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Surrealist Art

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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
Early Dawn Mosaic on MDF Panel, Signed, 2023, 39.5 x 58.5 in
Early Dawn Mosaic on MDF Panel, Signed, 2023, 39.5 x 58.5 in

Early Dawn Mosaic on MDF Panel, Signed, 2023, 39.5 x 58.5 in

By Scott Kahn

Located in Rochester Hills, MI

Artist: Scott Kahn Title: Early Dawn Year 2023 Size: 39 3/8 x 53 1/8 inches (100 x 134.9 cm) Mosaic on MDF panel Signed in the front and Signed on the back. About the Artist Scott ...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Mosaic

original lithograph

original lithograph

By Jorge Castillo

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

Joan Miro, Graphisms, from Derriere le Miroir, 1961
Joan Miro, Graphisms, from Derriere le Miroir, 1961

Joan Miro, Graphisms, from Derriere le Miroir, 1961

By Joan Miró

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Joan Miro (1893–1983) Title: Graphisms (Graphismes) Year: April 1961 Medium: Lithograph on velin paper Paper Size: 15 x 33 inches (38.1 x 83.82 cm), with bifold, as issued Co...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Joan Miro, Bird Before the Sun, from Derriere le Miroir, 1961
Joan Miro, Bird Before the Sun, from Derriere le Miroir, 1961

Joan Miro, Bird Before the Sun, from Derriere le Miroir, 1961

By Joan Miró

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Joan Miro (1893–1983) Title: Bird Before the Sun (Oiseau devant le soleil) Year: April 1961 Medium: Lithograph on velin paper Paper Size: 33 x 15 inches (83.82 x 38.1 cm), with bifold, as issued Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued Publisher: Maeght Editeur, Paris Printer: Imprimerie Arte, Paris Catalogue raisonne reference: Miro, Joan, et al. Joan Miro Lithographe. Maeght, 1972–1992, illustration 1722 Notes: This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Oiseau devant le solei (Bird Before the Sun), originates from the April 1961 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 125-126, published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, under the direction of Aime Maeght, and printed by Imprimerie Arte, Paris, 1961. The composition exemplifies Miro’s poetic use of symbolic imagery, where the bird and sun function as elemental forces within his visual language. Through gestural line, saturated color, and spatial freedom, the work reflects Miro’s fusion of cosmic imagery, instinctive mark making, and lyrical abstraction. Derriere le Miroir (translated as "Behind the Mirror") was an iconic French art periodical published from 1946 to 1982 by Maeght Editeur, one of the most influential art publishers of the twentieth century. Founded by Aime Maeght in Paris, the publication was conceived as a visual and literary collaboration between leading modern artists, poets, and critics. Each issue functioned simultaneously as an exhibition catalogue and as an autonomous work of art, featuring original lithographs printed directly from the artists stones or plates alongside essays, poems, and critical texts. Over more than three decades, Derriere le Miroir produced over 250 issues and presented an extraordinary range of artists including Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Fernand Leger, Pierre Bonnard, Alberto Giacometti, Eduardo Chillida, Ellsworth Kelly, Francis Bacon, Antoni Tapies, Pierre Alechinsky, Pol Bury, Bram van Velde, and many others. Printed by master ateliers such as Mourlot and Arte, the series established new standards of excellence in modern lithography and graphic design. Closely linked to exhibitions at Galerie Maeght, each issue served as a lasting document of postwar modernism, uniting image, text, and philosophy into a uniquely influential publication that remains among the most important and collectible achievements in twentieth century art publishing. JOAN MIRO (1893–1983) was a Catalan painter, sculptor, printmaker, and ceramicist whose visionary imagination and lyrical abstraction made him one of the most influential and beloved artists of the twentieth century. Born in Barcelona, Miro drew inspiration from Catalan folk art, Romanesque frescoes, and the luminous landscapes of Mont-roig del Camp, developing a deep connection to nature that infused his work with vitality and symbolism. After formal training at the Escola d'Art in Barcelona, he absorbed the lessons of Post-Impressionism and Cubism before moving to Paris in the early 1920s, where he became a leading figure in the Surrealist movement. There, Miro forged a personal visual language of biomorphic shapes, floating symbols, and radiant color harmonies that reflected both spontaneity and spiritual depth. In creative dialogue with peers such as Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, he helped revolutionize modern art by dissolving the boundaries between abstraction and dream imagery. Miro's inventive approach extended far beyond painting, embracing sculpture, ceramics, and monumental public commissions that redefined how art could interact with space and emotion. His expressive freedom and gestural abstraction profoundly influenced later artists including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Alexander Calder, Jean Dubuffet, Antoni Tapies, and Joan Mitchell, inspiring generations who sought to merge instinct, color, and imagination. Today, Miro's work remains a cornerstone of modernism, prized by collectors and celebrated in major museums worldwide. His highest auction record was achieved by Peinture (Etoile Bleue) (1927), which sold for approximately 37 million USD at Sothebys London on June 19, 2012. Joan Miro Oiseau...

Category

1960s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Catch of the day
Catch of the day

Catch of the day

By Anastasia Aureum

Located in London, London

original painting on canvas 160x220cm certificate of authenticity located in central London,UK the item will be shipped rolled

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Flower Pot 9 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Still Life, Nature, Floral

Flower Pot 9 - 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

Time Stillness of Time
Time Stillness of Time

Time Stillness of Time

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Hollywood, FL

ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Time Stillness of Time MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali PUBLISHER: Levine & Levine, New York EDITION NUMBER: EA MEASUREMENTS...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

An Undying Wonderment - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art
An Undying Wonderment - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art

An Undying Wonderment - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Robert Lebsack creates artworks using mixed media with ink, acrylic, and charcoal on archival copies of newspapers, textbooks, and sheet music. As a visionary artist, Lebsack weaves ...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel

Harvest is Ready - 21st Century, Contemporary, Surrealism, African Nature, Child

Harvest is Ready - 21st Century, Contemporary, Surrealism, African Nature, Child

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. Akanji Bolaji (b...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Espana, Surrealist figure - Original lithograph, 1982
Espana, Surrealist figure - Original lithograph, 1982

Espana, Surrealist figure - Original lithograph, 1982

By Joan Miró

Located in Paris, IDF

Joan MIRO Espana, Surrealist figure, 1982 Original lithograph in colors (atelier Arte, Maeght) Printed signature in the plate On thin paper 95 x 60 cm (c. 37.4 x 23.6 in) Referenc...

Category

1980s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Star-Crossed, Oil Painting
Star-Crossed, Oil Painting

Star-Crossed, Oil Painting

By Keith Thomson

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Two astronauts sit across from each other, the table between them barely separating their bodies as they lean in close. It was a first date, and they had a wond...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU... Limited Surrealism French Contemporary
René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU... Limited Surrealism French Contemporary

René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU... Limited Surrealism French Contemporary

By (after) René Magritte

Located in Madrid, Madrid

René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU LES MYSTÈRES DE L'HORIZON, 1965 Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition number: 131/275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Condition: N...

Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Waiting Portrait Surrealism Original oil Painting
Waiting Portrait Surrealism Original oil Painting

Waiting Portrait Surrealism Original oil Painting

By Ashot Yan

Located in Granada Hills, CA

Figurative Surrealism Original Painting Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Portrait Surrealism, T...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Walking Creature: Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract, 2005
Walking Creature: Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract, 2005

Walking Creature: Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract, 2005

By Michael William Eggleston

Located in Soquel, CA

Walking Creature, Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract by Michael William Eggleston Bold and imaginative contemporary figurative abstract by San Francisco artist Michael William...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Stallion and a Unicorn -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, African, Horse
Stallion and a Unicorn -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, African, Horse

Stallion and a Unicorn -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, African, Horse

By Akanji Bolaji

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

A Stallion and a Unicorn explores the duality of action and aspiration, grounding us in the tension between lived reality and imagined possibility. The stallion embodies patriotism r...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Portrait of Woman, Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting
Portrait of Woman, Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting

Portrait of Woman, Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting

By Ashot Yan

Located in Granada Hills, CA

Figurative Surrealism Original Painting Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2023 Style: Surrealism, Title: Sti...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

In Spite of it All (Window, Skyscape, Warm, Dreamy, ~29% OFF)
In Spite of it All (Window, Skyscape, Warm, Dreamy, ~29% OFF)

In Spite of it All (Window, Skyscape, Warm, Dreamy, ~29% OFF)

By Annieo Klaas

Located in Kansas City, MO

Annieo Klaas In Spite of it All 2024 Oil on Canvas 84 x 48 inches (213.36 x 121.92 cm) Signed lower right COA provided *On stretcher frame - gallery wrapped - ready to hang Annieo ...

Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Escargot
Escargot

Escargot

By Salvador Dalí­

Located in Hollywood, FL

ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Escargot MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali EDITION NUMBER: I/XXV MEASUREMENTS: Paper: 14.48" x 11" Frame: 19" x 15" YEAR: 1970 ...

Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Les Brisants
Les Brisants

Les Brisants

By Joan Miró

Located in New York, NY

Color etching and aquatint, 1958. Signed by the artist in pencil, lower right Numbered IV/15 in pencil, lower left. Printed by Crommelynck and Dutrou, Paris. Published by GLM, Par...

Category

1950s Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

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 Living Face in Pompeii", the painting is oil and acrylic 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: 38 1/2 x 32 inches; Framed size: 39 1/4 x 33 1/4 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

1990s Surrealist Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic, Oil

"Big Eyes" B&W Photograph 31" x 31" in Limited Edition of 7 by Olha Stepanian
"Big Eyes" B&W Photograph 31" x 31" in Limited Edition of 7 by Olha Stepanian

"Big Eyes" B&W Photograph 31" x 31" in Limited Edition of 7 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Big Eyes" B&W Photograph 31" x 31" in Limited Edition of 7 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issues by the ar...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

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.