite MEDIUM: Etching on Parchment Paper SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Ar...
Etching
$12,000
Salvador Dalí Signed Lithographs - Retrospective Suite 1978 Complete Set of Four
Located in Dallas, TX
From the private collection of a Texas art connoisseur, this rare set comprises all four framed limited European edition lithographs from Salvador Dalí’s 1978 Retrospective Suite. Ea...
Lithograph
$30,995
Salvador Dali, Don Quixote Overwhelmed, from Don Quichotte de la Manche, 1957
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Salvador Dali (1904–1989), titled Don Quichotte accable (Don Quixote Overwhelmed), from the folio Pages choisies de Don Quichotte de la Manche (Selected ...
Lithograph
$24,796Sale Price|20% Off
Salvador Dali, Apparition of Dulcinea, from Don Quichotte de la Manche, 1957
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Salvador Dali (1904–1989), titled Apparition de Dulcinee (Apparition of Dulcinea), from the folio Pages choisies de Don Quichotte de la Manche (Selected ...
Lithograph
(after) Marino Marini - "Cheval sur fond noir" pochoir
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: pochoir (after the lithograph). Printed by the atelier of Daniel Jacomet, and published in Paris in 1955 by Heinz Berggruen. The image measures 5 x 3 1/2 inches (130 x 90 mm)...
Lithograph, Stencil
Star-Crossed, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Two astronauts sit across from each other, the table between them barely separating their bodies as they lean in close. It was a first date, and they had a wond...
Oil
"Dile Que No", Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas, Unframed, 2010+
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original oil and resin painting by San Diego artist, Julia San Roman. Its dimensions are 36" x 60" It is unframed. A certificate of authenticity will follow d...
Oil, Canvas
Priscilla At Dusk - 21st Century, Surrealism, Africa Woman with Guitar, Musical
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bor...
Canvas, Oil
$1,996Sale Price|20% Off
Salvador Dali, Untitled, from The Three-Cornered Hat, 1958
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite engraving by Salvador Dali (1904–1989), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the folio Le Tricorne (The Three-Cornered Hat), originates from the 1958 edition published b...
Engraving
Salvador Dali "Picasso: a Ticket to Glory"
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: Picasso: a Ticket to Glory Series: After 50 Years of Surrealism Date: 1974 Medium: drypoint engraving with hand coloring Unframed Dimensions: 26" ...
Drypoint, Engraving
Light Angel Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Artwork Title: Light Angel Medium: Original Oil on Linen Dimensions: 36" x 39" x 1" (91 x 100 x 3 cm) Year: 2012 Unframed, Stretche...
Canvas, Oil
$4,500
Dali, "The Grand Inquisitor Expels the Savior" from After 50 Years of Surrealism
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is an original etching by Salvador Dali from the "After 50 Years of Surrealism" portfolio, which consists of 12 original etchin...
Etching
Acrobat, Surrealist Etching by James Kearns
By James Kearns
Located in Long Island City, NY
James Kearns, American (1924 - ) - Acrobat, Year: circa 1975, Medium: Etching on Rives, signed, titled and numbered, Edition: 44/50, Image Size: 14.5 x 8.75 inches, Size: 22 x 15 i...
Etching
$150,000
Untitled
By Wifredo Lam
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Wifredo Lam, Cuban (1902 - 1982) Title: Untitled - I Year: 1957 Medium: Crayon and Pastel on Paper, signed and dated l.r. Paper Size: 22 in. x 26.5 in. (55.88 cm x 67.31...
Paper, Crayon, Pastel
$170Sale Price|20% Off
Madonna 1997. Paper, mixed media, 20x12 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Madonna 1997. Paper, mixed media, 20x12 cm "Madonna" is a symbolic and emotionally charged artwork, celebrating the iconic religious figure of the Virgin Mary and the spiritual sig...
Paper, Mixed Media
$2,635Sale Price|20% Off
1970's Large French Surrealist Oil Painting Figures on the Beach
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Surrealist composition French School, dated 1975 verso oil on canvas, framed framed: 33.5 x 27 inches canvas: 32 x 25.5 inches inscribed verso provenance: private collection, France ...
Oil, Canvas
The Awakening of Boaz - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1960
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
The awakening of Boaz is an artwork from the Series "The Bible", by Marc Chagall in 1960. Mixed colored lithograph on brown-toned paper, no signature. Edition of 6500 unsigned lit...
Lithograph
Five Red Tulips - Framed Pink Original Whimsical Floral Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carlos Gamez de Francisco’s "The House at the End of the Road" is a striking blend of hyperrealism, figurative surrealism, and imaginative narrative art. This 12-inch round acrylic p...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,580Sale Price|20% Off
2001 Russian Surrealist Abstract Figurative Group Oil Painting Signed
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title 2001 Russian Surrealist Abstract Figurative Group Oil Painting Signed Key Details Artist: Russian School, indistinctly signed verso Date: 2001 Tit...
Canvas, Oil
$80Sale Price|20% Off
Antonio Monasterio – Woman with a Large Hat and Table with Vase. Nr.2
Located in Firenze, IT
Antonio Monasterio – Woman with a Large Hat and Table with Vase. Nr.2 • Technique: Mixed media on paper (pastels, wax, and red pen) • Dimensions: 56 x 44 cm • Signature: Lower ri...
Paper, Crayon, Wax Crayon, Wax, Pen
Performance, Nude Figurative Art Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Figurative art, Nude women painting Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2019 Style: Figurative Art, Title: Performance, Size: 47"...
Canvas, Oil
$6,368Sale Price|20% Off
Banana (yellow banana blue sky vintage hat man surrealist oil painting grey)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
A surreal composition blending hyperrealism and vintage nostalgia, Banana presents an oversized, hyper-detailed banana floating in a muted blue sky. Below, a black-and-white, early 2...
Canvas, Oil
"Flight Risk" illustrative photography, surrealism, paper airplane motif
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Flight Risk" is a limited edition photographic print by Andrew Pinkham and is made from archival pigment on cotton rag. This piece measures 20"h x 20"w unframed an...
Rag Paper, Archival Pigment
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Sweet Sounds (cat, feline, lady, flute, vintage, animal, surrealist oil painting
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Sweet Sounds," a mesmerizing painting by Rudolf Kosow, depicts a tranquil scene of harmony between a young girl and a slumbering cat. The girl, seated and playing an instrument, see...
Canvas, Oil
Tristan and Isolde
By Leonor Fini
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Tristan and Isolde" 1978 is an original color lithograph on Arches wove paper by noted Italian/Argentinian artist Leonor Fini, 1907-1996. It is hand signed and n...
Lithograph
Ba Ba Ba Ma Tri dom
By Valton Tyler
Located in Dallas, TX
In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez writes of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined painti...
Canvas, Oil
$2,610
Modern Salvador Dalí Surrealist Signed and Numbered Original Work on Paper
Located in Roma, IT
Modern Salvador Dalí Surrealist Signed and Numbered Original Work on Paper *Le rêve onirique*, a colour lithograph created by Salvador Dalí in 1974. The sheet belongs to a series ...
Lithograph
Dali Avarice et prodigalité Lithography
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Part of the Divine Comedy collection. Paper dimensions: 65 x 50 cm; plate dimensions: 40 x 30 cm. Numbered in pencil and signed in the plate. 59/350 DALÍ, Salvador (Figueras, Gero...
Lithograph
$238Sale Price|20% Off
Fuji Under Siege
Located in New York, NY
Created by Surrealist Fanny Brennan from 1992-96, Fuji Under Siege is an original lithograph in colors on wove paper, hand-monogrammed by the artist in pencil and numbered from the e...
Lithograph
Daisy Tail: Fantasy, Moon, and Secrets of Journeys
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting, measuring 29.5 by 41.5 cm and created using a mixed technique of acrylic and watercolor pencils, features a surreal creature. It combines traits of both animal and huma...
Pencil, Acrylic, Paper
$543Sale Price|20% Off
Surreal Dreamlike Village Scene with Figures, Dog & Moonlit Sky - British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Surreal Dreamlike Village Scene with Figures, Dog & Moonlit Sky by British Artist, John Charlesworth (British, b. 1947) Art measures 7 x 5 in (17.8 x 12.7 cm) Fram measures 10 x 8 i...
Oil, Board
Mano Sol Giltwood Sculpture, Surrealist, Late 20th Century, Signed
Located in Aventura, FL
Carved giltwood sculpture. Signed Pedro Friedberg on the underside of the base. Size: 10 x 3.25 x 1.5 inches. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent co...
Gold Leaf
$40,000
Rare 1966 Original Bronze Sculpture "The Two Nikes" edition of 6 Salvador Dali
Located in Surfside, FL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) – The Two Nikes, Lilith, The Double Victory of Samothrace, Homage to Raymond Roussel Literature: Descharnes, Robert, Salvador Dalí, and Nicolas Descharnes....
Bronze
Meeting, Portrait, Surrealism, Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2019 Style: Figurative Art, Subject: Meeting Size: 24" x 20" x 1'' inch, 61x51x3 cm, Unframed, Stretched on Wooden Bar, Gallery Wrapped, Ready to Hang. Tigran Hovoumyan was born on November 8, 1969 in American Armenia...
Canvas, Oil
Joan Miro, The Ring, from Derriere le miroir, 1961
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled L’anneau (The Ring), originates from the 1961 folio Derriere le miroir, No. 128. Published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, under ...
Lithograph
$9,375Sale Price|25% Off
'L'Obscurité', Trompe L'oeil, Newport Art Museum, Frye Art Museum, Yale, Zillman
By Richard Whitten
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
'L'Obscurité' by Richard Whitten, 2009. Trompe L'oeil, Newport Art Museum, Frye Museum, Yale ----- Initialed lower left, 'RCW' for Richard Whitten (American, born 1958) and dated, l...
Gold Leaf
"Hombre contemplando la luna" original etching
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original etching and aquatint. Printed in 1947 on Velin de Hollande paper and published in New York by the Quadrangle Press as the frontispiece of the deluxe edition of Rober...
Etching, Aquatint
Wild Blue 1 - Abstract Cool Tone Architectural 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, Acrylic
Johnny Friedlaender 'Landscape with Horses' 1959- Signed
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This evocative mid-century composition reflects the lyrical abstraction associated with artists such as Johnny Friedlaender, combining delicate tonal fields with expressive linear dr...
Etching
The Kite Festival, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This acrylic painting by artist Edward McHugh is based on his own photograph taken at the Long Beach Kite Festival on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State....
Acrylic
$4,800
Original Signed & Numbered Surrealist Color Lithograph Obra Inèdita Recent VIII
By Joan Miró
Located in Portland, OR
An original signed and numbered colored lithograph, by the Spanish abstract surrealist, Joan Miro (1893-1983), tilted "Obra Inèdita Recent VIII", 1964, Miró’s works, which were at t...
Lithograph, Color
Untitled - Lithograph by Wifredo Lam - 1970s
By Wifredo Lam
Located in Roma, IT
Untitled is a modern artwork realized by Wifredo Lam after one of his paintings in 1970s. Colored lithograph on paper. Hand monogrammed in the right lower margin with original dry ...
Lithograph
Conquest of Cosmos Frozen Watches of Space Time
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Conquest of Cosmos Frozen Watches of Space Time MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 105/195 MEASUREMENTS: Paper: 39.5" x 27.25" Fra...
Etching
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Alexander Calder, A Patriot and Mama Citron, from Derriere le Miroir, 1975
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Alexander Calder (1898–1976), titled Un patriote et Mama Citron (A Patriot and Mama Citron), originates from the historic 1975 folio Derriere le Miroir, ...
Lithograph
Cahiers d'art, Surrealist Composition 1
By Joan Miró
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Cahiers d'art, Surrealist Composition 1 Pochoir, 1934 Unsigned as issued in Cahier's edition Published in Cahier's d'art, 1934 Unsigned Edition of 1200 There was also a pencil signed...
Stencil
$365
"Hybrid Butterfly 44" (2025), Abstracted Butterfly Portrait, Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Artist Statement: My paintings are channeled, Visual Dreamscapes in connection with Unseen Frequencies of the Universe. My exploration of the surreal investigates the mysteries of t...
Wood, Acrylic, Panel
Rabbit in Hat, Surrealist Screenprint by Igor Galanin
By Igor Galanin
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Igor Galanin Title: Rabbit in Hat Date: Circa 1985 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 175, AP 30 Paper Size: 40.5 x 30 ...
Screen