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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
The Tub, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This painting is a modern reinterpretation of the English nursery rhyme "Rub-a-dub-dub, Three Men in a Tub," first published in Mother Goose's Melody in 1798. I...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

New York, The Harbour - Abstract Colorful Urban Still Life Collage Art 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...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media

Don Juan: The Banquet (Le Banquet)
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Salvador Dali Don Juan: The Banquet (Le Banquet), Published 1970 Medium: Hand-Colored Drypoint Etching on Arches Paper Edition: 38/250 Artwork Size: 25 x 20 in Framed Size: 33 ...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Faust: Portrait of Marguerite (Le Portrait de Marguerite)
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Salvador Dali Faust: Portrait of Marguerite (Le Portrait de Marguerite), Published 1968-1969 Medium: Drypoint Etching with Roulette on Japon Edition: 88/145 Artwork Size: 15 x 1...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Mythology: Argus in Black
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Salvador Dali Mythology: Argus in Black, Published 1963-1965 Medium: Copper and Drypoint Etching on Arches Paper Edition: 106/150 Artwork Size: 22 x 30 in Framed Size: 28.50 x ...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Leda Atomica, Lithograph Signed Numbered and Stamped
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Leda Atomica by Salvador Dali Lithograph on BFK Rives Papier Dimensions of the print: 58 x 43 cm Dimensions of the sheet: 76 x 55 cm Dimensions with frame: 84.5 x 63.5 cm Edition of ...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Golfer
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: The Golfer Medium: Lithograph in colors on Arches paper Year: 1973 Edition: XXVIII/CI Sheet Size: 23 7/8" x 18 7/8" Image Size: 19" x 16" Signature: Hand...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Alexander Calder, Untitled, from Prints from the Mourlot Press, 1964
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Alexander Calder (1898–1976), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the album Prints from the Mourlot Press, exhibition sponsored by the French Embassy, cir...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Códice Miguelito III
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
-Pedro Friedeberg signed print featuring a fantastical architectural scene inspired by “Mickey”. Includes whimsical figures, optical art elements, and surreal details. framed in a ha...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Digital World, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A young boy stands indoors, absorbed in his mobile device. Just beyond an open door, a polar bear looms inside the house, its mouth open as if roaring. The brig...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

The Angel of Justice - Lithograph after Marc Chagall - 1974
Located in Roma, IT
Color lithograph on Arches wove paper, with watermark. Image dimension 51.5x43 cm. Published by Editions des Amis du Message Biblique. Edition of 200. Printed by Charles Sorlier an...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Thomas (Lancelot Healing Sir Urre)
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Thomas (Lancelot Healing Sir Urre) Portfolio: 1972 The Twelve Apostles (Knights of the Round Table) Medium: Lithograph Year: 1972 Edition: 38/350 Frame S...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Cat and Bird at the Sunset - Original Handsigned Lithograph
Located in Paris, IDF
Guillaume Corneille (1922-2010) Cat and Bird at the Sunset, 1991 Original color lithograph Signed and dated in pencil Artist proof On vellum, 53 x 76 cm (c. 21 x 30 in) Very good ...
Category

1990s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Imaginations & Objects of The Future Anti-Umbrella with Atomized Liquid
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Imaginations & Objects of The Future Anti-Umbrella with Atomized Liquid MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali PUBLISHER: Merrill Chas...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Imaginations & Objects of The Future Cybernetic Lobster Telephone
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Imaginations & Objects of The Future Cybernetic Lobster Telephone MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali PUBLISHER: Merrill Chase, Chi...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Andre Masson, The Departure, from Memories and Portraits of Artists, 1972
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Andre Masson (1896–1987), titled Le depart (The Departure), originates from the 1972 edition published by Editions A. C. Mazo et Cie., Paris, in collabor...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Success
Located in London, London
The item is located in central London,UK WILL BE SHIPPED ROLLED. one-of-a-kind original oil paintings on canvas hand signed 200x130cm painting shall be shipped ROLLED, unfram...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Mythology: Leda and Swan (Leda et le Cygne)
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Salvador Dali Mythology: Leda and Swan (Leda et le Cygne), Published 1963 -1965 Medium: Copper and Drypoint Etching with Hand-Coloring on Japon Edition: VII/XX Artwork Size: 30 ...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Florals Carnation Don Quixote
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Florals Don Quixote MEDIUM: Etching on Heavy Arches Paper SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali EDITION NUMBER: EA MEASUREMENTS: 29.5" x 22" YEAR:...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Florals Tulips Girafe en Feu
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Florals Tulips Girafe en Feu MEDIUM: Etching on Heavy Arches paper SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali PUBLISHER: Editions Graphiques International...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Litografia Original VI (Abstract, Modern, Surrealism, Colorful, Iconic, 40% OFF)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Joan Miró Litografia Original VI Color Lithograph Year: 1975 Size: 13.25 × 10 inches (33.65 x 25.4 cm) Catalogue Raisonné: Queneau, Miro Lithographe II, 1952-1963, p.35 Publisher: Ma...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Gold Earrings - 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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Watercolor, Acrylic

The Outfit - Original Colorful Floral Figurative Feminine Surrealist Framed Art
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

Canvas, Acrylic

"Lord of the Wild Things" (2025) Original Surrealist Still-Life, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Hextrum's "Lord of the Wild Things" is an original oil painting on stretched canvas. Artist Statement: This painting is part of my "Magical Realism" series. This painting is b...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

La Harpie, Hand-Signed Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Joan Miro
Located in Long Island City, NY
Joa Miro's rendering of a harpie, a creature with the head of a woman and the body of a bird, features minimal line and color but reflects the Surrealist style of the artist. La Ha...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Sagittarius
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Sagittarius Etching from 1974. The edition HC IX/L on Guarro paper. Dimensions of work: 35 x 26.2 cm. Hand signed. Publisher: Léon Amiel, Paris - New...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Joan Miró, Design for a Tapestry
Located in Manchester, GB
Joan Miró, Design for a Tapestry Lithograph on paper Framed size: 62 x 82 cm The artwork is framed in a sustainably sourced, black gallery box frame with acrylic glazing. Design...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Ethernité - Etching by Max Ernst - 1971
Located in Roma, IT
Etching and aquatint with embossing on laid paper. Sheet dimension: 65x46 ca.; Image dimension 30.4x18.6. Edition of 95/100. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Slight foxing, pa...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Surrealist composition
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: collotype (after the Miro lithograph). Printed in 1947 in an edition of 1500 by Meriden Gravure and published by Curt Valentin for "The Prints of Joan Miro" portfolio. Size: ...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Dali, Femme à tete de Roses (after)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Title: Femme à tete de Roses Year: 2004 Medium: Lithograph on wove paper Size: 30.25 x 22 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Unsigned and unnu...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Poet's house.
Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
In 1981 Maggie Taylor (b. 1961) began to photograph while she was a student at Yale University majoring in philosophy. She primarily took photographs of suburban landscapes and stran...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

Surrealist composition
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: collotype (after the Miro lithograph). Printed in 1947 in an edition of 1500 by Meriden Gravure and published by Curt Valentin for "The Prints of Joan Miro" portfolio. Size: ...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Sentada Desnuda, Surreal Painting of a Seated Nude Woman, Mexican Artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
Guillermo Meza (Mexican, 1917-1997) Sentada Desnuda, 1941 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 23.5 in. h. x 19.5 in. w. 31 in. h. x 27 in. w., as framed He was born in México...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

"Duality" Black & White Nude Photography 49" x 39" in Ed. 1/3 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Duality" Black & White Nude Photography 49" x 39" in Ed. 1/3 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Not framed. Ships in a tube. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Surrealist composition
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: collotype (after the Miro lithograph). Printed in 1947 in an edition of 1500 by Meriden Gravure and published by Curt Valentin for "The Prints of Joan Miro" portfolio. Size: ...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Portrait of Autumn
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Portrait of Autumn MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali EDITION NUMBER: HC 49/65 MEASUREMENTS: 21.23" x 29.1" YEAR: 1980 FRAMED...
Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Incomparable Chant D'été De L'azur, Surrealist Etching with Aquatint by Jean Sol
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jean Solombre, French (1948 - ) - Incomparable Chant D'été De L'azur, Year: 1981, Medium: Etching with Aquatint on Arches, signed, titled, numbered and dated in pencil, Edition: 1...
Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Andre Lanskoy Dada Lithograph Mourlot Calligraphic French Poetry Brut Abstract
Located in Surfside, FL
ANDRE LANSKOY (French / Russian 1902-1976) 1966 Original color lithograph on watermarked Arches paper The title sheet was hand signed in pencil on the justification page by the arti...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Litografía original VI
Located in OPOLE, PL
Joan Miro (1893-1983) - Litografía original VI Lithograph from 1972. Dimensions of work: 32 x 24.5 cm. Publisher: Maeght Éditeur, Paris. Printed by: Fernand Mourlot, Paris. The ...
Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

What is love?
Located in London, London
The item is located in London, will be shipped stretched, ready to be framed/ hung unframed. the item is located in central London.UK can be picked up/shipped. oil on canvas orig...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

What is love?
What is love?
$3,371 Sale Price
68% Off
original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. This Wifredo Lam surrealist print was issued in 1974 for XXe Siecle and published in Paris by San Lazzaro. Size: 12 1/4 x 9 3/8 inches (310 x 238 mm). No...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"l'Arcangelo" From the suite "Les Vtraux"
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled, "l'Arcangelo (The Archangel)" from the suite, "lLes Vitaux" 1973 is an original colors lithograph on watermarked Arches paper by artist Salvador Dali 1904-1989....
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Téléphone-homard cybernétique (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Title: Téléphone-homard cybernétique (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13), Imaginations et Objets du Futur (Cybernetic lobster phone, Imaginatio...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Drypoint, Lithograph, Screen

Mid Century San Francisco Nocturnal Surrealist Oil Painting
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid Century Nocturnal Surrealist Oil Painting--San Francisco Unreal Dreams by Russell Tripp Dramatic and atmospheric San Francisco surrealist figurative painting by Russell R. Tripp...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Board, Oil

The 10 Commandments Platinum Bas Relief
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: The 10 Commandments Platinum Bas Relief MEDIUM: Bas Relief SIGNED: Not hand signed. The Bas Relief bears the artist signature toward the left side a...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Platinum

"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...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Rider
Located in London, London
original painting on canvas certificate of authenticity located in central London,UK unframed the item will be shipped rolled 180x220cm
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Loteria Canina
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
-Pedro Friedeberg signed print featuring a collection of various dogs. Includes whimsical figures, optical art elements, and surreal details. framed in a hand-painted black and gold ...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

TIE Fighter Beatles Large Oversize Pop Art Print Signed Limited Edition
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...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment

The Petrified Origin oil on canvas painting Antoni Pitxot
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title: The Petrified Origin Artist: Antoni Pitxot i Soler (1934–2015) Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 25.6 x 31.9 in (65 x 81 cm) Date: 1967 Condition: Unframed Signature: Signed lower right: Pitxot Provenance: Private collection Notes: Early work from Pitxot’s mature period, featuring the symbolic and meticulously rendered stone forms that would define his artistic identity. 📝 Work Description In The Petrified Origin, Antoni Pitxot presents a haunting and timeless vision of a single, eroded rock suspended in a dreamlike, undefined space. The stone, modeled with sculptural precision, appears to float over a subtly reflective surface, devoid of background or narrative context. Its porous texture, cracks, and shadows evoke a fossilized memory — a silent relic of geological time. Painted in 1967, this piece exemplifies Pitxot's unique visual language, developed through his practice of collecting stones along the Costa Brava and transforming them into anthropomorphic and symbolic compositions. The result is both surreal and solemn, an ode to nature’s memory and the enduring presence of the inanimate. 👤 About the Artist Antoni Pitxot i Soler (born in Figueres, 1934 – died in Barcelona, 2015) was a Catalan painter deeply rooted in the surrealist tradition. Coming from an artistic family —his uncle was Ramon Pichot, a friend of Picasso and Dalí— Pitxot trained as a draughtsman and painter from a young age. In the 1960s, he settled in Cadaqués, where he developed his distinct artistic universe. His paintings revolve around stone as a symbol of permanence, transformation, and memory. Pitxot created sculptural assemblages from real coastal stones and later immortalized them in oil on canvas. His works often hint at human figures, ancient myths, and allegories of time. 🎭 Connection with Salvador Dalí Pitxot was not only a close friend of Salvador Dalí but also one of his closest collaborators. Dalí admired his work and invited him to co-design the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres. After Dalí’s death...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Joan Miro, The Black Sun, from Derriere le miroir, 1965
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Le Soleil Noir (The Black Sun), from the folio Derriere le miroir, No. 151–152, originates from the 1965 edition published ...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

At The Warehouse - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Woman, Dog
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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joan Miro, Woman and Bird in the Night, from XXe Siecle, 1957
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph and pochoir by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Femme et oiseau dans la nuit (Woman and Bird in the Night), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie No. 8, or...
Category

1950s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Good Life 1978 Signed Limited Edition Art Lithograph
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist Mati (Abdul) Klarwein Title: The Good Life Year: 1978 Print - Lithograph Paper Size 23" x 23½" inches Edition: signed in pencil and marked 3/300 Hand embellished by the artis...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Casanova : Snail Lady - Original etching (Field #67-4 K)
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador DALI (1904-1969) Casanova : Snail lady, 1967 Original etching Signed in the plate On vellum Rives 38 x 28 cm (c. 14.9 x 11 inch) REFERENCES : - Catalog raisonné Field #67-...
Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Joan Miro, The Bird Flies Over the Golden Zone on the Sunlit Hills, 1957
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled L’Oiseau s’envole sur la zone poussée d’or sur les collines ensoleillées (The Bird Flies Over the Golden Zone on the Sunlit...
Category

1950s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Contemporary Botanical Portrait. Original Print on Dibond 24/25. Luckily Alive
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This limited-edition Dibond UV print belongs to Natasha Lelenco’s Fetiches series, an artistic exploration of portraiture intertwined with organic motifs. Numbered 24 of 25, each pri...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Metal

Joan Miro, L’Oro dell’Azzurro (Framed)
Located in Manchester, GB
Joan Miro, L’Oro dell’Azzurro (Framed) Giclee print Framed in a sustainably sourced black frame gallery with UV protection acrylic glazing 67 x 80 cm 'The Gold of the Azure' w...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Giclée

Antiombrelle à atomiseurs de liquides (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Title: Antiombrelle à atomiseurs de liquides (Michler/Löpsinger 822-831; Field 75-13), Imaginations et Objets du Futur (Liquid atomizer anti-shade, ...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Drypoint, Lithograph, Screen

'Together' — Mid-Century Surrealism, Atelier 17
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Ian Hugo, 'Together', from the portfolio 'Ten Engravings'. engraving, 1946, edition 50. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered '22/50' in pencil. A fine impression, with delicate overall plate tone, on cream wove paper, the full sheet with wide margins (2 7/8 to 5 1/2 inches), in excellent condition. With the blind stamp 'madeleine-claude jobrack EDITIONS', in the bottom right margin. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 5 7/8 x 4 7/8 inches (149 x 124 mm); sheet size 15 x 11 1/8 inches (381 x 283 mm). Collection: Indianapolis Museum of Art. Ian Hugo originally created "Ten Engravings" in 1945 and the portfolio included a foreword by his partner and collaborator, Anais Nin. In 1978, Hugo republished the portfolio with Madeleine-Claude Jobrack, an American master printmaker who studied under Stanley William Hayter at Atelier 17, Paris, and with Johnny Friedlaender. When Jobrack returned to the States she managed the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Studio in New York before opening her own printing studio, Madeleine-Claude Jobrak Editions. “The sign of the true artist is one who creates a complete universe, invents new plants, new animals, new figures to transfer to us a new vision of the universe in which dream and reality fuse. Ian Hugo's plants have eyes, the birds have the delicacy of dragonflies, their feathers have the shape of fans. Humor is apparent in every gesture. He uses a fine spider web to give a feeling of flight, speed, lightness. The body of a woman reveals the structure of a leaf, a plant. Wings are moving in a world unified by mythological themes. This is an animated world, humorous and levitating, elusive and decorative, which by its unique forms and shapes gives us the sensation of a rebirth, a liberation from the usual, the familiar, a visit to a new planet.” —Anais Nin, from the forward to the portfolio ‘Ten Engravings’ ABOUT THE ARTIST Ian Hugo was born Hugh Parker Guiler in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 15, 1898. His childhood was spent in Puerto Rico—a "tropical paradise," the memory of which stayed with him and surfaced in both his engravings and his films. He attended school in Scotland and graduated from Columbia University where he studied economics and literature. Hugo was working with the National City Bank when he met and married author Anais Nin in 1923. The couple moved to Paris the following year, where Nin's diary and Guiler's artistic aspirations flowered. Guiler feared his business associates would not understand his interests in art and music, let alone those of his wife, so he began a second, creative life as Ian Hugo. Ian and Anais moved to New York in 1939. The following year he took up engraving and etching, working at Stanley William Hayter’s experimental printmaking workshop Atelier 17, established at the New School for Social Research. Hugo began producing surreal images often used to illustrate Nin's books. For Nin, his unwavering love and financial support were indispensable—Hugo was the "fixed center, core... my home, my refuge" (Sept. 16, 1937, Nearer the Moon, The Unexpurgated Diary of Anais Nin, 1937-!939). Fictionalized portraits of Higo and Nin appear in Philip Kaufman's 1990 film drama of a literary love triangle, Henry & June. Inspired by comments that viewers saw motion in his engravings, Hugo took up filmmaking. He asked the avant-garde filmmaker Sasha Hammid for instruction but was told, "Use the camera yourself, make your own mistakes, make your own style." Hugo embarked on an exploration of the film medium as a vehicle to delve into his dreams, his unconscious, and his memories. Without a specific plan, He would collect resonant images, then reorder or superimpose them, seeking a sense of self-connection through the poetic juxtapositions he created. These intuitive explorations resembled the mystical evocations of his engravings, which he described in 1946 as "hieroglyphs of a language in which our unconscious is trying to convey important, urgent messages." In the underwater world of his film ‘Bells of Atlantis,’ the light originates from the world above the surface; it is otherworldly, out of place, yet essential. In ‘Jazz of Lights,’ the street lights of Times Square become in Nin's words, "an ephemeral flow of sensations." This flow that she also calls "phantasmagorical" had a crucial impact on Stan Brakhage, who said that without Jazz of Lights (1954), "there would have been no Anticipation of the Night" his autobiographical film which ushered in a new era of experimental modernist filmmaking. Hugo lived the last two decades of his life in a New York apartment high above street level. In the evenings, surrounded by an electrically illuminated man...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Engraving

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.

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