Skip to main content

Surrealist Photography

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.

to
56
252
114
111
101
144
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
1
184
539
4
1
5
3
98
31
20
42,254
18,358
3,361
2,831
1,306
850
276
222
115
112
91
43
26
364
188
170
271
157
82
73
61
55
55
40
37
36
34
27
27
27
27
26
25
25
24
23
390
268
255
156
112
199
117
87
48
40
38
80
435
287
Style: Surrealist
"Three of Us" Nude Photography 16" x 16" in Edition 1/24 by Olha Stepanian

"Three of Us" Nude Photography 16" x 16" in Edition 1/24 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Three of Us" Nude Photography 16" x 16" in Edition 1/24 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the artist...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

“Working an Angle” Photography 36" x 24" inch Edition of 1/7 by Brian Ziff

“Working an Angle” Photography 36" x 24" inch Edition of 1/7 by Brian Ziff

By Brian Ziff

Located in Culver City, CA

“Working an Angle” Photography 36" x 24" inch Edition of 1/7 by Brian Ziff Giclee (Archival Ink) Print on Canson Platine Fibre Rag Not framed. Signed and numbered by the artist Com...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

Bon Fire Night Circle - In Celebration of Pride Month
Bon Fire Night Circle - In Celebration of Pride Month

Bon Fire Night Circle - In Celebration of Pride Month

Located in New Orleans, LA

Stone and Press Gallery is excited to offer several works in celebration of the LGBTQ community. Thirteen nude men form a circle in the desert. Arms bent over their faces set the symbol in a circular motion. This is number 1 from a limited edition of 12. The work is signed on the back. London-based Photographer and Graphic designer Omer Ga...

Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

C Print

"Six" Black & White Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition 4/15 by Olha Stepanian
"Six" Black & White Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition 4/15 by Olha Stepanian

"Six" Black & White Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition 4/15 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Six" Black & White Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition 4/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the art...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Music is Eternal" Black & White Photography 16x16 in Ed of 24 by Olha Stepanian
"Music is Eternal" Black & White Photography 16x16 in Ed of 24 by Olha Stepanian

"Music is Eternal" Black & White Photography 16x16 in Ed of 24 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Music is Eternal" Black & White Photography 16x16 in Ed of 24 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Poet's house.

Poet's house.

By Maggie Taylor

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 Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

"Little Violin" Black & White Photography 39" x 39" in Ed 1/3 by Olha Stepanian

"Little Violin" Black & White Photography 39" x 39" in Ed 1/3 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Little Violin" Black & White Photography 39" x 39" in Ed 1/3 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the ar...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Man Ray, Untitled, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
Man Ray, Untitled, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)

Man Ray, Untitled, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)

By Man Ray

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Untitled, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Mi...

Category

1980s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Lithograph

"Duality" Black & White Nude Photography 39" x 31" in Ed. 1/7 by Olha Stepanian

"Duality" Black & White Nude Photography 39" x 31" in Ed. 1/7 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Duality" Black & White Nude Photography 39" x 31" in Ed. 1/7 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by th...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

“Al Andalus” Nude Photography 30" x 24" inch Edition 2/12 by Brian Ziff
“Al Andalus” Nude Photography 30" x 24" inch Edition 2/12 by Brian Ziff

“Al Andalus” Nude Photography 30" x 24" inch Edition 2/12 by Brian Ziff

By Brian Ziff

Located in Culver City, CA

Al Andalus” Nude Photography 30" x 24" inch Edition 2/12 by Brian Ziff Giclee (Archival Ink) Print on Canson Platine Fibre Rag Not framed. Ships in tube S...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

"Three of Us" Nude Photography 31" x 31" in Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian

"Three of Us" Nude Photography 31" x 31" in Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Three of Us" Nude Photography 31" x 31" in Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the artist ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Flight Risk" illustrative photography, surrealism, paper airplane motif

"Flight Risk" illustrative photography, surrealism, paper airplane motif

By Andrew Pinkham

Located in Philadelphia, PA

This piece titled "Flight Risk" is a limited edition photographic print by Andrew Pinkham and is made from archival pigment on cotton rag. This piece measures 20"h x 20"w unframed an...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Rag Paper, Archival Pigment

"Lawless" Black & White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
"Lawless" Black & White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian

"Lawless" Black & White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Lawless" Black & White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the art...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"I Love You Anna" Photography 24" x 16" inch Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian

"I Love You Anna" Photography 24" x 16" inch Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"I Love You Anna" Photography 24" x 16" inch Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the artis...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

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

TIE Fighter Beatles Large Oversize Pop Art Print Signed Limited Edition

By BATIK

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 Photography

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment

Man Ray, Fashion Photography, Partial Solarization, 1980 (after)
Man Ray, Fashion Photography, Partial Solarization, 1980 (after)

Man Ray, Fashion Photography, Partial Solarization, 1980 (after)

By Man Ray

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Fashion Photography, Partial Solarization, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published...

Category

1980s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Lithograph

"Six" Black & White Photography 31" x 31" inch Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian
"Six" Black & White Photography 31" x 31" inch Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian

"Six" Black & White Photography 31" x 31" inch Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Six" Black & White Photography 31" x 31" inch Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Duality" Black & White Nude Photography 49" x 39" in Ed. 1/3 by Olha Stepanian

"Duality" Black & White Nude Photography 49" x 39" in Ed. 1/3 by Olha Stepanian

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 Comes with COA issued by t...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

A fine romance.

A fine romance.

By Maggie Taylor

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 Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

“Tramp Stamp 2” Nude Photography 24" x 30" inch Edition 1/12 by Brian Ziff
“Tramp Stamp 2” Nude Photography 24" x 30" inch Edition 1/12 by Brian Ziff

“Tramp Stamp 2” Nude Photography 24" x 30" inch Edition 1/12 by Brian Ziff

By Brian Ziff

Located in Culver City, CA

“Tramp Stamp 2” Nude Photography 24" x 30" inch Edition 1/12 by Brian Ziff Giclee (Archival Ink) Print on Canson Platine Fibre Rag Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA s...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

Have a nice day.

Have a nice day.

By Maggie Taylor

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 Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

Prunella and Sylvie
Prunella and Sylvie

Prunella and Sylvie

By Helmut Newton

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Helmut Newton (1920-2004) was one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century, known for his unflinching, heavily eroticized images of women. Born in 1920 in Berlin, Newton’...

Category

1970s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Polaroid

Army Of Caine Large Oversize Pop Art Print Signed Limited Edition
Army Of Caine Large Oversize Pop Art Print Signed Limited Edition

Army Of Caine Large Oversize Pop Art Print Signed Limited Edition

By BATIK

Located in London, GB

Army Of Caine by B A T I K Pop art work featuring multiples of Michael Caine in Get Carter mode - possibly his most iconic movie role. Archival pigment pop art print signed & limi...

Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment

"Wet Stone" Black & White Photography 39" x 31" in Ed. 1/7 by Olha Stepanian
"Wet Stone" Black & White Photography 39" x 31" in Ed. 1/7 by Olha Stepanian

"Wet Stone" Black & White Photography 39" x 31" in Ed. 1/7 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Wet Stone" Black & White Photography 39" x 31" in Ed. 1/7 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Occasion
The Occasion

The Occasion

By Maggie Taylor

Located in Sante Fe, NM

Maggie Taylor's digital creations are emblematic, afterimages that invite, transport and are unforgettable. Taylor's images are built, layer by layer and object by object, through a ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Man Ray, Illustration for the Novel, Aurelien, 1980 (after)
Man Ray, Illustration for the Novel, Aurelien, 1980 (after)

Man Ray, Illustration for the Novel, Aurelien, 1980 (after)

By Man Ray

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Illustration for the Novel, Aurelien, by Louis Aragon, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolio...

Category

1980s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Lithograph

"Black Cloud 2" Nude Photography 24" x 24" in Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian
"Black Cloud 2" Nude Photography 24" x 24" in Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian

"Black Cloud 2" Nude Photography 24" x 24" in Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Black Cloud 2" Nude Photography 24" x 24" in Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the artis...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Black Cloud 3" Nude Photography 49" x 39" in Edition 1/3 by Olha Stepanian
"Black Cloud 3" Nude Photography 49" x 39" in Edition 1/3 by Olha Stepanian

"Black Cloud 3" Nude Photography 49" x 39" in Edition 1/3 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Black Cloud 3" Nude Photography 49" x 39" in Edition 1/3 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the artist...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Milk” Nude Photography 36" x 28" inch Edition of 24 by Brian Ziff

"Milk” Nude Photography 36" x 28" inch Edition of 24 by Brian Ziff

By Brian Ziff

Located in Culver City, CA

"Milk” Nude Photography 36" x 28" inch Edition of 24 by Brian Ziff Giclee (Archival Ink) Print on Canson Platine Fibre Rag Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA signed by...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

"Six" Black & White Photography 39" x 39" inch Edition 2/3 by Olha Stepanian
"Six" Black & White Photography 39" x 39" inch Edition 2/3 by Olha Stepanian

"Six" Black & White Photography 39" x 39" inch Edition 2/3 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Six" Black & White Photography 39" x 39" inch Edition 2/3 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Man Ray, Cover Project for the Album, Photographs 1920–1934, 1980 (after)
Man Ray, Cover Project for the Album, Photographs 1920–1934, 1980 (after)

Man Ray, Cover Project for the Album, Photographs 1920–1934, 1980 (after)

By Man Ray

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Cover Project for the Album, Photographs 1920–1934, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. ...

Category

1980s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Lithograph

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

TIE Fighter Beatles Large Oversize Pop Art Print Signed Limited Edition

By BATIK

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 Photography

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment

Navigation without names.

Navigation without names.

By Maggie Taylor

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 Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

"Black Cloud 2" Nude Photography 16" x 16" in Edition of 24 by Olha Stepanian
"Black Cloud 2" Nude Photography 16" x 16" in Edition of 24 by Olha Stepanian

"Black Cloud 2" Nude Photography 16" x 16" in Edition of 24 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Black Cloud 2" Nude Photography 16" x 16" in Edition of 24 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the arti...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Man Ray, Rayograph to the Skein of Wool, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
Man Ray, Rayograph to the Skein of Wool, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)

Man Ray, Rayograph to the Skein of Wool, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)

By Man Ray

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Rayograph to the Skein of Wool, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano, and printed by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano, 1980. This work exemplifies Man Ray’s invention of the “rayograph,” a cameraless photographic technique in which objects are placed directly on light-sensitive paper and exposed to light. The resulting image, both abstract and tangible, transforms a simple skein of wool into a mysterious interplay of light, form, and shadow. The composition captures the poetic essence of Man Ray’s Surrealist experimentation—an alchemy of chance and precision that fuses everyday materials with pure visual abstraction. Executed as a heliogravure on velin paper, this work measures 15.75 x 11.75 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano. Artwork Details: Artist: After Man Ray (1890–1976) Title: Rayograph to the Skein of Wool Medium: Heliogravure on velin paper Dimensions: 15.75 x 11.75 inches (40.01 x 29.84 cm) Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued Date: 1980 Publisher: Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano Printer: Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios, published and printed by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano, 1980 Notes: Excerpted from the folio (translated from Italian), Limited edition of M examples, drawn in heliogravure on special paper, designed specifically for the Portfolios Electa. Gruppo Editoriale Electra/Milan. Printed in Italy. About the Publication: The Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolio (1980) was published by Gruppo Editoriale Electra in Milan as part of the distinguished Electa Portfolios series, which celebrated the masters of 20th-century photography through the artisanal process of heliogravure printing. This edition was dedicated to Man Ray’s seminal body of photographic work from 1920 to 1934—an era in which he redefined modern image-making through technical invention, surrealist experimentation, and intellectual daring. Produced in collaboration with leading photographic historians and Italian master printers, the portfolio was printed on specially manufactured velin paper designed exclusively for the Electa Portfolios, ensuring tonal precision and textural depth true to the artist’s originals. The publication represents one of the most refined posthumous tributes to Man Ray’s legacy, combining Italian craftsmanship with avant-garde vision to preserve the luminous complexity of his photographs. Created with the same devotion to innovation and elegance that characterized Man Ray’s own practice, this edition remains an important intersection of fine art publishing and modernist history. About the Artist: Man Ray (1890–1976) was an American-born painter, sculptor, photographer, filmmaker, and conceptual visionary whose radical imagination and technical innovation transformed modern art and established him as one of the leading figures of the 20th century. Born Emmanuel Radnitzky in Philadelphia, he became a central force in both the Dada and Surrealist movements, defying artistic boundaries and redefining the relationship between art, technology, and the unconscious. After early involvement in New York’s avant-garde with Francis Picabia and Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray moved to Paris in 1921, where he joined a revolutionary circle of artists including Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, and Marcel Duchamp. There, he pioneered the “rayograph,” or photogram—a cameraless photographic technique that used light and shadow to create ethereal abstract compositions—and produced some of the most iconic images in art history, including Le Violon d’Ingres (1924) and Noire et Blanche (1926). His photography, distinguished by its fusion of elegance, surrealism, and psychological depth, captured the essence of modernist Paris and immortalized creative icons such as Kiki de Montparnasse, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce. At the same time, Man Ray’s experimental films, including Le Retour a la Raison (1923) and L’Etoile de mer (1928), and his sculptural works like The Gift (1921) and Object to Be Destroyed (1923), expanded the possibilities of art itself, transforming ordinary objects into symbols of mystery and desire. His conceptual approach—viewing art as an idea rather than an object—anticipated later movements such as Pop Art, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art, profoundly influencing artists like Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Joseph Beuys, as well as photographers Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, Cindy Sherman, and Richard Avedon. Even in exile during World War II, while working in Los Angeles, he continued to innovate, blending Surrealist fantasy with the luminosity of the California landscape before returning to Paris, where he spent his final decades refining his poetic, intellectual, and sensuous vision. Exhibited in major institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate Modern, and the Centre Pompidou, Man Ray’s work remains foundational to modern art history—bridging painting, photography, film, and sculpture in a body of work that continues to shape the language of visual culture. Standing alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, and Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray endures as one of the most original and influential artists of the modern era. His highest auction record was achieved by Noire et Blanche (1926), which sold for 3.13 million USD at Christie’s, Paris, on November 9, 2017, confirming his status as a timeless innovator whose genius continues to inspire artists, collectors, and dreamers worldwide. Man Ray Rayograph...

Category

1980s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Oggetto Matematico (Mathematical Object )
Oggetto Matematico (Mathematical Object )

Oggetto Matematico (Mathematical Object )

By Man Ray

Located in Wien, 9

Man Ray is considered a representative of Dadaism and Surrealism. He was born in Philadelphia in 1890. Man Ray was active as a painter, object artist, photographer and film director. His art assemblages deal with questions about the unconscious, the apparent and the mythical. What is present behind what is represented or not is Ray's preoccupation in conceiving his experiments with different materials and techniques. He has his first solo exhibition at the Daniel Gallery in New York. Together with Marcel Duchamp he founded the DADA group in New York. In 1921 Ray moved to Paris, where he worked in the Montparnasse environment with artists such as Dalí, Ernst, Matisse, Miró, Mondrian and Tanguy. In 1922 there is a split in Paris between the Dadaists and the Surrealists. Man Ray joins the co-founders of Surrealism. National Socialism, which also showed its effects in Paris in the late 1930s, prompted the Jewish artist to decide to leave the country. After a major appearance at Georges Wildenstein's Beaux-Arts Gallery in Paris in the exhibition "Exposition Internationale du Surrealisme", he fled to New York via Spain and Portugal. After the Second World War, he brought the artistic collection he had left in Paris to the USA. As he could not enjoy the success and prestige in America that he had enjoyed in Paris, he returned to Paris in 1951. In 1958, the artist took part in the exhibition "Dada. Documents of a Movement" at the Kunstverein Düsseldorf and in the large Dada exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. His first major retrospective is shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1966. Man Ray died in Paris in 1976, leaving behind the "Man Ray Trust", a foundation established by his widow. Between 1934-36 Man Ray photographed...

Category

1930s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Star gazer.

Star gazer.

By Maggie Taylor

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 Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

Vintage Silver Gelatin Photograph Surrealist Doll Art Photo, Jazz Photographer
Vintage Silver Gelatin Photograph Surrealist Doll Art Photo, Jazz Photographer

Vintage Silver Gelatin Photograph Surrealist Doll Art Photo, Jazz Photographer

Located in Surfside, FL

These were from a show of her work. Influenced by Surrealism and Dada Photographs these are images of old children's dolls in various states of decay. These bear the influence of Ha...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Sweet Nectar

Sweet Nectar

By Tom Chambers

Located in Sante Fe, NM

I present unspoken stories which illustrate fleeting moments in time and which are intended to evoke a mood in the viewer. These mythical illustrations might address the fragility of...

Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

When there's nobody worth talking to.

When there's nobody worth talking to.

By Maggie Taylor

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 Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

Sheila and the Bridge Girls

Sheila and the Bridge Girls

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Sheila and the Bridge Girls ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT Edition 3 of 5 20 x 30 in. / 50 x 76 cm. Named one of LensCultures top 50 Emerging Artist, Marjorie Salvaterra’s images reveal “a...

Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Black Cat. Green Eyes
Black Cat. Green Eyes

Black Cat. Green Eyes

By Robert Funk

Located in Miami, FL

Besides being mysterious, cats are equally beautiful and unmatched in that regard with anyone else in the animal kingdom. Black Cat. Green Eyes was photogr...

Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Inkjet, Archival Pigment

“Inner Space” Portrait Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition of 24 by Brian Ziff

“Inner Space” Portrait Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition of 24 by Brian Ziff

By Brian Ziff

Located in Culver City, CA

“Inner Space” Portrait Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition of 24 by Brian Ziff Giclee (Archival Ink) Print on Canson Platine Fibre Rag Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA signed by the artist Not framed. Ships in tube. From "Unbearable Lightness...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

"Black Cloud 3" Nude Photography 27.5" x 24" in Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian
"Black Cloud 3" Nude Photography 27.5" x 24" in Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian

"Black Cloud 3" Nude Photography 27.5" x 24" in Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Black Cloud 3" Nude Photography 27.5" x 24" in Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the ar...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"I Love You Anna" Photography 35.5" x 24" inch Edition of 7 by Olha Stepanian
"I Love You Anna" Photography 35.5" x 24" inch Edition of 7 by Olha Stepanian

"I Love You Anna" Photography 35.5" x 24" inch Edition of 7 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"I Love You Anna" Photography 35.5" x 24" inch Edition of 7 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the arti...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Ripple Effect l
Ripple Effect l

Ripple Effect l

By Paul Dempsey

Located in East Hampton, NY

Ripple Effect I Medium: Black & White Photography (printed on metal) Size: 30" x 20" (larger sizes available - inquire within) 16x24 on metal - 20x30 on metal Made to Order Water R...

Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Metal

"Sniffer" Black & White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
"Sniffer" Black & White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian

"Sniffer" Black & White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Sniffer" Black & White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the art...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Her Last Supper

Her Last Supper

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Her Last Supper ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT Edition 12 of 20 20 x 30 in. / 50 x 76 cm. Named one of LensCultures top 50 Emerging Artist, Marjorie Salvaterra’s images reveal “a fine line...

Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

"Pygmalion and Galatea" Photography 16" x 16" in Edition 2/24 by Olha Stepanian
"Pygmalion and Galatea" Photography 16" x 16" in Edition 2/24 by Olha Stepanian

"Pygmalion and Galatea" Photography 16" x 16" in Edition 2/24 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Pygmalion and Galatea" Photography 16" x 16" in Edition 2/24 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Thirst" Black & White Photography 39" x 31" in Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian
"Thirst" Black & White Photography 39" x 31" in Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian

"Thirst" Black & White Photography 39" x 31" in Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Thirst" Black & White Photography 39" x 31" in Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the art...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Peter Saville Vinyl Record Art
Peter Saville Vinyl Record Art

Peter Saville Vinyl Record Art

By Peter Saville

Located in NEW YORK, NY

Peter Saville vinyl record art 2007: Off-set print on vinyl record. Measure: 12 x 12 inches Excellent condition. Published by Visionaire Fashion, 2007; un...

Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Plastic, Offset

“Foreign Bodies” Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition of 24 by Brian Ziff

“Foreign Bodies” Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition of 24 by Brian Ziff

By Brian Ziff

Located in Culver City, CA

“Foreign Bodies” Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition of 24 by Brian Ziff Giclee (Archival Ink) Print on Canson Platine Fibre Rag Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA sig...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

Surrealist photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Surrealist photography 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 photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, red, orange, purple and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Mitchell Funk, Rosemary Ellis, Brian Ziff, and FPA Francis Pavy Artist. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Photographic Paper 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 photography, so small editions measuring 4.5 inches across are also available. Prices for photography 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 $110 and tops out at $28,800, while the average work sells for $1,750.