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.
"Four Dancers with Airplane" Dreamline Surrealist Figure Painting
Located in Austin, TX
36 x 48 inches Unframed Signed, bottom right. In this captivating narrative composition, American painter Doug Whitfield crafts a whimsical, surreal, and dramatic story that feels l...
Oil
Large Sunset Oil painting DEEP INSIDE 129, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
DEEP INSIDE is an large original abstract seascape oil painting inspired by the quiet horizon where sea and sky meet. Soft gradients create a feeling of infinity, while a thin horizo...
Oil
$1,996Sale Price|20% Off
Salvador Dali, Untitled, from The Three-Cornered Hat, 1958
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904–1989) Title: Untitled (Sans titre) Year: December 20, 1958 Medium: Engraving on papier d'Auvergne, filigrane au Tricorne, specialement fabrique feuille a ...
Engraving
$1,350
"Sniffer" Black & White Photograph 29.5" x 24" in Ltd. Ed 2/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Sniffer" Black & White Photograph 29.5" x 24" in Ltd. Ed 2/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the ...
Photographic Paper
Meeting Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Artwork Title: Meeting Medium: Original Oil on Linen Dimensions: 36" x 47" x 1" (91 x 120 x 3 cm) Year: 2012 Unframed, Stretched o...
Canvas, Oil
$31,265
Marc Chagall (1887–1985) - Sirène et Poisson - Lithograph on Arches paper - 1967
By Marc Chagall
Located in Varese, IT
Color lithograph on Arches paper, edited in 1967. by Charles Sorlier after Marc Chagall Limited edition, numbered XLII/LXXV in lower left corner. Hand-signed by artist in pencil in...
Paper, Lithograph
Nadine's Bookcase
Located in New York, NY
Created by Surrealist Fanny Brennan from 1992-96, Nadine's Bookcase is a lithograph in colors on wove paper. Hand-monogrammed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 250, the artw...
Lithograph
Jorge Castillo - MARIENZA EN DOMINGO Etching Spanish Surrealism Feminine
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Jorge Castillo - MARIENZA EN DOMINGO Date of creation: 1972 Medium: Etching on paper Edition: 150 + H.C. Size: 56 x 70 cm Condition: In perfect conditions and never framed Observatio...
Paper, Engraving, Etching
$3,069Sale Price|25% Off
Les Devinesseres (The Fortune-Tellers) - 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
$5,200Sale Price|20% Off
After 50 Years of Surrealism The Laurels of Happiness Hand Signed
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: After 50 Years of Surrealism The Laurels of Happiness MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Transworld Art, NY EDITION NUMBER: F 84/195 M...
Etching
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Flower Pot 7 - 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
$1,996Sale Price|20% Off
Salvador Dali, Untitled, from The Three-Cornered Hat, 1958
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904–1989) Title: Untitled (Sans titre) Year: December 20, 1958 Medium: Engraving on papier d'Auvergne, filigrane au Tricorne, specialement fabrique feuille a ...
Engraving
$2,350
"Lily 1" Back & White Photograph 39" x 39" in Limited Ed. of 3 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Lily 1" Back & White Photograph 39" x 39" in Limited Ed. of 3 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the a...
Photographic Paper
$400Sale Price|50% Off
Raccoon (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Raccoon Watching Fish, ca. 1975-80. Gouache on Arches rag paper, Sheet measures 23 x 30 inches. Image measures 22 x 29 inches. Signed lower left. Excellent condition. Unframed.
Gouache, Rag Paper
Pablo Picasso, "Face Turned Pitcher, " ceramic
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is an A.R. turned pitcher created by Pablo Picasso in 1955. It is made with white earthenware clay, decoration in engobes in red and black with glaze inside. It bears the ...
Clay
$1,996Sale Price|20% Off
Salvador Dali, Untitled, from The Three-Cornered Hat, 1958
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904–1989) Title: Untitled (Sans titre) Year: December 20, 1958 Medium: Engraving on papier d'Auvergne, filigrane au Tricorne, specialement fabrique feuille a ...
Engraving
The Surrealist Dream, King Ubu - Original Lithograph (Mourlot #426)
By Joan Miró
Located in Paris, IDF
Joan MIRO The Surrealist Dream, King Ubu, 1966 Original lithograph (Atelier Mourlot, Paris) Unsigned Numbered 34 / 75 copies On Arches vellum 54 x 75 cm (c. 21.2 x 29.5 in) REFEREN...
Lithograph
Cup Mezzotint Print, Surreal Contemporary Art, Signed Edition of 18
Located in Palm Springs, CA
In Cup, Sean Caulfield transforms a familiar vessel into an enigmatic and symbolic form. Rendered with the rich tonal depth characteristic of mezzotint,...
Mezzotint
$1,250
Echoes of Hope - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Fabric, African
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Hope often speaks in quiet ways—through resilience, through healing, and through the strength to keep looking forward. In this piece, layered fragments of color and texture come toge...
Fabric, Canvas
Taiwanese Contemporary Art by Lemoi Ning - In Ocean World
Located in Paris, IDF
Acrylic on canvas Lemoi Ning is a Taiwanese artist born in 1981 who lives and works in Taipei, Taiwan, She has embarked on a creative journey in 2021 that will bring to life the en...
Acrylic, Canvas
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Flower Pot 9 - 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
Le Lézard aux Plumes d'Or - Lithograph by Joan Mirò - 1971
By Joan Miró
Located in Roma, IT
Le Lézard aux Plumes d'Or, Plate X is a beautiful color lithograph on Japanese paper, realized in 1971 by the Spanish Surrealist artist Joan Miró (Montroing, 1893 - Mallorca, 1983)...
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
$40,000Sale Price|20% Off
La Venus aux Fourrures Suite, 16 Etchings, Hand Signed, Surrealist
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: La Venus aux Fourrures Complete Suite MEDIUM: 16 Etchings SIGNED: Each etching is Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Editions Argillet, Paris EDITION NUMBER: ...
Etching
$60Sale Price|20% Off
Max Ernst 'Ursachen Der Sonne, The Sun' 1989- Surrealist Vintage
By Max Ernst
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This rare exhibition poster features Max Ernst's Ursachen ("Causes"), part of the acclaimed "Collection of European Masters" series published by Achenbach Editions for the Kunstsamml...
Offset
Two Donkeys from Fables Eaux fortes originales de Marc Chagall
By Marc Chagall
Located in New York, NY
An original etching from Chagall’s illustrations for La Fontaine’s Fables, with touches of hand-applied color. Chagall made the plates in the late 1920s for the dealer Ambroise Volla...
Watercolor, Etching
$6,000
Untitled from Je Travaille Comme un Jardinier, 1963, Hand Signed, Edition of 40
By Joan Miró
Located in Aventura, FL
Untitled from Je Travaille Comme un Jardinier. Lithograph on Rives vellum paper. Hand signed lower right by Joan Miro. Hand numbered 35/40 lower left. Sheet size: 16 x 12.75 inch...
Paper, Lithograph
"Fungo Atomico" (Atomic Mushroom) Surrealist Landscape
By Luigi Pretin
Located in Houston, TX
Surrealist painting of a white structure in a barren desert titled "Fungo Atomico" by Italian surrealist painter Luigi Pretin, circa 1976. Signed and dated in lower right corner as w...
Acrylic
$796Sale Price|20% Off
Signed Surreal Southwest Modernist Desert Cactus Original Vintage Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist surreal landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas, circa 1940. Signed. Unframed. Image size, 28"L x 20"H.
Canvas, Oil
Multi-Facet, Large Surrealist Oil Painting by Ramon Santiago
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Ramon Santiago, American (1943 - 2001) Title: Multi-Facet Year: 1974 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed and dated Size: 40 x 34 inches
Canvas, Oil
$3,678
Salvador Dali lithograph, 1973, signed in pencil, numbered, edition of 150
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) From Les Songes Drôlatiques de Pantagruel (Field 73-7P; M&L 1406e) Lithograph, 1973 signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 50 in roman numerals prin...
Lithograph
"Expect Darkness to Surround You" - Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
Andreas Claussen (b. 1988, Hanover, Germany) is a pioneering oil painter whose journey from law studies to the art world underscores his deep-seated passion for visual storytelling. ...
Canvas, Oil
Grotesque Etching on Chamois Paper, Surrealist, Signed, 1960s, 49/150
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
$625
Don Giovanni, Limited edition print signed, Surreal, Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Size of sheet is ca. 21 x 29.5 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
$2,125
Surrealist interior with leaning sculpture, similar to Georgio de Chirico
Located in Norwich, GB
Although I have no proof whatsoever, I like to think that this remarkable picture might have been painted by a young Georgio de Chirico shortly after his arrival in France in 1911. I...
Oil, Cardboard
$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
French Surrealist Cubist Figurative Abstract Oil Painting Signed 1972
By Andres 33
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Key Details Artist: French School, signed and dated 1972 Title: Figurative Abstract Medium: Oil painting on board, framed Size: Painting: 19.75 x 25.5 inches; framed: 21.5 x 27 inche...
Oil
Sanctus Hieronymus Lithograph, Surrealist, Signed, 1964, Unframed
Located in Roma, IT
Sanctus Hieronymus is a Color lithograph on heavy rag paper realized in 1964. It is part of Biblia Sacra vulgatæ edition is published by Rizzoli-Mediolani between 1967 and 1969. Sig...
Lithograph
Purple Leaves - Large Colorful Surrealist Figurative Feminine Portrait Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The figurative surrealist paintings of Carlos Gamez de Francisco are heavily influenced by his Cuban upbringing. This presence exposed Francisco to the world of figurative arts while...
Canvas, Acrylic, Watercolor
$454
Jean COCTEAU and Raymond MORETTI : Celebration - Original Hansigned Lithograph
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Paris, IDF
Jean Cocteau and Raymond Moretti Célébration Original lithograph Printed signature in the plate, handsigned by Raymond Moretti Numbered EA 1/10 - Very look for proof bearing n°1 On ...
Lithograph
Texas In Fuschia - Vibrant Architectural Colorful Landscape Mixed Media Collage
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
$2,595
Salvador Dali Surrealist Etching, Signed, 1980, from Neuf Paysages Portfolio
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Paysage ibérique from passiflore Portfolio: Neuf Paysages Medium: Etching Year: 1980 Edition: 3/49 Frame Size: 22" x 22" Sheet Size: 14 7/8" x 14 7/8" Si...
Etching
Divine UFO over the poppy fields of Tuscany
Located in Zofingen, AG
What if, one day, a portal between the earthly and heavenly realms opened above the peaceful hills of Tuscany? Amid golden fields, flowering meadows, and endless expanses of red popp...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Cardboard
$900Sale Price|40% Off
Savage Garden
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Timothy Berry (b.1948). Savage Garden, 1996. Oil on canvas, 34 x 32 inches. Sigh on verso. Original gallery label affixed on verso. Canvas stretched over...
Oil
original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. This lithograph was printed in 1953 for the "Improvisations" portfolio, published by the Artists Equity Association of New York on the occasion of the 19...
Lithograph
Woman's Bust, Surrealist Figurative Scene Painting, Oil on Canvas, 1971
By Jean Carzou
Located in Edinburgh, GB
JEAN CARZOU (1907–2000) WOMAN'S BUST, 1971 Original oil on canvas 53.5 × 65 cm A painting that doesn't ask for attention. It commands it. In this striking composition from 1971, J...
Oil
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
$3,000
Sparire I Enzo Cucchi large scale abstract dream scape etching with screeprint
By Enzo Cucchi
Located in New York, NY
Sparire means "to disappear" in Italian. This large-scale, dreamlike print spans almost ten feet. Enzo Cucchi Sparire 1, 1988 Color etching, aquatint and silkscreen 30 1/2 × 118 in ...
Etching, Aquatint, Screen
"Les chiens ont soif" lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the drawing). Printed by Mourlot for the deluxe limited edition portfolio "Les chiens ont soif", this is one of 250 impressions on BFK Rives wove paper (the...
Lithograph
XXe Siecle Homage a Marc Chagall, Hand Signed Lithograph, Mourlot 572
By Marc Chagall
Located in Aventura, FL
Lithograph in colors on Arches wove paper. Hand signed lower right by Marc Chagall. Hand numbered 70/75 lower left. Sheet size: 19.62 x 14.12 inches. Image size: 12 x 9 inches. ...
Paper, Lithograph
Casanova : Birdy on the Tongue - Original etching (Field #67-4 F)
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador DALI (1904-1969) Casanova : Birdy on the Tongue, 1967 Original etching Printed signature in the plate On Rives vellum 38 x 28 cm (c. 14.9 x 11 inch) REFERENCES : - Catalog...
Etching
Divine Comedy Heaven Canto 14 Decomposition
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Divine Comedy Heaven Canto 14 Decomposition Medium: Woodcut Measurements: Paper: 10.5" x 13" Frame: 13.75" x 17.5" Condition: Excellent. This piec...
Woodblock
$780Sale Price|35% Off
SALUDCITA Y PROVECHITO, Ltd. Silkscreen 2018, Surrealist Style, Framed, Signed
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
Famous Friedeberg print, HORSES ARE GREAT, TITLE SALUDCITA Y PROVECHITO, fits anywhere Pedro Friedeberg is an Italian-born Mexican artist and designer known for his surrealist work ...
Screen, Serigraph
Visionary Vaudou Surrealism Large Contemporary Haitian Painting
Located in Norwich, GB
A mesmerising acrylic on canvas by the world-renowned contemporary Haitian master, Franz Zephirin. Celebrated for his highly original style, Zephirin is a key figure in modern Caribb...
Canvas, Acrylic
Art Brut figurative abstract Philadelphia Artist
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Jesse Soifer (1932-2013). Untitled #03, 1964. Ink on paper, sheet measures 12 x 14 inches. Unsigned. Estate stamp on verso sheet with assignation number. Early Life and Recognit...
Paper, Ink
$454
Playing Cards - Lithograph poster for "Le Surrealisme" by Max ERNST (Mourlot)
Located in Paris, IDF
Exhibition poster after Max ERNST featuring an image of playing cards HIgh-quality lithograph printed in Mourlot workshop in 1964 Created for the exhibition "Le Surréalisme, Sources...
Lithograph
"Version XIV" (2025) Original Surrealist Oil Painting on Cradled Board
Located in Denver, CO
3rd Version's (Ben Patterson) "Version XIV" is a 2025 oil painting on cradled panel measuring 12 x 9 x 1.5 inches. The work is unframed but ready to hang. Artist Statement: US bas...
Oil, Panel
$5,177
Surrealist Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Blue Fountain Pink Poodle
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024. Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you and you decide to follow. Artwork Details: Isabel Rock , 'Just another Day in Paradise', mixed media on best archival paper, 85cm x 140cm, unframed, 2022 In Rock's own words, 'It was just another day in Paradise for the Pink Poodle People of the Everlasting Fountain of Eternal Joy. Since every day was Paradise it was just another normal day filled with love, ecstasy and wonder. It started slowly at first, things began to appear in paradise, strange objects that the Pink Poodle People did not know what to do with. Some had sharp edges, others were so and smelt strange, bad strange. Some things glittered and shone. Every day more of these objects would arrive in Paradise. ' If this happens every day then soon Paradise will be full of these strange objects. Some of them are nice but many are bad and smelly. One day there will be no Paradise, only bad, sharp and smelly things.' But the Pink Poodle People did not know what to do with the objects and every day more arrived.' Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio A certificate of authentication comes from Gallery Art 1821 photo credits, Isabel working, black and white shots, James Brown About Isabel Rock and her work: Taking inspiration from Japanese woodblock prints and Indian miniature painting Rock has developed a unique collage technique that combines bold structures with large-scale woodblock prints and intricate detailing. The subject is a grand mixture of humour, drama, hidden morals, fanciful characters, modern culture, mythical beings and fantastical situations. Rock creates a world that pulls you in and demands your attention. Quality of line is paramount, the drawings are created using a dipping pen and acrylic ink. An essential tool is a squirrel...
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
$3,500
"Getting the Eye of the Tiger" (2022) by Nathan Durfee, Original Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Nathan Durfee's "Getting the Eye of the Tiger" is an original oil painting depicts a cat in headphones perched on a radio. Artist bio: Nathan Durfee has garnered notoriety for his...
Oil, Wood Panel
$3,300
Quietude From Turmoil - Original Colorful Mixed Media Surrealist Landscape 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