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.
Soft Cityscape - Abstract Architectural Landscape Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Acrylic
A Dream Within a Dream Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Artwork Title: A Dream Within a Dream Medium: Original Oil on Linen Dimensions: 48" x 36" x 1" inch, ( 122 x 91 x 3 cm) Year: 2026 ...
Oil, Canvas
Along the Way
Located in Zofingen, AG
"I am interested in the movement that arises from our interaction with the world around us: how we change under the influence of encounters and circumstances, seek direction, and lea...
Canvas, Acrylic
Courtside Blooms, Knicks - Floral Sports Inspired Still Life Mixed Media Collage
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a colorful artist who lives and paints in Sweden. Most of her works are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Bernhardsson travels the world...
Paper, Mixed Media
May-December, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
On a first date, an intimate dinner conversation unfolds between an elegant young woman and a somewhat older companion. They share a love of Italian reds, Shake...
Oil
I'm okay
Located in Zofingen, AG
Sometimes, fear and a sense of security, tension and calm, the desire to hide and the desire to stay in the open all exist within me at the same time. They aren’t necessarily contrad...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Old Man Singing", Surrealist Portrait, Red, Green, Collage, Acrylic Painting
By John Baker
Located in Franklin, MA
John Baker's "Old Man Singing" is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 28 1/4 x 18 1/4 inches in reds and greens, with yellow and white. The singer's song appears to be heartfe...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$7,000
Between Dreams and Reality Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Title: Between Dreams and Reality Medium: Original Oil on Linen Dimensions: 40" x 40" x 1" inch, ( 100 x 100 x 3 cm) Year: ...
Canvas, Oil
Surrealist Collection, Abstract Figurative Body, Surreal Icons in Primary Tones
Located in Barcelona, ES
Details: Title: Surrealist Collection Medium: Acrylic Painting on Watercolor Paper Size: 100x 70 cm (40x 28 inches). Year: 2026 Artist: Alberto de Blobs Artist's signature: Right co...
Paper, Acrylic
$1,354Sale Price|25% Off
Spanish Surrealist Oil Painting with Cosmic Egg and Mythological Figures
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Spanish Surrealist Oil Painting with Cosmic Egg and Mythological Figures Francesc Vilaplana Spanish / Catalan, born 1945 Oil on canvas Dated 1974 92 × 73 cm / 36.2 × 28.7 in Unframe...
Oil
$3,954Sale Price|41% Off
Surreal Abstract Mineral Landscape with Cadaqués Rock Forms Oil Canvas Painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Surreal Abstract Mineral Landscape with Cadaqués Rock Forms Artist: Antoni Pitxot i Soler Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 41 × 33 cm / 16.1 × 13 in Signature: Signed lower right D...
Oil
Wild Blossoms 1 - Original Abstract Botanical Still Life Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,708Sale Price|40% Off
Surrealist Mineral Still Life with Dalinian Organic Forms and Textured Surface
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Surrealist Mineral Still Life with Dalinian Organic Forms and Textured Surface Artist: Antoni Pitxot Soler (Figueres, 1934 – Barcelona, 2015) Title: Surrealist Mineral Still Life wi...
Oil
Rune Andersson's The Hands A Remarkable Swedish Conversation Piece
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rune Andersson (1936– ) Sweden Händerna (The Hands), 1968 signed and dated a tergo oil on panel and relief framed approximately 66 × 57 cm (26 × 22.4 in) Provenance: Private colle...
Plaster, Oil, Board
House on a Hill 2 - Abstract Colorful Architectural Landscape Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Paradise Flowers - Colorful Floral Still Life Collage Mixed Media Art on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a Swedish artist whose textured watercolor and collage artworks bring together bold color, geometric structure, and layered visual textures. Florals, foliage...
Paper, Mixed Media
$1,807Sale Price|36% Off
Surreal Anthropomorphic Interior, Dalí Circle Cadaqués Spanish Oil Painting art
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Surreal Anthropomorphic Interior, Dalí Circle Cadaqués Spanish Oil Painting Artist: Antoni Pitxot Technique: Oil on cardboard Date: 1996 Signature: Signed “Pitxot 96” lower left Ins...
Oil
Passing Clouds - Colorful Whimsical Figurative Feminine Fantasy Artwork on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Italian painter Silvia Pavarini is known for her distinctly feminine artworks that resonate with the quiet whispers of nature. Each piece she creates embodies an ongoing dialogue wit...
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil
The Colors of Los Angeles - Large Abstract City Landscape Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Acrylic
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...
Canvas, Oil
Isotopic Matriculation
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Isotopic Matriculation, c. late 1940s, mixed media on Masonite, signed lower right, 15 x 18 inches, label verso reads: "Isotopic Matriculation / Ed Cowley / Price $25", presented in ...
Masonite, Mixed Media, Oil
Wild Blossoms 2 - Original Abstract Botanical Still Life Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Woman with Butterfly, Surrealist Landscape painting
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Luis Lara (20th-century, Mexican) Woman with Butterfly — Surrealist Composition ca. 1960. Pen and ink with watercolor on paper, 12.5 x 16 inches. Framed measurement: 16.5 x 18 in...
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
Lilies in Chinoiserie Style, Aesthetics and Symbolism
Located in Oslo, NO
This work employs mixed techniques of acrylic and watercolor pencils, giving it a unique expressiveness. The dimensions of the painting are 41.5 by 29.5 cm. The composition focuses o...
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil
$1,880Sale Price|20% Off
Harvest is Ready - 21st Century, Contemporary, Surrealism, African Nature, Child
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
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...
Canvas, Oil
Sunflowers and poppies. Glitch
Located in Zofingen, AG
Decorative wall panel / three-dimensional artwork / wall sculpture. This vibrant decorative artwork combines the traditions of mosaic still-life painting with the aesthetics of digi...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Cardboard
Beaujolais - Abstract Muted Tone Architectural Still Life Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Star-Crossed, Oil Painting
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...
Oil
The Sad Clown, Figurative Surrealism, Original oil Painting, Handmade artwork
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: 2018 Style: Figurative Surrealism, ...
Canvas, Oil
Goldfish by Igor Maikov. 2024. Oil on canvas. 70x90 cm. Signed
By Igor Maikov
Located in Riga, LV
Igor Maikov (1966) Education: 1981 - 1984 The Art Academy of Latvia 1973 - 1983 Salaspils Primary and Secondary School Exhibitions: 1994 - Group Exhibition «Rol-Art», Latvia ...
Canvas, Oil
Mid Century Mexican Surrealist Painting - Landscape with Arches, Signed
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid Century Mexican Surrealist Painting - Landscape with Arches, Signed Intriguing mid-century surrealist painting by Mexican artist Jose Arciga (20th Century.) Two flat green arche...
Canvas, Oil, Board
Mystery of the golden fields
Located in Zofingen, AG
What if, one day, the idyllic landscape of the Tuscan countryside became the setting for an extraordinary event? Among golden hills, vineyards, and endless flowering fields, where a ...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Cardboard
Sacrament
Located in Zofingen, AG
Wholeness arises when the parts of the inner world stop fighting for the right to be the only one, come to an agreement, and act in unison, supporting one another. It does not try to...
Canvas, Acrylic
$345
Exotic - Original Abstract Colorful Whimsical Figurative Feminine Art on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Italian painter Silvia Pavarini is known for her distinctly feminine artworks that resonate with the quiet whispers of nature. Each piece she creates embodies an ongoing dialogue wit...
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil
$4,988Sale Price|28% 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 ...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
$1,518Sale Price|25% Off
Nudist Woman Surrealist Oil Painting, Signed, Mid-20th Century
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Nudist Women, Signed Oil Painting By French artist Claude Benard, (1926 - 2016) Signed by the artist on the lower left hand corner, Oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 32 x...
Oil
"The Boss", Surrealist Landscape, Tiger, Orange, Blue, Pink, Oil Painting
Located in Franklin, MA
Anita Zotkina’s “The Boss” is a 14 x 11 x 0.7 inch oil painting on canvas, created in 2026. This surrealist work features a tiger overlooking a mountainous landscape. Its richly patt...
Canvas, Oil
$3,400Sale Price|20% Off
Pillar of Strength 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Woman, African
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Pillar of Strength” is a powerful fabric collage that celebrates the inner resilience, dignity, and grace of the African woman. Constructed with richly patterned textiles and bold, v...
Fabric, Canvas
Walk along Lupie street 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: Portrait Surrealism, T...
Canvas, Oil
$1,777Sale Price|28% Off
Held Inside a Shaft of Light (Window, Skyscape, Warm, Dreamy, ~29% OFF)
By Annieo Klaas
Located in Kansas City, MO
Annieo Klaas Held Inside a Shaft of Light 2023 Oil on Canvas 40 x 30 inches (101.6 x 30.48 cm) Signed lower right COA provided *On stretcher frame - gallery wrapped - ready to hang ...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
"The Post-Truth Era IX", Surrealist Portrait, Brown, Collage, Acrylic Painting
By John Baker
Located in Franklin, MA
John Baker’s “The Post-Truth Era IX” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 13 7/8 x 11 inches in greys and browns with red highlights. In the post-truth era straightforward, ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Spheres and Cubes - Geometric Surrealist Landscape in Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Spheres and Cubes - Geometric Surrealist Landscape in Acrylic on Canvas Bright and lively surrealist landscape by Randy Dunham (American, b. 1961). Six spheres float above a minimalist landscape with mountains and a body of still water. Some of the spheres are transparent and others are opaque, with three cubes partially obscuring the transparent ones. There are streams of water hitting the shapes and splashing into the body of water below. Signed and dated "Randy Dunham © Nov 04" in the lower left corner. No frame. Canvas size: 36"H x 48"W Randy Dunham (American, b. 1961) was born in Troy New York...
Canvas, Acrylic
Island. Full Moon, Oil Painting
By Guigen Zha
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The surrealist portrait painting depicts a pale-faced woman gazing into the distance. Flowers and bare branches adorn her hair. A bright blue sky and a full moo...
Oil
Saturn Over Titan Tower, UT, by Astronomical Artist Joe Bergeron
Located in New York, NY
Joe Bergeron (American) Saturn From Titan, 1980 Oil on canvas Framed: 40 x 30 x 1 1/2 in. Signed lower right: Bergeron 80 Inscribed verso Joe Bergeron grew up in the twin hamlets of Endicott and Endwell in upstate New York. As a boy he taught himself the constellations using a cardboard star wheel, watching in awe as stars he had never before identified rose according to prediction. Later he began a more thorough examination of the heavens using various small telescopes. A devoted hiker, Joe prowled his surroundings at all hours of the day and night, often discovering semi-abandoned sites of human activity which his imagination invested with the mystery of ancient ruins. Joe was known as a "class artist" in high school, mostly by virtue of superhero drawings done in ballpoint pen. His early efforts at painting were clumsy at best and disastrous at worst, leading him to be intimidated by the brush. Finally, called upon to produce planetarium shows during a summer job, Joe taught himself to paint so he could create visuals for the shows. Soon he was selling paintings and drawings at science fiction art...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,025Sale Price|20% Off
Île Saint-Louis - River Seine Paris France Surrealist Oil on Board Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
* No US duty or taxes to pay on this item * A very beautiful signed and dated 1972 oil on board depicting a surrealist view of the Île Saint-Louis in Paris at sunset. Striking and ...
Oil, Board
"Krachmacher I" - Contemporary Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
Andreas Claussen (b. 1988, Hanover, Germany) is a pioneering oil painter whose journey from law studies to the art world underscores his deep-seated passion for visual storytelling. ...
Canvas, Oil
Dancing Lovers
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've blended abstract, figurative, and surreal elements to capture the fluid motion and raw emotion of an intimate dance. The intertwining forms, awash in shade...
Oil
$755
Animal Painting Surrealist Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ artist Birds Circle Life
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. Hugely inspired by Paula Rego, Isabel Rock is part of a formidable group of women artists (Leonora Carrington and Eileen Agar amongst others) working with Surrealism. In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams...
Paint, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Pen
A Unique, Modern Surrealist Beach Scene, Bathers, Hyde Park, Chicago
Located in Chicago, IL
A Unique, Visually Striking, Surrealist Mid-Century Modern Abstract Beach Scene by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting an abstracted female bathers stan...
Oil, Canvas, Board
$8,500
1970 Mod Surrealist Painting Collage David Hare Abstract Landscape Summer Land
By David Hare
Located in Surfside, FL
David Hare Summer Land, 1970 Acrylic or oil paint and collage on board Dimensions: 26 X 36 inches. Framed measuring 29 x 38 inches. Hand signed, dated and titled on tape to verso 'S...
Acrylic, Board
"The Post-Truth Era V", Surrealist Portrait, Brown, Collage, Acrylic Painting
By John Baker
Located in Franklin, MA
John Baker’s “The Post-Truth Era V “ is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 20 x 16 inches in blues, whites, tans and browns. In our post-truth era it is next to impossible to...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Resistance of the earth
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting belongs to the series of paintings "Blue." Long before 2022, a process of spiritual transformation took place in my life, in particular, a rethinking of the feminine pr...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
$723Sale Price|20% Off
Fluorescent Surreal Landscape Acrylic Painting on Canvas and Cardboard
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Fluorescent surreal landscape painting by French artist Nico Pearleyes, created in acrylic with a satin varnish on canvas mounted on cardboard. Rounded hills, suspended organic forms...
Acrylic, Canvas, Varnish, Cardboard
Meeting Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Artwork Title: Meeting Medium: Original Oil on Linen Dimensions: 36" x 47" x 1" (91 x 120 x 3 cm) Year: 2012 Unframed, Stretched o...
Canvas, Oil
Morning Grid - Abstract Colorful Architectural City Landscape Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,425
The Skyline is Blue - Abstract Architectural Landscape Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Muse Woman Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Artwork Title: Muse Medium: Original Oil on Linen Dimensions: 31" x 23.5" x 0.8" ( 79 x 60 x 2 cm) Year: 2026 Unframed, Stretched o...
Canvas, Oil
$541Sale Price|20% Off
Alegoría al Fútbol club Barcelona - Óleo sobre tela
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada en la parte inferior y fechada del año 1981 Se presenta enmarcada (leves signos de uso en la enmarcación) Medidas de la obra: 92 x 73 cm. Medidas del marco: 103...
Oil
Pippin Bumble's Favorite Time of Day, Oil Painting
By Diane Flick
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A robot elephant balances an heirloom tomato and a pot of daisy flower on its head. This is artist Diane Flick's first painting using AI-generated reference p...
Oil