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Surrealist Art

SURREALIST STYLE

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.

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Style: Surrealist
original lithograph

original lithograph

By Jorge Camacho

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1979 and published in Barcelona by La Poligrafa in an edition of 1000. Size: 10 x 7 1/2 inches (255 x 188 mm). Not signed.

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Savage Garden
Savage Garden

Timothy BerrySavage Garden, 1996

$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...

Category

1990s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Classical Sculpture Fragments Painting Cut Paper Relief Sunset Landscape Art
Classical Sculpture Fragments Painting Cut Paper Relief Sunset Landscape Art

Classical Sculpture Fragments Painting Cut Paper Relief Sunset Landscape Art

By Gozo

Located in FISTERRA, ES

Surrealist acrylic painting on cut paper and mounted panel, depicting fragmented sculptures across a dreamlike sunset terrain. This original work by Gozo Collective is part of the Fr...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Spray Paint, Acrylic

Dutress and Her Cat -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, Animals
Dutress and Her Cat -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, Animals

Dutress and Her Cat -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, Animals

By Akingbade Mayowa

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 Oluw...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Personnages Lithograph by R.S. Matta, Surrealist, Signed, 1980s

Personnages Lithograph by R.S. Matta, Surrealist, Signed, 1980s

By Sebastian Matta

Located in Roma, IT

Personnages is an Artwork realized by Roberto Sebastián Antonio Matta Echaurren (Santiago, Chile, 1911 - Civitavecchia, Italy, 2002). Colored Litograph on paper. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Good conditions. After studying architecture, in 1934 Roberto Sebastian Matta moved to Paris, where he worked with Le Corbusier and came into contact with intellectuals such as Rafael Alberti and Federico García Lorca. Here, he also met André Breton and Salvador Dalí , and adhered to the Surrealist movement, elaborating a painting style focused on psychological morphologies. In 1944, Breton wrote: " Matta is the one who most faithfully keeps his star, which is perhaps on the best path to reach the supreme secret: the control of fire". An extremely dynamic Chilean artist, who met Alvar Aalto in Scandinavia, Henry Moore , Roland Penrose...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Body and Eye, Etching by Hans Bellmer
The Body and Eye, Etching by Hans Bellmer

The Body and Eye, Etching by Hans Bellmer

By Hans Bellmer

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Hans Bellmer, German (1902 - 1975) Title: The Body and Eye Year: circa 1965 Medium: Etching, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 46/70 Image Size: 10.5 x 8 inches Frame...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Dessert Landscape (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)
Dessert Landscape (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)

Dessert Landscape (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Dessert Landscape, 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.

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Gouache, Rag Paper

Large, Unique Abstract Surrealist Oil Painting in the Chicago Imagist Tradition
Large, Unique Abstract Surrealist Oil Painting in the Chicago Imagist Tradition

Large, Unique Abstract Surrealist Oil Painting in the Chicago Imagist Tradition

Located in Chicago, IL

A Unique, Unusual and Striking Abstract Surrealist Painting Completed in the Chicago Imagist Tradition by Notable Artist, Stanley Dean Edwards (Am. Born 1941). Titled "The Last Ship to Leave Atlantis", the painting is oil on canvas, presented in its original frame. The artwork shows a unique synthesis of Post-War Surrealist influences, including the avant-garde Italian artist Enrico Baj and the vibrant palette of the Chicago Imagist school, namely Ed Paschke and his contemporaries. The collage-like references in the composition recall the artwork of sculptor H.C. Westermann and others experimenting with assemblage, found objects and the integration of inanimate objects. Artwork size: 34 x 24 inches; Framed size: 36 1/2 x 26 1/2 inches. Signed "Edwards", lower right; signed, titled and dated on reverse. Provenance: The Artist; Private Collection, Chicago, IL (circa 2010). Born 1941 in Joliet, Illinois, Stanley Dean Edwards moved to Chicago early in life to pursue his life as an artist. His mother was a Chicago public school teacher, and his father was a Methodist minister. He studied painting and design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), receiving a BFA in 1967. While at SAIC, Edwards was influenced by Vera Berdich's printmaking classes and Daniel Massen's design classes. After a brief stay in New York (1967-1970), where he was profoundly shaken by urban rioting and general upheaval of this time, Edwards returned to Chicago and later set up a studio in the Pilsen Neighborhood. Edwards is primarily a figurative painter whose work is informed by both Surrealism and Constructivism. Early hard-edge paintings from the mid-1960's feature a series of screaming babies set in brightly colored environments. These works offer religious suggestions, as the infants are paired with ecclesiastical figures presented atop an altar. Other protagonists of his series include dogs and faceless men. (1) In the early 1960's, Stan Edwards was part of a diverse group of artists that included George Kokines, Ray Siemanowski, Michael Hurson and Peter Holbrook among others. These artists and Edwards were part of that decade's vanguard and their work was included in an exhibition titled, "Twelve Chicago Artists" at the Walker Art Center. The curator was Jan Van der Marck. Edwards called his paintings of babies, dogs and erotic torsos from that period "image painting" because they were taken not from the model stand but cast off photo images. One painting from this period, Infant in Altar IV, is a 60" x 60" an oil and acrylic painting and was loaned by the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian to the Museum of Contemporary Art for its fifty year retrospective titled, "Art in Chicago, 1945 to 1995." The painting is part of the Martha Jackson memorial collection at the National Museum of American Art. (2.) Recent paintings, which Edwards calls "Icons for a New Era: Assembled Art Imagery," feature iconic images composed of items from popular culture; witty titles often allude to the materials from which they were made. The found objects, vibrant colors, and slick presentations of his works indicate their relationship to and a continuation of Pop art. Both humorous and sinister, Edwards' paintings reflect the psychological uneasiness associated with the close of the twentieth century. (3.) One painting of this series titled Surveyor is a 66" x 60" oil and acrylic painting and appears in the book Humor in Art by Nicholas Roukes, published by Davis Inc. The book is widely used as a text for art and design projects. (4.) In October of 2002 Edwards presented a retrospective exhibition of his work at the Illinois Institute of Art where he taught art and design in the foundation program. His lecture and exhibition were presented as part of "Chicago Artist's Month" sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs for the City of Chicago. In 2004 Edwards completed a major commission for the new Veterans' Administration building in Chicago. The commission centered on patriotic themes and one large 6 and 1/2' x 10' painting is dedicated to prisoners of war. Five others are 48" x 48" and depict the military branch seals, and four paintings 32" x 32" are based on 19th century patriotic engravings. Stan Edwards, who retired from the Illinois Institute of Art in 2009, lives and works in Chicago, Illinois. Sources: (2. & 4.) Press release (1. & 3.) "Art in Chicago 1945 1995, MCA.) COLLECTIONS: Selected corporate & institutional collections National Museum of American Art/Smithsonian Corcoran Gallery of Art Ceco Corporation Crain Communications Thrall Railcar Company American Hospital Association Plyzynski & Associates, Inc. NYC North American Jet Corporation Ball State University Illinois Institute of Art at Chicago State University of New York Harris Bank & Trust Dallas Theater Center Electronic Media Magazine Johnson Controls Central National Bank of Cleveland Associates Commercial Corporation Corporate Art Source Veterans' Administration Commission, Chicago, 2004 Ten site specific paintings Siemens Corporation COLLECTIONS: Selected private collections Walter & Dawn Clark Netsch Beatrice "Buddy" Mayer Douglas Ross Larry Aronson Marc & Ilana Platt Phil & Joan Krone Craig & Janet Duchossois Sally Fairweather Shirley Hardin Brian Boyer Pritzker collection James Speyer collection Michael Greany Ed & Lindy Bergman Collection Leigh Block Collection Professor Harold Platt Professors Lew Erenberg & Susan Hirsch Dr. David Gross Professor Mihaly Csiksentmihalyi Dr. Paula Young Dr. & Mrs. Imre Hidvegi EXHIBITIONS: Selected exhibitions Biennial Drawing Exhibition, Art Institute of Chicago, 1962 Momentum II, Lexington Hall, University of Chicago, 1964 The Sunken City Rises, Hermann Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology,1964 Eye on Chicago, Hermann Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, 1964 29th Corcoran Biennial, 1965, Washington, D.C. Inaugural exhibition, Fairweather-Hardin, 1965 Society for Contemporary Art, Art Institute of Chicago, 1965 12 Chicago Painters...

Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Oil

Cactus Landscape  (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)
Cactus Landscape  (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)

Cactus Landscape (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Cactus Landscape, 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.

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Gouache, Rag Paper

Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Women artist Green Blue
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Women artist Green Blue

Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Women artist Green Blue

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 take...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen, Woodcut

Henry Moore, "Fantasy", original etching
Henry Moore, "Fantasy", original etching

Henry Moore, "Fantasy", original etching

By Henry Moore

Located in Chatsworth, CA

This piece is an original etching created by Henry Moore in 1967. This piece is hand signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 50 on Japon paper. There are also two proofs on...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Full Moon, Surrealist Etching by Marc Chagall
Full Moon, Surrealist Etching by Marc Chagall

Full Moon, Surrealist Etching by Marc Chagall

By Marc Chagall

Located in Long Island City, NY

Marc Chagall, Russian (1887 - 1985) - Full Moon, Medium: Etching on Arches, Image Size: 7.5 x 14.25 inches, Size: 15 x 22.5 in. (38.1 x 57.15 cm), Description: From the collection ...

Category

1920s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Meditation Practice 101 - Figurative Surrealist Portrait Mixed Media Painting
Meditation Practice 101 - Figurative Surrealist Portrait Mixed Media Painting

Meditation Practice 101 - Figurative Surrealist Portrait Mixed Media Painting

By Carlos Gamez de Francisco

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 academic setting. This presence exposed Franci...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Graphite, Paper

Flower Pot 6 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Still Life, Nature, Floral

Flower Pot 6 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Still Life, Nature, Floral

By Akanji Bolaji

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Orange Shell
Orange Shell

Orange Shell

By Fanny Brennan

Located in Greenwich, CT

Orange Shell is a lithograph on paper with an image size of 3.75 x 3.5 inches, initialed 'FMB' lower right and annotated lower left, framed in a contemporary silver and dark gray fra...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

"Les chiens ont soif" lithograph

"Les chiens ont soif" lithograph

By (after) Max Ernst

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...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Resilience"
"Resilience"

"Resilience"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

**Resilience III** The final painting in my *Resilience* series continues my reflection on Ukrainian brands that create beauty despite the realities of war. This work was inspired ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The City 's Conscience
The City 's Conscience

The City 's Conscience

By Anatole Krasnyansky

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "The City 's Conscience" 2006 is an original color serigraph by Ukrainian/American artist Anatole Krasnyansky. It is hand signed and numbered 45/495 in black ink by the artist. The artwork size is 24 x 17.5 inches, framed size is 29.5 x 23 inches. Custom framed in a wooden black and gold frame, with fabric liner. 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...

Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Screen

We Are Stardust
We Are Stardust

We Are Stardust

By Marie Cameron

Located in Burlingame, CA

Marie Cameron is a realist painter and mixed media assemblage artist whose work explores hope, awe, and loss in the age of the Anthropocene. Her paintings often consider the fragile ...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

Surrealist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Surrealist art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Salvador Dalí, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, and Leonor Fini. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Lithograph and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Surrealist art, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for art made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1 and tops out at $1,450,000, while the average work sells for $1,426.