Surrealist Black and White 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.
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Style: Surrealist
"Imprint" Black
White Nude Photography 16" x 16" in Ed 1/24 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Imprint" Black & White Nude Photography 16" x 16" in Ed 1/24 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Duality" Black
White Nude Photography 39" x 31" in Ed. 1/7 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 the ar...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"W" Black
White Photography 31" x 31" in Edition 3/7 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"W" Black & White Photography 31" x 31" in Edition 3/7 by Olha Stepanian
Printed on Epson Professional Paper
Signed and numbered by the artist
Comes with COA issued by the artist
N...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Black Cloud 3" Nude Photography 49" x 39" in Edition 1/3 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"I Love You Anna" Photography 24" x 16" inch Edition 2/15 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Man Ray, Rayograph, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Rayograph, 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 image exemplifies Man Ray’s pioneering “rayograph” technique—a cameraless photographic process in which objects were placed directly onto photosensitive paper and exposed to light, creating luminous abstract compositions that fused chance, intuition, and surrealist invention. Through this groundbreaking process, Man Ray transformed photography into pure visual poetry, redefining its potential as a form of modern art.
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
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Lithograph
$956 Sale Price
20% Off
"Black Cloud 2" Nude Photography 16" x 16" in Edition of 24 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Black Cloud 2" Nude Photography 24" x 24" in Edition 2/15 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Man Ray, Rayograph, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Rayograph, 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 image exemplifies Man Ray’s pioneering “rayograph” technique—a cameraless photographic process in which objects were placed directly onto photosensitive paper and exposed to light, creating luminous abstract compositions that fused chance, intuition, and surrealist invention. Through this groundbreaking process, Man Ray transformed photography into pure visual poetry, redefining its potential as a form of modern art.
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
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Lithograph
$956 Sale Price
20% Off
Grain by Grain - black and white abstract photography, limited edition of 15
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
"Grain by Grain" is a poetic exploration of identity and transformation, captured in Ugne’s signature monochromatic style. This evocative photograph contemplates the interplay betwee...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Giclée
Hollywood : Mr and Mrs Woodman - Original Handsigned Gelatin Silver Print
By Man Ray
Located in Paris, IDF
Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitsky, called)
Hollywood : Mr and Mrs Woodman, 1970
Original gelatin silver print
Handsigned on the back
Authenticated with the artist stamp "Epreuve originale...
Category
1970s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"Six" Black
White Photography 39" x 39" inch Edition 2/3 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 arti...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
$1,880 Sale Price
20% Off
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Lithograph
$956 Sale Price
20% Off
"Duality" Black
White Nude Photography 49" x 39" in Ed. 1/3 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 the a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"I Love You Anna" Photography 35.5" x 24" inch Edition of 7 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Lithograph
$956 Sale Price
20% Off
"Duality" Black
White Nude Photography 29.5 x 24 in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Duality" Black & White Nude 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 ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Rosemary Ellis Windows XIV Silver Gelatin Photograph Black and White Print
Located in London, GB
Rosemary Ellis
Windows XIV
Original proof photograph for Windows in the Outlooks and Insights series published by Bodley Head, by Rosemary & Charlotte Ellis.
Silver Gelatin Photograp...
Category
1970s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Man Ray, Illustration for the Novel, Aurelien, Electa Editrice, 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Lithograph
$956 Sale Price
20% Off
"Sniffer" Black
White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Pygmalion and Galatea" Photography 16" x 16" in Edition 2/24 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
"Black Cloud 3" Nude Photography 27.5" x 24" in Edition 2/15 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Thirst" Black
White Photography 39" x 31" in Edition 1/7 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Traffic Island, "Wandsworth Roundabout", London, Signed Print - Urban Landscape
Located in London, GB
"Brian Griffin turned the tables on commercial assignment portraiture with a style all his own. When Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979, business was empowered and labor was bel...
Category
2010s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper, Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Phot...
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Him 2
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Him 2
ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT
Artist's Proof (editions sold out)
20 x 30 in. / 50 x 76 cm.
Named one of LensCultures top 50 Emerging Artist, Marjorie Salvaterra’s images
reveal “a f...
Category
2010s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
"Northward" Black
White Photography 31" x 31" in Ed. of 7 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Northward" Black & White Photography 31" x 31" in Ed. of 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
When the Universe has a Bigger Plan for Your Life 2
Located in Los Angeles, CA
When the Universe has a Bigger Plan for Your Life 2
ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT
Edition 2 of 5
20 x 30 in. / 50 x 76 cm.
Named one of LensCultures top 50 Emerging Artist, Marjorie Salva...
Category
2010s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
"Pygmalion and Galatea" Photography 31" x 31" in Edition of 7 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Pygmalion and Galatea" Photography 31" x 31" in Edition of 7 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Man Ray, Preeminence of Matter Over Thought, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Preeminence of Matter Over Thought, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gru...
Category
1980s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Lithograph
$956 Sale Price
20% Off
Rosemary Ellis Cooling Towers Silver Gelatin Photograph Print Surreal electric
Located in London, GB
Rosemary Ellis (1910-1988)
Cooling Towers
Original photography for Pipes and Wires in the Outlooks and Insights series published by Bodley Head, composed by Rosemary & Charlotte Elli...
Category
1970s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"Thirst" Black
White Photography 49" x 39" in Edition 1/3 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Thirst" Black & White 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 art...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
$1,800 Sale Price
20% Off
"Gods at the Beach 2" Photography 39" x 39" in Edition 1/3 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Gods at the Beach 2" Photography 39" 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 arti...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Swimming Suit 2" Figurative Photography 39" x 39" in Ed. 1/3 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Swimming Suit 2" Figurative 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 a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Rosemary Ellis Dam IV Gelatin Silver Photograph Print for book: Pipes and Wires
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of photographs from Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more from this series scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller...
Category
1970s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Rosemary Ellis Windows IV Gelatin Silver Photograph Print Gothic Ruin
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of photographs from Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more from this series scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller...
Category
1970s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Rosemary Ellis Windows XII Silver Gelatin Photograph Mid Century Print
Located in London, GB
Rosemary Ellis (1910-1988)
Windows XII
Original proof photograph for Windows in the Outlooks and Insights series published by Bodley Head, by Rosemary & Charlotte Ellis.
Silver Gelat...
Category
1970s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"Aerial 2" Black
White Photography 39" x 39" in Edition of 3 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Aerial 2" Black
White Photography 39" x 39" in Edition of 3 by Olha Stepanian
Printed on Epson Professional Paper
Signed and numbered by the artist
Comes with COA issued by ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Echoes of Return" Photography 41" x 28" in Edition 1/3 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Echoes of Return" Photography 41" x 28" 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
$1,880 Sale Price
20% Off
"Gods at the Beach 1" Photography 24" x 24" in Edition 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Gods at the Beach 1" Photography 24" x 24" in Edition 1/15 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Man
s World" Photography 27.5" x 20" inch Edition 2/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Man 's World" Photography 27.5" x 20" inch Edition 2/15 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Three of Us" Nude Photography 31" x 31" in Edition 1/7 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Invisibility Hat" Figurative Photography 16" x 16" in Ed 1/24 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Invisibility Hat" Figurative Photography 16" x 16" in Ed 1/24 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Lithograph
$956 Sale Price
20% Off
"Lawless" Black
White Photography 39" x 31" in Ed. 1/7 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Lawless" 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 artist...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
“Your Joy is My Low” Photography 24" x 24" inch Edition of 24 by Brian Ziff
By Brian Ziff
Located in Culver City, CA
“Your Joy is My Low” 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée
HIM
Located in Los Angeles, CA
HIM
ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT
AP PRINT - available (EDITION SOLD OUT)
30x45
Named one of LensCultures top 50 Emerging Artist, Marjorie Salvaterra’s images
reveal “a fine line betwee...
Category
2010s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
"Born" Black
White Photography 24" x 29.5" in Edition 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Born" Black & White Photography 24" x 29.5" in Edition 1/15 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Wet Stone" Black
White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Ed. 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Wet Stone" 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
Not framed. Ships in a tube. ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Untitled, Madrid (Sandals w/ Grass)
By Chema Madoz
Located in Denton, TX
Edition of 15
Signed, dated and numbered.
Chema Madoz is one of the most important contemporary Spanish photographers, who is greatly known for his monochromatic, surreal still-life...
Category
1980s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"Round Horse" Photography 16" x 16" in Edition 1/24 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Round Horse" 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
Not ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Rosemary Ellis Dam VI Surreal Photograph Silver Gelatin Print for Bodley Head
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of photographs from Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more from this series scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller...
Category
1970s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Rosemary Ellis Windows III Gelatin Silver Print for book: Windows
Located in London, GB
From a series of similar photographs by Rosemary Ellis. To see the others, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller" and search for Elli...
Category
1970s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"No Time" Black
White Photography 39" x 39" in Edition 1/3 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"No Time" Black
White Photography 39" x 39" in Edition 1/3 by Olha Stepanian
Printed on Epson Professional Paper
Signed and numbered by the artist
Not framed. Ships in a tub...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
"Jassara – Rue Aubriot, Paris, 1977" exhibition poster
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Helmut Newton (1920-2004) was one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century, known for redefining the way women were portrayed in the fashion industry.
Born in 1920 in Ber...
Category
1980s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Lithograph, Offset
"Thirst" Black
White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Edition 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Thirst" Black & White Photography 29.5" x 24" in Edition 1/15 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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Man Ray, The Studio on 8th Street, New York, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled The Studio on 8th Street, New York, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gru...
Category
1980s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Lithograph
$956 Sale Price
20% Off
Man Ray, Solarized Portrait of Georges Braque, Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Solarized Portrait of Georges Braque, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by G...
Category
1980s Surrealist Black and White Photography
Materials
Lithograph
$956 Sale Price
20% Off
Surrealist black and white photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Surrealist black and white 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. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Rosemary Ellis, Chema Madoz, Brian Ziff, and Alfred Gescheidt. Frequently made by artists working with Silver Gelatin Print, and 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 black and white photography, so small editions measuring 4.5 inches across are also available. Prices for black and white 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 $26,500, while the average work sells for $1,350.