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.
$680Sale Price|20% Off
Pigging Out at the Diner, Surreal Anthropomorphic Pig Satirical Illustration
Located in Soquel, CA
A satirical, surreal depiction of a pig at a lunch counter by an unknown artist (20th Century). This scene, full of symbols and satire, portrays the anth...
Oil, Illustration Board
$190
Spanish signed limited edition original art print engraving 21x15 in. n17
Located in Miami, FL
Andrés Barajas (Spain, 1941) 'Untitled from Portfolio "Los Deseos"', ca.1990-1999 mixed media on paper 20.9 x 15 in. (53 x 38 cm.) Edition of 200 ID: BA...
Paper, Engraving, Screen
$3,900Sale Price|40% Off
心 (Heart) (Pop Surrealism, Anatomical Heart, White Roses, Big Eyes, Portrait)
By Stella Jae
Located in Kansas City, MO
Stella Jae 心 (Heart) 2026 Oil on Canvas Framed Size: 32.625 x 25.375 inches (82.87 x 64.45 cm) Signed COA provided ---------- 心 (Heart) sets a pale, wide-eyed girl against a near-black ground crowded with cream and blush roses, each bloom modelled petal by petal until the flowers seem to float in the dark around her. Her long auburn hair falls past a high lace collar and a sheer, dotted shawl, and with both small hands she holds an anatomical heart to her chest — rendered in warm coral with branching veins and arteries, as exact as a medical plate. A single tear runs from her green eye, and her mouth stays composed; the tension between that stillness and the raw organ she offers is the painting's quiet charge. The title, the Chinese character for heart and mind, carries both meanings at once: the physical heart and the inner self laid open. Richey pairs the tenderness of the roses with the frankness of the anatomy, so the image reads as devotion and vulnerability in the same gesture. Stella J Richey is an international visual artist and designer. Her works in visual arts concentrate on ceramic sculpture and oil painting. Her jewelry and fashion lines are original wearable art with influence from ancient cultures. Stella was born in the US, where she completed her education in Fine Arts and Photography before moving to Spain to study Design. Her insatiable appetite for knowledge guided her to study Acupuncture and Chinese medicine in Australia before embarking on a world journey that lasted 15 years. While studying medicine, she began attending discourses at the local Buddhist monastery. Intrigued by Asian thought, philosophy, and religion, she began to examine Buddhist doctrine and Taoist poems. Her oil paintings possess deep philosophical meanings, presented in a veneer of pop surreal. She has undergone training in oil painting in both the US and Tibet, China. Her work has been exhibited in the US, Greece, China, and Egypt. Her paintings and sculptures are expressions of the years she spent traveling and the cultures she experienced. Heart painting, 心, anatomical heart artwork, girl with roses painting, pop surrealism portrait, lowbrow art, big eyes art, white roses artwork...
Canvas, Oil
$1,580Sale Price|41% Off
Heavy is the Peace (Portrait, Floral, Dreamy, Surreal, Motion, Pose)
By David Pugh
Located in Kansas City, MO
David K. Pugh Heavy is the Peace From "BE, AND KNOW" Series Photographic Print on Fine Paper mounted on Foamcore 2026 Image Size: 35.94 x 23.94 inches (91.28 x 60.80 cm) Framed Size...
Photography
$2,600Sale Price|47% Off
Exterior of the Great Hall (Vortex, Swirl, Architectural Fantasy, Surreal)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Jeffrey Tamblyn Exterior of the Great Hall Archival Pigment Print on Premium Rag* Year: 2025 Size: 48 × 36 inches** (121.92 × 91.44 cm) Edition: 12 Signed, dated and numbered by hand...
Archival Pigment
Abraham Mourning for the Death of Sarah - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1956
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval wove paper, realized by Marc Chagall in 1931-39 and published by Tériade in 1956. Edition of 275+30 out of commerce copies. Not signed nor numbered, as issued. ...
Etching
$4,456Sale Price|20% Off
Quevedos Visioner, Planche IV Etching, Surrealist, Signed, 1975
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Quevedos Visioner, Planche IV Etching from 1975. The edition of 295/300. Dimensions of work: 66 x 50 cm. Hand signed. Publisher: Galerie Börjeson, Ma...
Etching
Costume de Bal - Etching by Man Ray - 1975
By Man Ray
Located in Roma, IT
Etching and aquatint on paper. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Edition of 150. Published and printed by Grafica d'Arte Lombardi. Excellent condition. The piece belongs to a ...
Etching
Picnic at Hollywood Forever
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Picnic at Hollywood Forever transforms a familiar Los Angeles landmark into a lush, fluid dreamscape. A pale blue clearing opens at the center of a dense teal and rose landscape, sur...
Canvas, Oil
Don’t let me fall. Symbolic. Faith. Spiritual. Christian. Small
Located in Oslo, NO
This surrealist painting «Don’t let me fall” captures a fragile moment suspended between fear and faith. A small human figure stands at the very edge of a cliff, arms stretched wide....
Canvas, Acrylic
$750
1970s Modernist Swiss Colorful Surrealism Signed Dada Lithograph Andre Thomkins
Located in Surfside, FL
This one is titled "What do you and I and she sea... sieh" and depicts a surreal figure of a robed woman walking in an abstract landscape by a lake in yellow, green, red and blue wit...
Lithograph, Offset
"Sacred Grove 9" - surrealist portrait, flowers, rainbow, blue birds, love
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features hues of green, purple, blue, red, and yellow. This surrealist portrait features blue birds, flowers, fruits and vegetables, and patterns. Guy Robinson is insp...
Linen, Oil
The Vision of Zachary - Héliogravure by Marc Chagall - 1960
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Héliogravure on brown-toned paper, no signature. Héliogravure on bot sheets, recto and verso. Edition of 6500 unsigned copies. Printed by Mourlot and published by Tériade on the A...
Photogravure
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Flower Pot 3 - 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
La Folie des Grandeurs II -20th Century, Surrealist, Lithogr, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1948 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 Mag...
Lithograph
Surreal Instruments in Space
Located in Columbia, MO
Signed recto. Richard Koppe (American, 1916 - 1973) studied at the St. Paul School of Art and the New Bauhaus in Chicago, where he was mentored by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Gyorgy Kepes, ...
Paper, Gouache, Panel
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
"Katie, " Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Sara Scribner's (US based) "Katie" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a realistic portrait of a blonde feminine figure in profile clutchi...
Oil, Panel
$8,100
Casual Attire III - Vibrant Surrealist Figurative Original Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The figurative surrealistic paintings of Carlos Gamez de Francisco are heavily influenced by his Cuban upbringing in a Russian governed academia setting. This presence exposed Franci...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Invitation, Oil Painting
By Art Clark
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A broken wooden gate and weathered stone wall overlook a quiet sea. A magnificent burst of divine light breaks through heavy storm clouds, illuminating the sc...
Oil
Latvian Israeli Surreal Gouache Illustration Art Painting Tel Aviv
Located in Surfside, FL
Maris Bishofs was born in 1939 in Rujiena, Latvia. In 1965 he became the first artist to graduate from the Latvian Art Academy with an interior design diploma. In 1972 he emigrated t...
Gouache
Manhattan Sunlight - Abstract Color Drenched Architectural 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
Final Apotheosis, Original Etching, Surrealist, 1971
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Final Apotheosis Etching from 1971. The edition of 265 on Arches paper. Dimensions of work: 38 x 28 cm. Publisher: Editeuropa Anslat/Bergrgruen. Refe...
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
Lucky Road - Abstract Large Scale Lively Geometric 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
$1,800
"Small Study in White 3" - surrealist still life, lace, skull, patterns, shell
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features the colors of the rainbow as they appear in white objects. Guy Robinson is inspired by the work of Paul Klee, Albrecht Durer and Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Atlanta based artist Guy Robinson attended the Atlanta College Of Art on a Ford Foundation grant and has worked extensively in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and drawing. His surrealists works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and have a place in important collections including the Museum Of Contemporary Art, Georgia (MOCA,GA). Robinson has over thirty-five years experience teaching drawing and painting for Emory...
Linen, Oil
The Tortoise and the Hare - Print by Kyu-Baik Hwang - 1983
Located in Roma, IT
The Tortoise and the Hare is a vintage poster realized by the artist Kyu Hwang (Pusan 1932), in occasion of the XIV Winter Olympics games in Sarajevo, in 1984. Very good condition. ...
Etching, Aquatint
Gravure I from Poemes, Surrealist Woodcut Print by Marc Chagall
By Marc Chagall
Located in Long Island City, NY
Marc Chagall, Russian (1887 - 1985) - Gravure I from Poemes, Year: 1968, Medium: Woodcut, Size: 14.5 x 11.25 in. (36.83 x 28.58 cm), Printer: Atelier Lacouriere et Frelaut, Paris, P...
Woodcut
$1,175
"Ballet" Black & White Photography 16" x 16" in Ed. 1/24 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Ballet" Black & White Photography 16" x 16" in Ed. 1/24 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the ar...
Photographic Paper
"Studio Sketch of Larry", Surrealist Portrait, Grey, Collage, Acrylic Painting
By John Baker
Located in Franklin, MA
John Baker's "Studio Sketch of Larry" is an acrylic on canvas with collage 16 x 12 inches in greys, greens and pinks. Part of the "Studio Visitors" series; Larry's buffoonery when in...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$2,387Sale Price|25% Off
Le Lion et le Rat - 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
Apotheosis, Original Etching, Surrealist, 1974, Framed, Signed
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Apotheosis Etching from 1974. Dimensions of work: 56 x 38 cm. Hand signed. Publisher: Leblanc. Referencja: R. Michler, L.W. Lopsinger, Salvador Dal...
Etching
Le Berger et la Mer - 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 condition...
Etching
$99Sale Price|47% Off
The Staff (Portraits, Postwar Abstraction, Modern, ~47% OFF - MUST GO)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rolf Thiele The Staff Color Etching 1974 Size: 12.25 x 11.75 on 21 x 15.5 inches (31.12 × 29.85 cm on 53.34 × 39.37 cm) Edition: 100 Signed, dated and numbered in pencil by the artis...
Archival Paper, Etching
LA SORCIERE - (The Witch)
Located in Santa Monica, CA
KURT SELIGMANN (1900–1962 American, born in Switzerland,) LA SORCIERE - (The Witch) 1934 Etching and aquatint, unsigned ? possibly a proof aside from The ...
Etching, Aquatint
$565
San Antonio - Architectural Texas Inspired Still Life Watercolor Painting
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
$1,820Sale Price|37% Off
Flower Beard 2 (Portrait, Floral, Dreamy, Surreal, Motion, Pose)
By David Pugh
Located in Kansas City, MO
David K. Pugh Flower Beard 2 From "BE, AND KNOW" Series Photographic Print on Fine Paper mounted on Foamcore 2026 Image Size: 39.38 x 27.41 inches (100.01 x 69.64 cm) Framed Size: 4...
Photography
$690Sale Price|37% Off
Figure Study 1 (Portrait, Floral, Dreamy, Surreal, Motion, Pose)
By David Pugh
Located in Kansas City, MO
David K. Pugh Figure Study 1 From "BE, AND KNOW" Series Photographic Print on Fine Paper mounted on Foamcore 2026 Image Size: 15.75 x 19.625 inches (40.01 x 49.85 cm) Framed Size: 1...
Photography
$6,000
Transfiguration /// Surrealism Salvador Dali Landscape Etching Face Lips Surreal
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989) Title: "Transfiguration" *Signed by Dali in pencil lower right Year: 1973 Medium: Original Etching on Auvergne paper Limited edition: 90/10...
Etching, Intaglio
'Arbre-Homme' (Tree-Man) —Mid-Century European Surrealism
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Ferdinand Springer, 'Arbre-Homme', engraving, 1945, edition 23. Signed and numbered '23/20' in pencil. A fine, richly-inked impression, on heavy, b...
Engraving
Woman - Offset and Lithograph - 1983
Located in Roma, IT
Woman is an offset and lithograph print realized on Fabriano Paper after a drawing by Willem De Kooning of 1983. The print suite was realized in a limited edition of 2500, and curat...
Lithograph, Offset
Song of the Bow Etching, Surrealist Style, Circa 1956, Unframed
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on Montval wove paper, realized by Marc Chagall in 1931-39 and published by Tériade in 1956. Edition of 275+30 out of commerce copies. Not signed nor numbered, as issued. ...
Etching
$1,400
"Real 3" Black & White Photograph 24" x 24" in Edition 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Real 3" Black & White Photograph 24" x 24" in Edition 1/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the art...
Photographic Paper
$4,360Sale Price|20% Off
Les Metamorphoses Erotiques
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Les Metamorphoses Erotiques MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali PUBLISHER: Edita: a L'Erotitiade/Editions des trois continents EDIT...
Etching
The Twins and the Green Car 01 (limited edition of 8, large size)
Located in Eastbourne, GB
A limited edition art print by internationally acclaimed photography artist, Vikram Kushwah, this artwork has the hallmark of his unmistakable style - surrealism, romanticism, and no...
Archival Paper, Inkjet
$3,439Sale Price|20% Off
Brotherhood -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Black Men, Acrylic
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide 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 Authent...
Canvas, Acrylic
$880Sale Price|20% Off
FOG, GOG, AND MAGOG
Located in Santa Monica, CA
ROBERTO MATTA (1911-2002) FOG, GOG, AND MAGOG 1971 Color lithograph. Plate 1 from “Fog Gog, and Magog” 1971. Signed in pencil and numbered. This work is number 92 from the edition o...
Lithograph
$12,943
New York, Downtown Night, Original oil painting, Abstract Cityscape-Artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Acrylic
Tropical still life
Located in Zofingen, AG
This contemporary fantasy painting is an unusual still life in which an ordinary breakfast transforms into a journey into a tropical world. Instead of coffee or tea, transparent turq...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
$6,821
Origins of Being Oil Painting, Surrealist, 1991, Unframed, 44x55cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
“The Exodus”Triptych on Wood, Oil, 34x104x3 cm Contemplate a profound philosophical narrative with this rare, masterful surrealist triptych painted on wood. The panoramic composition...
Oil, Acrylic
$5,600
Salvador Dalí the Dragon, Surrealist Animal Painting, Oil on Canvas, 2015
Located in Edinburgh, GB
In this painting, I've swirled a traditional landscape into a floating, serpentine form, blending the realistic with the surreal. Each building, painted meticulously in oil, seems to...
Canvas, Oil
Summer, Original Lithograph, Modern, 1938, Excellent
By Joan Miró
Located in OPOLE, PL
Joan Miro (1893-1983) - Summer Lithograph from 1938. Unsigned edition. Dimensions of work: 35 x 26 cm Publisher: Tériade, Paris. Reference: Dupin 1310. The work is in Fair cond...
Lithograph
$1,455
Dolphin. Surrealism, ecological, landscape, original, horizontal, blu and yellow
By Sanne Bleka
Located in Oslo, NO
A painting from the "Ecological Landscape" series. Sanne Bleka depicts the future today. The harmony of shapes and colors attracts the eye. The work has a positive impact on the view...
Canvas, Acrylic
$5,700
"Hoarder of Dreams" - Surrealist Still Life, Oil Painting on Aluminum Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"Hoarder of Dreams" is a stunning surrealist oil painting by American artist David Cheifetz, depicting an assortment of objects at odd perspectives, flowing into one another in a str...
Oil
Her First Flowers, Original surrealism landscape painting- Contemporary Realism
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery service: Complimentary worldwide shipping is offered, with Signet Contemporary Art covering all tariffs, customs duties and import taxes, making international collecting simp...
Canvas, Acrylic
Totem Pathfinder Wolverine Guardian of Wild Trails
Located in Oslo, NO
"Totem Pathfinder"- portrays a wolverine-like guide rendered on paper in mixed media - acrylic and watercolour pencils - blending bold, textured layers with fine, luminous strokes. T...
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil
Homage to Boccaccio Surrealist Oil Painting, Framed, 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
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
The Painter Etching, Surrealist Style, Signed, Edition of 25, 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on paper. Hand signed and numbered. Edition of 25 prints in Roman numerals. Perfect conditions.
Etching
Houses and Sunrise - Abstract Colorful Layered 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