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.
TEAR OF TIME (Melting Clock)Signed Lithograph on Arches Paper, Surrealism
Located in Union City, NJ
TEAR OF TIME (Melting Clock) is a limited edition color lithograph by the Modern master Salvador Dali, after an original Salvador Dali gouache pa...
Lithograph
$4,595
Salvador Dali Color Lithograph, Signed, 1972, Twelve Apostles, James the Greater
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: James the Greater (Lancelot of the Lake) Portfolio: 1972 The Twelve Apostles (Knights of the Round Table) Medium: Lithograph Year: 1972 Edition: 33/350 F...
Lithograph
$3,419
Psychoanalysis : Tribute to Freud - Original handsigned lithograph (Field #72-3)
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Psychoanalysis : Tribute to Freud, 1972 Original coloured lithograph Handsigned in pencil Numbered 984/ 1000 On Arches Vellum 35 x 26" (87 x 64 cm) Ref...
Lithograph
Brain of Hunter S. Thompson
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Ralph Steadman Title: Brain of Hunter S. Thompson Medium: One color silkscreen on White Rising Stonehenge Deckle Edge Paper Size: 11 x15 Inches Edition: of 800 Year: 2010 No...
Silk, Screen
Tomano Monote (Cupcake Boy)
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Alejandro Colunga is a renowned Mexican artist born in 1948 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. He is part of the Nueva Mexicanidad movement and is celebrated for his surrealist and fantastical...
Etching, Aquatint, Gouache
$530
Conventional sentiment. Limited edition print Surreal Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Giclee limited edition print by worldwidely established Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. Figurative surrealistic print with man and a woman standing on the road. The road is transformin...
Paper, Color
$3,995
Salvador Dali Color Lithograph, Signed, 1972, Twelve Apostles, Thomas (Lancelot)
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...
Lithograph
Acrobat, Surrealist Etching by James Kearns
By James Kearns
Located in Long Island City, NY
James Kearns, American (1924 - ) - Acrobat, Year: circa 1975, Medium: Etching on Rives, signed, titled and numbered, Edition: 44/50, Image Size: 14.5 x 8.75 inches, Size: 22 x 15 i...
Etching
$3,895
Salvador Dali Color Lithograph, Signed, 1972, Twelve Apostles, Mark (Merlin)
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Mark (Merlin the Magician) Portfolio: 1972 The Twelve Apostles (Knights of the Round Table) Medium: Lithograph Year: 1972 Edition: 38/350 Frame Size: 29 ...
Lithograph
Salvador Dali Color Lithograph, Signed, 1972, Twelve Apostles, Matthew
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Matthew (Geoffrey of Monmouth) Portfolio: 1972 The Twelve Apostles (Knights of the Round Table) Medium: Lithograph Year: 1972 Edition: 41/350 Frame Size:...
Lithograph
Post Soviet Non Conformist Russian Cast Paper Sculpture
Located in Surfside, FL
Mihail Mikhailovich Chemiakin (or Shemyakin, Russian: Михаил Михайлович Шемякин, born 4 May 1943) is a Russian painter, stage designer, sculptor and publisher, and a controversial re...
Rag Paper
Marc Chagall Lithograph, Surrealist, 1960, Unsigned, Framed, Paradise
By Marc Chagall
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Marc Chagall Title: Paradise Portfolio: 1960 Drawings for the Bible Medium: Lithograph Date: 1960 Edition: Unnumbered Frame Size: 22 1/4" x 18 3/4" Sheet Size: 14 3/8" x 10 1...
Lithograph
PRINCE OF CUPS 1979, Signed Lithograph on Arches, Tarot Card Series
Located in Union City, NJ
Artist - Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989) Title - PRINCE OF CUPS, Tarot Card Series Publisher - DALART N.V. Year published - 1979 Medium - Lithograph on Arches Cover 270 gsm. 100% acid free, signed in pencil, inscribed 2/5 PP (Printers Proof) by Salvador Dali on lower print margin, publishers mark "DALART N.V. Copyright 1979" blindstamp embossed on lower left print margin. Fine impression, vivid colors, unframed, in very good condition. Print documentation provided.. Listed in the Albert Field's OFFICIAL CATALOGUE OF THE GRAPHIC WORKS OF SALVADOR DALI, Reference #79-15. PRINCE OF CUPS from the Tarot Series 1979, is a surrealist style limited edition lithograph by Salvador Dalí (1904 – 1989) Printed on archival Arches paper, 100% acid free. PRINCE OF CUPS depicts a freely drawn, black line portrait of a young Prince wearing his golden yellow crown, sporting a white ruffle collared shirt, looking slightly sideways posed behind a golden chalice...
Lithograph
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 ...
Etching
SPIRIT OF GONZO
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Ralph Steadman Title: Spirit of Gonzo Medium: One color silkscreen on White Rising Stonehenge Deckle Edge Paper Size: 22 x 30 Inches Edition: of 250 Year: 2006 Notes: Hand S...
Silk, Screen
Circus Woman, Surrealist Etching by Peter Paone
Located in Long Island City, NY
Peter Paone, American (1936 - ) - Circus Woman, Year: circa 1965, Medium: Etching on Rives, signed, titled and numbered in pencil, Edition: 25, Image Siz...
Etching
A ballerina. Limited edition print Surreal Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Giclee limited edition print by worldwidely established Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. Figurative surrealistic print with a ballerina with doves sitting on her leg. Colors are deep an...
Paper, Color
$264Sale Price|37% Off
WEDDING Signed Lithograph, Mini Landscape, Cathedral, Gold Rings, Surrealism
Located in Union City, NJ
WEDDING is a hand drawn, limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archival Arches ...
Lithograph
Salvador Dali - The Golden Age - Original Lithograph
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Salvador Dali - The Golden Age - Original Lithograph Joseph FORET, Paris, 1957 PRINTER : Ballon. SIGNATURE : plate signed by Dali. LIMITED : 197 copies. EDITION : Number 136 SIZE ...
Lithograph
Human Thoughts (The Dreamer) - Lithograph by André Masson - 1970ca
By André Masson
Located in Roma, IT
Hand Signed and numbered in pencil. Edition of 100. Graphic work dedicated to Jean Cocteau. Very good condition.
Lithograph
$79,600Sale Price|20% Off
Le Reve de Paris (Mourlot 600), large hand signed lithograph
By Marc Chagall
Located in Aventura, FL
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper. Hand signed lower right by Marc Chagall. Hand numbered 53/75 lower left. Paper size: 40.06 x 28.12 inches. Image size: 35.12 x 25.12 inches....
Paper, Lithograph
Anatomy Studies - Etching by Nicholas Cochin - 1755
Located in Roma, IT
Anatomy Studies is an etching realized by Nicholas Cochin in 1755. Good conditions with foxing and folding. Signed in the plate. The artwork is depicted through confident strokes....
Etching
"Conception" - Portrait of a Native American on a Vision Quest
Located in Soquel, CA
"Conception" - Portrait of a Native American on a Vision Quest Large scale and fine detailed work by the artist. Detailed and evocative depiction of a Native American elder by Frank Howell...
Laid Paper, Screen
Anatomy Studies - Etching by Nicholas Cochin - 1755
Located in Roma, IT
Anatomy Studies is an etching realized by Nicholas Cochin in 1755. Good conditions with slight foxing. Signed in the plate. The artwork is depicted through confident strokes. The...
Etching
Salvador Dali - Don Quichotte
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Salvador Dali - Don Quichotte - Original Lithograph Joseph FORET, Paris, 1957 PRINTER : Atelier Mourlot. SIGNATURE : printed signature in the plate LIMI...
Lithograph
$19,200Sale Price|20% Off
LE PROPHETE (MOURLOT 713)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Aventura, FL
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper. Hand signed and numbered by Marc Chagall. Mourlot 713. Edition 41/50. Image size 27.25 x 21 inches. Sheet size 32 x 24.25 inches. Frame ...
Paper, Lithograph
$450
FUJI UNDER SIEGE Signed Lithograph, Mini Landscape, Snow Capped Mountain, Duster
Located in Union City, NJ
FUJI UNDER SIEGE is a hand drawn, limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archiva...
Lithograph
Théo Tobiasse - Jerusalem Inside - Original Lithograph with Collage
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Théo Tobiasse Title: Jerusalem roule le long de ma gorge Signed and Numbered Dimensions: 57 x 76 cm Information : Edition of 175 Condition : Excellent
Lithograph
Historical Document - Hunter Thompson
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Ralph Steadman Title: Historical Document - Hunter Thompson Medium: One color silkscreen on White Rising Stonehenge Deckle Edge Paper Size: 13 x 22 Inches Edition: of 300 Ye...
Silk, Screen
Magic of an opera. Limited edition print Surreal Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Giclee limited edition print by worldwidely established Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. Figurative surrealistic print presentic an intricate scene on a lake with swans, pegasuses, ball...
Paper, Color
Jean Cocteau - Poets - Original Lithograph
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Original Lithograph by Jean Cocteau Title: Poets Signed in the plate Dimensions: 50 x 35 cm Jean Cocteau Writer, artist and film director Jean Cocteau was one of the most influenti...
Lithograph
Pablo Picasso "Portrait de Jacqueline"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) "Portrait de Jacqueline" 1959 (Baer 1245; Bloch 923) ...
Linocut
Salvador Dali - Argus - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Salvador Dali - Argus - from "Mythologie" Original Etching Dimensions: 76 x 56 cm 1962 Editor: Pierre Argillet Edition: /150 Handsigned and numbered On Arches Paper References : Fiel...
Etching
Portrait d'Emily Bronte, Surrealist Lithograph by Andre Masson
By André Masson
Located in Long Island City, NY
Andre Masson, French (1896–1987) Date: 1946 Color Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition, 15/30 Image Size: 7.5 x 5 inches Size: 13 x 9.75 in. (33.02 x 24.77 cm) Printer: ...
Lithograph
Portrait de Marguerite - Etching - 1960s
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
Salvador Dali - Flung out like - Original Signed Engraving
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Salvador Dali - Flung out like a Fag-end by the Big- - Original Signed Engraving Handsigned in pencil and Numbered Edition: F195/195 - Printer: Atelier Rigal. - Paper: Rives vellum ...
Etching
Art Deco Embossed Serigraph Print by Erte, 1991, Boudoir
By Erté
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Erté Title: Boudoir Medium: Embossed serigraph Year: 1991 Edition: 290/300 Sheet Size: 41 3/4" x 29 1/4" Image Size: 35 1/4" x 23 1/4" Signature: Stamped signature
Screen
Winter - 21st century, Figurative Surrealist print
Located in Warsaw, PL
The work comes directly from the artist, is numbered out of limited edition of 20, signed and made on sealed paper. RAFAŁ OLBIŃSKI (born in 1943) He graduated from the Faculty of Ar...
Paper, Color
$4,595
Salvador Dali Color Lithograph, Signed, 1972, Twelve Apostles, The Watcher
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: The Watcher (Knights of the Realm) Portfolio: 1972 The Twelve Apostles (Knights of the Round Table) Medium: Lithograph Year: 1972 Edition: 37/350 Frame S...
Lithograph
$388
DEARDORFF Signed Mini Lithograph, Still Life, Retro Camera with Inverted Image
Located in Union City, NJ
DEARDORFF is a hand drawn limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniqu...
Lithograph
$4,000
Salvador Dali Poseidon ( Neptune ) rare original lithograph poster 1980
Located in Paonia, CO
Poseidon ( Neptune ) is a rare Salvador Dali original lithographic poster published by Arte, Paris 1980 for the exhibition of his suite ” The Mythology ” . This series has 16 i...
Lithograph
LE CHEVALET AUX FLEURS (MOURLOT 838)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed and numbered by the artist. Lithograph in colors on wove paper. Mourlot 838. Sheet size 30.25 x 20 inches. Image size 22.5 x 14.75 inches. Frame size approx 36.5 x 26.5 inches. Edition 34/50. Artwork is in excellent condition. All reasonable offers will be considered. About the Artist: Marc Chagall (French/Russian, 1887–1985) was an artist whose work anticipated the dream-like imagery of Surrealism. Over the course of his career, Chagall developed the poetic, amorphous, and deeply personal visual language evident in paintings like I and the Village...
Paper, Lithograph
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 ...
Etching
Leonor Fini, Rogomelec (rare print on paper)
By Leonor Fini
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Leonor Fini, Rogomelec (rare original print on Rives paper) Texte : Rare lithograph on Rives paper, handsigned and numered by surrealist artist Leonor Fini, now rediscovered and inscreasingly esteemed with the movement of rediscovering art by women. Leonor Fini was actually the life of the party during the Surrealist movement like Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Jacqueline Lamba and Claude Lalanne. Many consider her to be the most fiercely independent female artist of the 20th centuryThis rare lithograph was made after the painting untitled Rogomelec, which was sold by Christie's on october 9th 2024 at GBP 907,200. Created in 1978, Rogomelec is an arresting example of Leonor Fini’s fantastical visions. Within a barren land stands a king dressed in an elaborate coat of peacock feathers. Light glints off his dazzling crown. He is magisterial, imperious, royalty incarnated. The painting shares its title with that of Fini’s third novella, first published in 1979; Rogomelec means ‘he who stones the king’. Written in the first person, the story tells of a traveller in a faraway land, home to a decaying monastery-turned-sanatorium, where monks proffer hallucinatory herbal cures, and culminates in an unsettling discovery during a ritual celebration of the king, the subject of the present work. Born in Buenos Aires, Fini moved to Trieste as a young child. There, she developed an early interest in Renaissance and Mannerist art – the latter’s influence is evident in the elongated figure of Rogomelec – as well as Gustav Klimt, the Pre-Raphaelites, and the German and French Romantics, artists she discovered while riffling through her uncle’s extensive library. Largely self-taught, she moved to Paris in 1931 where she befriended René Magritte, Paul Éluard, Max Ernst, and Victor Brauner. Through them, Fini grew close with the Surrealists and participated in their exhibitions, including Peggy Guggenheim’s landmark show 31 Women at her eponymous gallery on West 57 Street in New York. Like her contemporaries, Fini’s paintings too seem wrenched from a dream and across her works she sought to reconcile the world that she experienced with that of her subconscious mind. In Rogomelec, the king’s clothing is meticulous, and the drama of the ensemble was likely influenced by Fini’s work outside the studio. She created sets and costumes for the ballet, stage, and film; collaborated on performances for the Paris Opéra and La Scala in Milan; and conceived of the bottle and packaging for Elsa Schiaparelli’s perfume...
Paper
Salvador Dali - Don Quixote Overwhelmed - Original Lithograph
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Salvador Dali - Don Quixote Overwhelmed - Original Lithograph Joseph FORET, Paris, 1957 PRINTER : Manequin SIGNATURE : plate signed by Dali. LIMITED : Total edition of 233 SIZE : 41...
Lithograph
$3,895
Salvador Dali Color Lithograph, Signed, 1972, Twelve Apostles, Jude (Excalibur)
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Jude (Excalibur) Portfolio: 1972 The Twelve Apostles (Knights of the Round Table) Medium: Lithograph Year: 1972 Edition: 38/350 Frame Size: 29 7/8" x 26 ...
Lithograph
ICY SLICE Signed Lithograph, Mini Landscape, Iceberg, Giant Saw
Located in Union City, NJ
ICY SLICE is a hand drawn, limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archival Arche...
Lithograph
Jean Cocteau - Actress - Original Lithograph
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Original Lithograph by Jean Cocteau Title: Actress Signed in the plate Dimensions: 65 x 44 cm Jean Cocteau Writer, artist and film director Jean Cocteau was one of the most influen...
Lithograph
$316Sale Price|20% Off
MONT SAINT-MICHEL Signed Mini Lithograph, Iconic Landmark Normandy France
Located in Union City, NJ
MONT SAINT-MICHEL is a hand drawn, limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archiv...
Lithograph
PONT NEUF Signed Lithograph, Surreal Landscape, Historic Bridge Paris France
Located in Union City, NJ
PONT NEUF is a hand drawn, limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archival Arche...
Lithograph
Hunter S. Thompson in Straight Jacket
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Ralph Steadman Title: Hunter S. Thompson in Straight Jacket Medium: One color silkscreen on White Rising Stonehenge Deckle Edge Paper Size: 22 x 30 Inches Edition: of 250 Ye...
Silk, Screen
$625Sale Price|50% Off
IMPERIAL COLUMNS (MIRO CHAGALL)
By Ferjo, Fernando de Jesus Oliveira
Located in Aventura, FL
Giclee on canvas. Hand signed and numbered by the artist. AP edition. Canvas is not stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authenticity included. All reas...
Canvas, Giclée
"Satan" from "Je Reve" portfolio, Surrealist Lithograph, Signed
By André Masson
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Satan" is an original color lithograph by Andre Masson. This piece is from the "Je Reve" (I Dream) portfolio of 1975. The edition number, written lower left, is H.C. XXV/XXV. The ar...
Lithograph, Paper
Leonor Fini, rare original serigraph on Rives paper, circa 1970
By Leonor Fini
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Rare print handsigned by surrealist artist Leonor Fini, inscreasingly esteemed with the movement of rediscovering art by women. This silkscreen is in perfect condition and from a ver...
Paper
$3,895
Salvador Dali Color Lithograph, Signed, 1972, Twelve Apostles, John (Sparrow-)
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: John (Knights of the Sparrow-Hawk) Portfolio: 1972 The Twelve Apostles (Knights of the Round Table) Medium: Lithograph Year: 1972 Edition: 37/350 Frame S...
Lithograph
$450
SOLO Signed Lithograph, Mini Landscape, White Tree, Green Grass, Yellow Flowers
Located in Union City, NJ
SOLO is a hand drawn, limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archival Arches pri...
Lithograph
$210
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...
Metal
Flapper Embossed Serigraph by Erte, Art Deco Style, 1990, Signed
By Erté
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Erté Title: Flapper Medium: Embossed serigraph Year: 1990 Edition: CCXXII/CCC Sheet Size: 41 3/4" x 29 1/4" Image Size: 35 1/4" x 23 1/4" Signature: Stamped signature
Screen
$72Sale Price|20% Off
Golconde Offset Print, Surrealist Style, Unframed, 27.5x39.5
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Golconde" is a thought-provoking work that embodies Magritte's signature style of surrealism and his exploration of the subconscious and the irrational. It continues to captivate vi...
Offset
$798
ECLIPSE Signed Lithograph, Celestial Portrait, Shrouded Moon, Midnight Blue Sky
Located in Union City, NJ
ECLIPSE is a rarely seen, hand drawn limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on arch...
Lithograph