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.
$1,100
A Unique, Surrealist 1960s Mid-Century Modern Chicago City Scene with Figures
Located in Chicago, IL
A Unique, Lively 1960s Surrealist Mid-Century Modern Abstract City Scene by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Titled "City Street with Figures", Depicting an ab...
Masonite, Oil
Spring is here. Original floral painting . Small .Square.Acrylic on canvas
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting “Spring is here” depicts a bouquet of crocuses and dark purple violets. The main thing in this picture is not the flowers themselves, but the combination of colors. "Th...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,975
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 ...
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$1,777Sale Price|28% Off
Afterglow (Window, Skyscape, Warm, Bluesy, Vibrant, Dreamy, ~29% OFF)
By Annieo Klaas
Located in Kansas City, MO
Annieo Klaas Afterglow 2024 Oil on Canvas 40 x 30 inches (101.6 x 30.48 cm) Signed lower right COA provided *On stretcher frame - gallery wrapped - ready to hang Annieo Klaas’s Clo...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Untitled (Miles Davis) (Black Surrealist Philadelphia artist)
By Roland Ayers
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Roland Ayers (1932-2014). Untitled (Sad Shit), 1969. Ink on illustration board. Panel measures 15 × 13 inches. Unfinished composition on verso. Artist and art educator, Roland ...
Paper, Ink
French Surrealist Colorful Futurist Abstract Painting Composition IV
Located in Surfside, FL
actual image measures 7.5X11.25, titled Composition III on French Arches Mould made paper. Georges DUSSAU est né le 14 Mars 1947, à Chalon-sur-Saône (France) Il vit et travaille à ...
Acrylic, Gouache, Handmade Paper
serigraph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: serigraph. Printed in 1936 and published in Paris by Arts et Métiers Graphiques. Image size: 7 1/2 x 6 inches (188 x 150 mm). Signed in the plate, not hand-signed.
Screen
$1,800
Quiet Strength -21st Century Contemporary Figurative Portrait, Bold Africa Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
In a world where voices are loud and expectations scream, she is a gentle breeze on a summer day. Her Afro hair, a crown of resilience, tells stories of ancestors and traditions. As ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$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
Magritte Portfolio V 20 lithographs- 20th Century, Surrealist, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Complete set of 20 color lithographs in a beautiful burgundy board with ties, plate-signed by Magritte and numbered from the edition of 275. The lithograph features the dry stamps of the Magritte Foundation & ADAGP and is countersigned in pencil by Mr. Charly Herscovici, President of the Magritte Foundation, Chairman of the Magritte Museum and unique representative of the Magritte Succession. A proof of edition is printed on the back of the lithograph, guaranteeing its authenticity. Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist whose witty and thought-provoking images challenged observers? preconditioned perceptions of reality. Magritte's work frequently displays a juxtaposition of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things.Magritte grew up in a simple and somewhat tragic household. His father was a modest tailor. His mother, who was mentally unsound, committed suicide in the year 1912. Magritte started drawing at a young age, and his first paintings, produced c. 1915, were Impressionistic in style.Magritte first worked as a draughtsman in a wallpaper factory and, in the year 1922, fell in love with and married Georgette Berger. In 1926, Magritte signed...
Lithograph
Homenaje a Boccaccio - Óleo sobre tela - Año 1975
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada en la parte inferior (Mario Bedini) En la parte trasera se adjunta etiqueta con el registro de la obra Se presenta enmarcada la pintura El estado de la obra es ...
Oil
Salvador Dali "The Triumph" Drypoint Print
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: The Triumph Series: Femmes et Chevaux Date: 1973 Medium: drypoint printed in color Unframed Dimensions: 17.7" x 12.4" Framed Dimensions: 25" x 19...
Drypoint
La tentación de San Antonio (según Salvador Dalí) - Óleo sobre tela
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada por el artista en la parte trasera y fechada del año 1999 Estado de conservación bueno el de la pintura Se presenta sin enmarcar la obra Medidas de la obra: 54 ...
Oil
![Salvador Dali "La Gloria Que Fue Espana" [The Glory That Was Spain]](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/salvador-dali-prints-works-on-paper-salvador-dali-la-gloria-que-fue-espana-the-glory-that-was-spain-for-sale/a_28452/a_179836221777303634772/item_135665_catimage_1_master.jpg?width=240)
![Salvador Dali "La Gloria Que Fue Espana" [The Glory That Was Spain]](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/salvador-dali-prints-works-on-paper-salvador-dali-la-gloria-que-fue-espana-the-glory-that-was-spain-for-sale-picture-2/a_28452/a_179836221777303691522/item_135665_catimage_2_master.jpg?width=240)
Salvador Dali "La Gloria Que Fue Espana" [The Glory That Was Spain]
Located in Astoria, NY
Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989), "La Gloria Que Fue Espana" [The Glory That Was Spain], Drypoint Etching with Pochoir, 1975, from "An American Portrait 1776-1976", published by At...
Paper, Drypoint, Etching
Homenaje a Boccaccio - Óleo sobre tela - Año 1975
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada en la parte inferior (Mario Bedini) En la parte trasera se adjunta etiqueta con el registro de la obra Se presenta enmarcada la pintura El estado de la obra es ...
Oil
Candido Ballester Personale original surrealist mixed media painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Personale original contemporary mixed media painting. Cándido Ballester is a contemporary Mallorcan painter who was born in 1926. As a child he had to emigrate to Argentina. In the ...
Mixed Media, Cardboard
Blue Heaven - Architectural Still Life Cool Tone Mixed Media Collage 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
Nature Morte
Located in New York, NY
Serge Clement Nature Morte, 1963 Signed lower right Clement 1963 Oil on canvas, still life. (Frame) H 25" x W 28.75" (Sight) H 18" x H 21"
Canvas, Oil
Tete de Veau (Calf's Head) - Etching - 1960s
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on chamois-colored laid paper, realized in 1968/69. Plate from "Faust (La Nuit de Walpurgis), published by Argillet, Paris. Edition of 49/150, hand colored. Hand signed an...
Etching
$24,796Sale Price|20% Off
Salvador Dali, Don Quixote Reading in His Room, Don Quichotte de la Manche, 1957
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Salvador Dali (1904–1989), titled Don Quichotte en lecteur dans sa chambre (Don Quixote Reading in His Room), from the folio Pages choisies de Don Quicho...
Lithograph
Homage To Disney, Large Original Painting on Canvas, Hand Signed, Mickey Minnie
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...
Canvas, Oil
VISION PLANETAIRE ET SCATOLOGIC
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed and numbered in pencil. From the series La Conquete du Cosmos (Conquest of Cosmos). Sheet size: 38.5 x 27.5 inches. Image size: 29.5 ...
Paper, Lithograph, Engraving
$2,956Sale Price|20% Off
Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Satiricon, 1970
By Leonor Fini
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Leonor Fini (1907–1996), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the album Satiricon, originates from the 1970 edition published by Ariane Lancell, Editeur, P...
Lithograph
$12,500
Music Fantasy Folk Guitar with Two Moons and Steam Locomotive in Red Background
Located in Miami, FL
Famed Illustrator Isadore Seltzer paints a fantasy folk guitar in a surreal setting. The viewer looks down at the guitar as it rests in bold red space where foreground and sky blend ...
Wood, Oil
original etching for Paroles Peintes
By Wifredo Lam
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original color etching. Printed in 1965 for the "Paroles Peintes II" portfolio, and published in Paris by Lazar-Vernet. This magnificent, rich impression is one of 150 printe...
Etching
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Joan Miro, Lithograph VI, from Lithographs IV, 1981
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Lithograph VI, from the album Joan Miro Lithographs, Volume IV 1969–1972, originates from the 1981 edition published by Mae...
Lithograph
Surreal Portrait, Oil Painting by Richard Kirk
By Richard Kirk
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Richard Kirk, American XXth Title: Surreal Portrait Year: circa 1960 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed Size: 36 x 24 in. (91.44 x 60.96 cm) Frame:...
Oil
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Joan Miro, Lithograph III, from Lithographs II, 1975
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Lithograph III, from the album Joan Miro Lithographs, Volume II, originates from the 1975 edition published by Leon Amiel, ...
Lithograph
La Femme 100 Têtes - Rare Book Illustrated by Max Ernst - 1929
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
La Femme 100 Têtes is an original modern rare book illustrated by Max Ernst (1891 - 1976) in 1929, and extraordinary first example of conceptual art Original first edition. Publish...
Paper, Mixed Media
$10,000
Zodiac Centaur, Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting Artist: Tigran Hovumyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2019 Style: Surrealism, Subject: Zodiac Centaur Size: 36" x 24" x 1'' inch, 91x60x3 cm, Unframed, Stretched on Wooden Bar, Gallery Wrapped, Ready to Hang. Tigran Hovoumyan was born on November 8, 1969, in Armenia...
Oil, Canvas
Tribute to Leonardo da Vinci, The Linotype - Original Handsigned Etching
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador DALI (1904-1969) Tribute to Leonardo da Vinci, The Linotype, 1975 Original etching Signed in pencil Justified trial proof (Essai) On Arches vellum 76 x 56 cm (29.9 x 22 in)...
Etching
Candido Ballester Personale original surrealist mixed media painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Personale original contemporary mixed media painting. Cándido Ballester is a contemporary Mallorcan painter who was born in 1926. As a child he had to emigrate to Argentina. In the ...
Mixed Media, Cardboard
Le Bouquet Tout Fait - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1954 oil on canvas by René Magritte, printed signature of Magritte and numbered from the edition of 300. The lithograph features the dry stamps of the Magritte Foundation & ADAGP and is countersigned in pencil by Mr. Charly Herscovici, President of the Magritte Foundation, Chairman of the Magritte Museum and unique representative of the Magritte Succession. A proof of edition is printed on the back of the lithograph, guaranteeing its authenticity. Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist whose witty and thought-provoking images challenged observers? preconditioned perceptions of reality. Magritte's work frequently displays a juxtaposition of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things.Magritte grew up in a simple and somewhat tragic household. His father was a modest tailor. His mother, who was mentally unsound, committed suicide in the year 1912. Magritte started drawing at a young age, and his first paintings, produced c. 1915, were Impressionistic in style.Magritte first worked as a draughtsman in a wallpaper factory and, in the year 1922, fell in love with and married Georgette Berger. In 1926, Magritte signed...
Lithograph
$5,995
Salvador Dali Color Etching, Signed, 1973, The Twelve Tribes of Israel, Naphtali
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Naphtali Portfolio: The Twelve Tribes of Israel Medium: Etching and pochoir on Arches paper Year: 1973 Edition: 130/195 Frame Size: 32 3/8" x 26 7/8" She...
Engraving
$1,350
"Speed 2" Black & White Photography 24 x 29.5 in Edition 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Speed 2" Black & White Photography 24 x 29.5 in Edition 1/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by t...
Photographic Paper
New Order, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The sides of this canvas were painted so there is no need for a frame. It's ready to hang! Thank you for looking at my art. :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an off...
Oil
French Surrealist Colorful Futurist Abstract Painting Composition III
Located in Surfside, FL
actual image measures 7.5X11.25, titled Composition III on French Arches Mould made paper. Georges DUSSAU est né le 14 Mars 1947, à Chalon-sur-Saône (France) Il vit et travaille à ...
Acrylic, Gouache, Handmade Paper
French Surrealist Colorful Futurist Abstract Painting Composition I
Located in Surfside, FL
actual image measures 11.25x7.5, titled Composition V on French Arches Mould made paper. Georges DUSSAU est né le 14 Mars 1947, à Chalon-sur-Saône (France) Il vit et travaille à Me...
Acrylic, Gouache, Handmade Paper
French Surrealist Colorful Futurist Abstract Painting Composition II
Located in Surfside, FL
actual image measures 11.25x7.5, titled Composition V on French Arches Mould made paper. Georges DUSSAU est né le 14 Mars 1947, à Chalon-sur-Saône (France) Il vit et travaille à Me...
Acrylic, Gouache, Handmade Paper
French Surrealist Colorful Futurist Abstract Painting Composition V
Located in Surfside, FL
actual image measures 11.25x7.5, titled Composition V on French Arches Mould made paper. Georges DUSSAU est né le 14 Mars 1947, à Chalon-sur-Saône (France) Il vit et travaille à Me...
Acrylic, Gouache, Handmade Paper
Tale of the Girl and Flamingo, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The dreamy scene of the flamingo and the girl on a full moon night, represents a surprising duo. Impossible not to notice some similitudes by looking at their colors but also at thei...
Oil
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Paris, limited edition, Surreal, Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Size of sheet is ca. 29.5 x 21 cm (A4) Contemporary figurative giclee print by Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. Print is signed, numbered and has a stamp of an artist's atelier. It com...
Paper, Color
Le Rieurs et les Poissons - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching realized by Chagall in 1929, and printed by Tériade in 1952. It belongs to the Series "Les Fables de La Fontaine". Edition of 200. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Pri...
Etching
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Magritte, Composition, Les chants de Maldoror (after)
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin papier pur chiffon paper. Paper Size: 10 x 7.375 inches. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Notes: From the album, Les chants de Maldoror, illustrat...
Lithograph
Daylight in Soft Tones - Abstract Urban Collage Watercolor 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, Watercolor
Dinah Understanding, Psychedelic Lithograph by Isaac Abrams
Located in Long Island City, NY
Dinah Understanding by Isaac Abrams, American (1939) Date: 1979 Lithograph, Signed and Numbered in Pencil Edition of 250, HC 10 Image Size: 26 x 19 inches Size: 29 in. x 22 in. (73.6...
Lithograph
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Alberto Giacometti, Untitled, from XXe Siecle, 1956 (after)
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph after Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie N°7 (double) Juin 1956, originates from the 19...
Lithograph
Le Loup, la Chèvre et le Chevreau - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table 47 from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Signed in the plate. Very good condit...
Etching
Le Berger et son Troupeau - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Hand signed in pencil Very good conditio...
Etching
Le Coq et le Renard (The Cock and the Fox) - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Hand signed in pencil. Very good conditi...
Etching
Le Curé et le Mort .... - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Hand signed in pencil. Very good conditi...
Etching
$3,787
L'Ours et les Deux Compagnons (The Bear and.... - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Hand signed in pencil. Very good conditi...
Etching
$3,550
La Mort et le Malheureux (The Dead and the... - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Hand signed in pencil. Very good conditi...
Etching
$1,420
Le Cygne et le Cuisinier (The Swan and the Cook)- Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval paper, realized between 1927 and 1930. Table from "Les Fables de La Fontaine", published in 1952 in and edition of 200. Signed in the plate. Very good conditio...
Etching
Colophon for Les Fables de La Fontaine - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1952
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Colophon for specimen n. 21 of "Les Fables de La Fontaine" by La Fontaine, with original illustrations by Marc Chagall. Sheet Montva, belonging to the deluxe edition". Hand signed ...
Etching
"A Strong Drink", Surrealist Portrait, Woman, Red, Collage, Acrylic Painting
By John Baker
Located in Franklin, MA
John Baker's "A Strong Drink" is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage, 48 1/2 inches x 31 inches including frame, in lavenders, pinks, reds and yellows. The young woman is abou...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$796Sale Price|20% Off
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 (...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Max Ernst, Portrait of an Insect, from Cahiers d'Art, 1949 (after)
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph and pochoir after Max Ernst (1891–1976), titled Portrait dinsecte (Portrait of an Insect), from the album Cahiers dArt No. 24, 1949, originates from the 194...
Lithograph
Ironman 02 - original figurative landscape painting - contemporary Art
By Stephanie Ho
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
$3,650
Shared Identity 2 (A Land Where Miracles Comes in Twos) - 21st Century, Portrait
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This painting is a heartfelt tribute to my family's rich cultural heritage. I'm proud to hail from Igbo-Ora, Oyo State, Nigeria - famously known as the 'Twin Capital of the World'. W...
Canvas, Acrylic