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Surrealist Paintings

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
Untitled (Surrealist rendering of Pyramids at Giza with alligator)
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled (Surrealist rendering of Pyramids at Giza with alligator) watecolor and gouache on paper, 1960 Unsigned Beni Kosh estate stamp No. 717 verso, unsigned. (see photo) Co...
Category

1960s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache

Como Seria - figurative painting, landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful surrealist painting by Mauricio comes rolled in a tube and needs to be stretched when received. In his pieces, Mauricio combines his figurative expertise along with su...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Hope : Between Earth and Heaven" Surrealist Acrylic on Canvas by Eugene Hawkins
Located in Pasadena, CA
In the "Fantasy/Metaphysical" series by American artist Eugene Hawkins, the convergence of surrealism and metaphysics unfolds as an exploration of existential themes common to all. C...
Category

1960s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Surrealist acrylic on board painting surrealism picasso style
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Gustavo Úbeda (1930-1994) - Surrealism - Acrylic panel Acrylic measurements 80x100 cm. Frameless. The painting by Gustavo Úbeda Romero (Herencia, 1930 – Sao Paulo, 1994) comes from ...
Category

1970s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Board

YiJian Wang Surrealist Original Oil Painting "Caprice 3"
Located in New York, NY
Title: Caprice 3 Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 12 x 15 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: This painting is unstretched Year: 2015 Artist: YiJian Wang...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Surreal Composition, Madrid 1939
Located in Buffalo, NY
Oil on board by Spanish artist Mariano Andreu Estany (1888-1976). Amazing quality and fine detail. Excellent original condition. Signed lower left, "Mariano Andreu '39". Image si...
Category

1930s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Untitled
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"Untitled" is a painting by Rodolfo Morales. The painting is signed lower right, "Rodolfo Morales". The framed piece measures 37 3/4 x 39 7/8 x 2 1/4 in. Rodolfo Morales was a Mexican painter...
Category

1980s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Latin American Modern Surreal Painting, 1950
Located in Washington, DC
Wonderful Surreal Latin American painting. Painting is oil on masonite board with original frame. Appears to be unsigned. Condition is excelle...
Category

1950s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

'Story Time', Paris, Salon d'Automne, New York, ASL, Corcoran, PAFA, Art Deco
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower left 'Nura' for Nura Woodson Ulreich (American, 1899–1950). Additionally signed, verso, dated March 1928 with artist's New York City ...
Category

1920s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Illustration Board

Surreal scene Brazil oil on board painting surrealist
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Gustavo Úbeda (1930-1994) - Surrealist scene, Brazil - Oil on panel Oil measures 61x91 cm. Frameless. The painting by Gustavo Úbeda Romero (Herencia, 1930 – Sao Paulo, 1994) comes from a family of painters by aesthetics and by kinship. Brother of the painter Agustín Úbeda and the photographer Ángel...
Category

1970s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Huerta (Thrauco painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Carlos Ortuzar (Chilean, 1932-1985). Estaban Milla es Salvado de las Garras del Huecupor su Companero Lorenzo Huerta, ca. 1964. Oil on paper mounted to cradled masonite panel, 22 x...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

Right by You-original surreal wildlife interior oil painting-contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
In Nathan Neven's captivating masterpiece, "Right by You," the wild comes alive within the confines of an interior setting. Crafted with oil on canvas, this original work brings toge...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Surrealist Gouache and Watercolour on Paper, The Three Graces
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late 20th century surrealist gouache and watercolour on paper of The Three Graces by British artist Derek Carruthers. The painting is signed to the bottom right. An imposing and hig...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Paper, Gouache

Le Voyageur- Original surrealistic floral skyscape painting- modern art
Located in London, Chelsea
"Le Voyageur" by Hallie Packard is a mesmerizing original painting that merges elements of nature with the vast expanse of the cosmos in a surrealistic journey of imagination. With v...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

El Engano - figurative painting, landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful surrealist painting by Mauricio comes rolled in a tube and needs to be stretched when received. In his pieces, Mauricio combines his figurative expertise along with su...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fish, Chips & Jazz-original figurative city-landscape painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
"Fish, Chips and Jazz!" by Therese James invites viewers into a vibrant and animated streetscape filled with the bustling energy of everyday life. Devoid of grass, hills, or trees, i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Artist Palette - Landscape Painting - Oil On Canvas By Marc Zimmerman
Located in Carmel, CA
A verdant tropical scene is the setting for the artists palette. After all its shape and color provide the perfect accent. Artist Palette - Landscape Painting - Oil On Canvas By Mar...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

1960's British Surrealist Oil Painting - 'Pansy Presence' Fantasy Abstract
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Stunning original oil painting by Elvic Steele depicting this surrealist fantasy abstract painting. Elvic Steele is a fascinating English painter. Her works entrance the observer, d...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Portrait of a Horse (Pool with Two Figures)" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Shelli Langdale's "Portrait of a Horse (Pool with Two Figures)" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a white horse standing at the ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

STATE OF PLAY 2024 - Mixed Media Whimsical Surrealism colorful
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
"State of Play" is a wonderful, whimsical surrealist mixed media painting. Acrylic, Corrugated Cardboard, Sakura Markers, Caran d’Ache & Pencil on a Birchwood Panel 17 x 17 inches ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Watercolor, Permanent Marker, Pencil, Wood Panel, Color Pencil

"Tribe" Mother and Children Oil on Canvas Figurative Painting
Located in Lisboa, PT
Mother and Children - Oil on Canvas Figurative Painting, 2023 Artwork on supported wooden frame. Ready to hang. "A tribute to the spiritual and ancestral ties that bind us, with a vibrant undercurrent of shared human emotion. I intended to capture the essence of belongingness and familiar comfort that flows between family and friends, and bonded strangers." Tam Ess...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Vintage American Modernist Abstract Surreal Framed Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted surreal abstract oil painting by Paul Allen Reed (1919 - 2015). Great color and composition. Framed. Signed verso.
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Von Hyin Kolk (American, 1997 - ) Oil On Canvas "99 Sky Girl Ornament"
Located in New York, NY
Title: "99 Sky Girl Ornament" Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 48 x 36 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: Excellent. Year: 2023 Artist: Von Hyin Kolk Signature: S...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Von Hyin Kolk (American, 1997 - ) Oil She Can Sew the Sky Before It Ruptures
Located in New York, NY
Title: "She Can Sew the Sky Before It Ruptures" Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 48 x 36 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: Excellent. Year: 2023 Artist: Von Hyin ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Closing Time" Oil on Canvas Figurative Painting
Located in Lisboa, PT
Closing Time - Oil on Canvas Abstract Figurative Painting 2022 Artwork is on supported wooden frame. Ready to hang. Tam Ess makes oil paintings that explore...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"In A TranceAtlantic Crossing" 2024 - Mixed Media Whimsical Surrealism colorful
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
"In A TranceAtlantic Crossing" is a wonderful, whimsical, surrealist mixed media painting. Acrylic, Sakura Markers, Caran d’Ache & Pencil on a Birchwood Cradled Panel 36 x 30 inches...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Color Pencil, Wood Panel, Pencil, Permanent Marker, Watercolor, Acrylic

Yijian Wang Surrealist Original Oil Painting "Meditate"
Located in New York, NY
Title: Meditate Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 19.5 x 15.75 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: This paint...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Yijian Wang Contemporary Original Oil On Canvas "Let Me Enjoy It 2"
Located in New York, NY
Title: Let Me Enjoy It 2 Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 21 x 13 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: This p...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Roses are Red - Contemporary colourful figurative surrealistic painting
Located in DE
Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

1970's Large French Surrealist Oil Painting Figures on the Beach
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Surrealist composition French School, dated 1975 verso oil on canvas, framed framed: 33.5 x 27 inches canvas: 32 x 25.5 inches inscribed verso provenance: private collection, France ...
Category

1970s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Tramp (pet dog, beagle, troubadour guitare, animal portrait, surrealist painting
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Tramp," by Rudolf Kosow, is a whimsical painting that delights in its surreal juxtaposition of scale and serenity. At the center is a beagle's face, depicted with lifelike detail an...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Sea Creatures" Oil on Canvas Figurative Painting
Located in Lisboa, PT
Sea Creatures - Oil on Canvas Figurative Painting 2022 Artwork is on supported wooden frame. Ready to hang. "This piece is a whisper of whimsy and a bold leap into the fantastical, destined to infuse any space with a surge of creative spirit and the thrill of the unknown and absurd." Tam Ess...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fashion Essentials I - Contemporary colourful surrealistic painting
Located in DE
Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Equestrian Style and Decor II - Contemporary surrealistic horse painting
Located in DE
Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wonderers (coyote, ukulele, man, nature, animal portrait, surrealist painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Wanderers" by Rudolf Kosow is an evocative painting that captures the kindred spirit of the traveler and the wild. A coyote, poised and attentive, gazes upward, its fur rendered wit...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Tense (pet dog, bulldog, baseball, animal portrait art, surrealist oil painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Tense," a thought-provoking piece by Rudolf Kosow, presents a surreal interplay between a colossal bulldog and a diminutive baseball player. The dog's face, detailed with astonishin...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Vintage American Modernist Trompe L'Oeil Surreal Still Life Exhibited Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Amazing American modernist still life oil painting by Adrian Martinez (Born 1949) . Oil on canvas. Exhibited.
Category

1960s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Parting (pet dog, bulldog, cowboy, animal portrait art, surrealist oil painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Parting," a surrealistic painting by Rudolf Kosow, masterfully employs scale to create a poignant narrative of farewell. The canvas is dominated by the face of a bulldog, each hair ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hungry (pet dog, pug snout, cooking lady, animal art, surrealist oil painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Hungry" is a captivating painting by Rudolf Kosow that beautifully illustrates a moment of connection between a gargantuan, doleful-eyed bulldog and a diminutive woman. The dog’s fa...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Late 20th Century Surrealist Gouache on Paper. 'Stones'.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late 20th century surrealist gouache and watercolour on paper by British artist Derek Carruthers. SIgned in the bottom right and dated September 1985 ...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Watercolor, Paper

Cleaning Day (dog, snout, pug, lady, vintage, animal, surrealist oil painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Cleaning Day" by Rudolf Kosow offers a playful twist on the ordinary, infusing a routine activity with a sense of wonder. In this striking painting, a magnified pug’s face, with eve...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Moody (black dog, hat man, green vintage suit, animal, surrealist oil painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
In "Moody," the painter Rudolf Kosow presents a composition that captivates with its emotional depth and surreal creativity. The subject, a soulful canine with eyes that gleam with a...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Spring III - Contemporary colourful figurative surrealistic painting
Located in DE
Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Twenty Shades of Sunlight - Contemporary colourful surrealistic painting
Located in DE
Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Algun Dia - figurative painting, landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful surrealist painting by Mauricio comes rolled in a tube and needs to be stretched when received. In his pieces, Mauricio combines his figurative expertise along with su...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Magic (red fox, lady, foxy lady, vintage dress, animal, surrealist oil painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
In "Magic," Rudolf Kosow weaves a scene of serene enchantment, where the wild and the gentle collide in quiet companionship. Central to the painting is a red fox, its fur a vibrant f...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Changes" Oil on Canvas Figurative Painting
Located in Lisboa, PT
"Changes" Oil on Canvas Figurative Painting 2023 Artwork is on supported wooden frame. Ready to hang. Tam Ess makes oil paintings that explore the subconsciou...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Magic Realism Figurative Artwork, "Lost in Woods" by Evgeniya Golik
Located in San Diego, CA
A 16” x 20” x 1.25" Magic Realism Figurative Artwork by artist Evgeniya Golik. The artist uses Acrylic on Canvas. A certificate of authenticity will accompany the piece upon its purc...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Hopeful (black labrador, dog pet, woman, vintage, animal, surrealist painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
In this moving piece by Rudolf Kosow, the canvas captures a tender and intimate moment between species. The focus is a deeply expressive black dog, portrayed with a level of detail t...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Candido Ballester.30 surreal. black. face. acrylic painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Personaje original surrealist acrylic painting Cándido Ballester is a contemporary Mallorcan painter who was born in 1926. As a child he had to emigrate to Argentina. In the 60's he ...
Category

1980s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Cardboard

Traveller On A horse - Oil on Canvas Figurative Painting
Located in Lisboa, PT
Traveller On A horse - Oil on Canvas Figurative Painting, 2023 Artwork is on supported wooden frame. Ready to hang. Tam Ess makes oil paintings that explore t...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Acecho
By Gonzalo Morales
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Oil on Canvas, Signed Dated 2013 14 x 18 Inches
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Cuddly (black old dog, snout, lady, vintage, animal, surrealist oil painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Cuddly," a charming painting by Rudolf Kosow, depicts a tender and affectionate moment between a dog and its human companion. The dog’s face, with soulful eyes and a furrowed brow, ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Curious (black old dog, snout, lady, vintage, animal, surrealist oil painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Curious," by Rudolf Kosow, is an engaging portrayal of inquisitiveness and wonder, bridging the natural world and humanity. Dominating the scene is a giant bulldog, its face a tapes...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cuddly Snout (dog, snout, nose, lady, vintage, animal, surrealist oil painting)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Cuddly Snout" by Rudolf Kosow is a stirring piece that captures the tender relationship between a human and an animal, portrayed through the striking close-up of a pet dog's snout, ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Peaceable Kingdom with Boston Terrier surrealist painting
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Surrealist painting based on Edward Hicks painting, Peaceable Kingdom. Oil on wood panel, 14 x 20 inches. Signed Sovjani, 1970. Most remarkable about the image is the appearance of...
Category

1970s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Defender (dog, hunter, pet black Lab, man, animal, surrealist painting, american
Located in Quebec, Quebec
This poignant painting by Rudolf Kosow presents us with a remarkable visual allegory rich with surrealistic influences. The canvas is occupied by a colossal, detailed black labrador ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Candido Ballester.41 Personale original surrealist mixed media painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Personale original contemporary mixed media painting. Cándido Ballester is a contemporary Mallorcan painter who was born in 1926. As a child he had to emigrate to Argentina. In the ...
Category

1980s Surrealist Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Cardboard

Surrealist paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Surrealist paintings 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 paintings 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, green and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Elvic Steele, Rudolf Kosow, Isabel Rock, and Henry David Potwin. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 2 inches across are also available. Prices for paintings 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 $400,000, while the average work sells for $2,999.

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