Surrealist More Art
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.
Artist Comments
A tortoise hangs suspended by a hook, with daisies resting gently on its shell. The composition blends realism and surrealism, inviting reflection on captivit...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Acrylic, Board
1980s Surrealist More Art
Etching
1940s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Photogravure
Artist Comments
A towering stack of pancakes, topped with butter and dripping syrup, balances as a plumb line ensures its perfect level. The precise measurement keeps the foo...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A white chicken with a quirky stack of objects on its head balances on a unicycle. The pile includes a coffee cup, a potted plant, an egg, a toy truck, books,...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1970s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Mixed Media
1930s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Etching
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
An ostrich glides forward on colorful roller skates, balancing a gramophone, books, and an apple on its back. Headphones rest over its ears, and a carrot dang...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1950s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
Inspired by the classical painting, The Birth of Venus, artist Miranda Gamel shows a surrealist portrayal. The subject stands beautifully with long wavy hair and glistening eyes under a turquoise moon...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
"A flower is small, but it is also a world of its own," says artist Guigen Zha. He paints a surreal image of a flower growing from bud to bloom. A parallel metaphor of human life from birth to death plays out in the scene. Guigen displays a peony, a deer, and a human expressing the interconnection and interdependence of all things in a utopian world.
About the Artist
Words that describe this painting: healing, peony, deer, animal, belief, landscape, floral, poetic, oilpaint, flower, surrealism, figure, nude, surrealism, flora, oil painting, green
One Blossom One World...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1950s Surrealist More Art
Etching, Aquatint
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...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1950s Surrealist More Art
Etching
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A colorful little bird watches over her nest perched on a ledge. The white porcelain trays represent cliffs that are fixtures on any nesting island. The asymm...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Watercolor
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Artist Comments
Artist Keith Thomson painted the Flatiron District on Manhattan's West 23rd Street en plein air. One of the most delightful aspect...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A surreal portrait of a jaguar overlaid with a glowing peony. "She moves unapologetically through space, through water, through the land," says artist Miranda...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Artist Comments
A surreal pinball game unfolds as oversized marbles cascade on a fire escape outside an inner city dwelling. The complimentary colors between the building and...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Watercolor
1960s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
A landscape watercolor painted in the realist tradition blends humor with commentary on modern life. The scene reflects on the cost of living and the conditio...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
Artist Guigen Zha presents elements of Chinese cultural relics set upon a surrealist beach. A Tang Sancai, a type of pottery from the Tang Dynasty, sits prominently with its gilded handles. Together on the steps are an embroidered shoe worn by women and a pomegranate flower in full bloom. He paints a snail walking into a mural depicting cultural history. "The piece presents a reminder of the past and how time flies," says Guigen.
About the Artist
Words that describe this painting: healing, landscape, seascape, floral, poetic, cultural relics, surrealism, Dali...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1940s Surrealist More Art
Paper, Photogravure
Artist Comments
"This painting is a part of both my Tarot series and my Power Bison series," shares artist Rachel Srinivasan. "In tarot, the two of swords is about decisions,...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
20th Century Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
Around noon on a Friday, a tiny rider in a pink tutu balances atop a green dinosaur adorned with a yellow daisy. They navigate the ta...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1910s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1930s Surrealist More Art
Handmade Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
A mesmerizing underwater scene comes to life where an enchanting mix of sea creatures, humans, and scuba bunnies coexist in perfect harmony. The submerged wor...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The artwork portrays the Ten of Pentacles card, symbolizing success, financial satisfaction, and the completion of a wealth cycle. White bison figures, repres...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1960s Surrealist More Art
Gold, Bronze
1950s Surrealist More Art
Paper
2010s Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Surrealist More Art
Watercolor, Etching
Artist Comments
Painted in a realist tradition, a hotdog in a bun takes center stage in this modern still life. Artist Dwight Smith enjoys exaggerating the scale of objects t...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Watercolor
1950s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
Artist Guigen Zha paints red lotus flowers under the shining sun. Square blocks of gradient color fill the fragmented scene. He pain...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Rachel Srinivasan reinterprets the pentacles suit adorned with galloping horses on the edges. Rachel uses various tones of green, symbolizing earthly w...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Rachel Srinivasan reinterprets the pentacles suit adorned with galloping horses on the edges. Two white bison heads appear in the middle, their gentle ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
As part of artist Rachel Srinivasan's Rodeo Tarot series, this interpretation of the Seven of Pentacles tarot card uses green to embody the themes of growth, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Dwelling in a space of absolute simplicity, free from endless mental chatter, seems quite appealing. A tiny robot with a die is captivated by what exists befo...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1970s Surrealist More Art
Woodcut
Artist Comments
As part of her Rodeo Tarot series, artist Rachel Srinivasan reinterprets the pentacles suit, adorned with galloping horses on the edges. Four bison heads surr...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
