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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.

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Style: Surrealist
The patient traveler.
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

New moon.
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

The Next Big Adventure
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

Like No One is Watching, limited edition color print, signed and numbered
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Like No One is Watching, limited edition color print, signed and numbered Maggie Taylor's digital creations are emblematic, afterimages that invite, transport, and are unforgettabl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

The Writer
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

Dalí Holding his Walking Stick - Original Gelatin Silver Photography
Located in Paris, IDF
Marc LACROIX (1927-2007) Dalí Holding his Walking Stick, 1971 Original Gelatin Silver photograph Signed in ink Numbered on 99 copies On Gelatin Silver paper 58.5 x 48.5 cm (c. 22.8 ...
Category

1970s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Burn to Shine, limited edition photograph, archival pigment, signed and numbered
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Burn to Shine, limited edition photograph, archival pigment, signed and numbered From Tom Chambers' series Animal Visions All my life I have held a fas...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

The Realist
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

Morning On The Grand Canal, limited edition photograph, archival, signed
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Morning On The Grand Canal, limited edition photograph, archival, signed and numbered I present unspoken stories that illustrate fleeting moments in time and which are intended to...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

The Gamekeeper s Charge, limited edition photograph, archival, signed
Located in Sante Fe, NM
The Gamekeeper's Charge, limited edition photograph, archival, signed and numbered I present unspoken stories that illustrate fleeting moments in time and which are intended to evok...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Steady My Steed, limited edition photograph, archival, signed and numbered
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Steady My Steed, limited edition photograph, archival, signed and numbered I present unspoken stories that illustrate fleeting moments in time and which are intended to evoke a moo...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Tart to the Taste, limited edition photograph, archival, signed and numbered
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Tart to the Taste, limited edition photograph, archival, signed and numbered I present unspoken stories that illustrate fleeting moments in time and which are intended to evoke a m...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Fragment Attraction, limited edition photograph, archival, signed and numbered
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Fragment Attraction, limited edition photograph, archival, signed and numbered I present unspoken stories that illustrate fleeting moments in time and which are intended to evoke a...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Surrealist Doll Composition
By Jerry Peil
Located in Surfside, FL
From the David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Collection The Ruttenbergs are longtime art lovers who have collected abstract expressionist paintings, African art, sculpture, graphics, ol...
Category

20th Century Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Welcome to the Water Planet
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

An American in Italy
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

Man Ray, Joan Miro, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Joan Miro, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, M...
Category

1980s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Ripple Effect lll
Located in East Hampton, NY
Ripple Effect IIl Medium: Photography (printed on metal) Size: 30" x 20" (larger sizes available - inquire within) 16x24 on metal - 20x30 on metal Made to Order Water Ripple Effect...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Metal

Blanco 2, 2010 - Limited Edition Digital Photographic Print on Cotton Paper
Located in Brighton, GB
Blanco 2 is a 30cm x 30cm digital print on 50cm x 50cm cotton paper in a limited edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs. Rosa Basurto is a self-taught photographer from Spain who, within ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Digital

Winter Sun
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

"Inception" Black White Photography 39" x 39" in Ed. 1/3 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Inception" Black White Photography 39" x 39" in Ed. 1/3 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 Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Buffalo Gal
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

Art Deco Pastel Colors, Modern Still Life, Ordinary Objects Display, Purple
Located in Barcelona, ES
"Sexy Miami Futuristic Cocktail Lounge" is a series of photographs by Ryan Rivadeneyra inspired by the Art Deco colors of Miami that show beautiful objects ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

C Print, Photographic Paper

Rosemary Ellis Cooling Towers II Silver Gelatin Print Photograph for Pipes Wires
Located in London, GB
Rosemary Ellis (1910-1988) Cooling Towers II Original photography for Pipes and Wires in the Outlooks and Insights series published by Bodley Head, composed by Rosemary & Charlotte E...
Category

1970s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

“Emergence 1” (FRAMED) Photography 24" x 36" inch Edition 1/7 by Brian Ziff
Located in Culver City, CA
“Emergence 1” (FRAMED) Photography 24" x 36" inch Edition 1/7 by Brian Ziff Giclee (Archival Ink) Print on Canson Platine Fibre Rag American Dreams - From "Park Drive" series The...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

Dali Cyclops
Located in Buffalo, NY
The work offered for sale here is an original vintage silver gelatin print hand created by Halsman and used as the cover proof for the "Dali Mustache Book". Philippe Halsman was at one point considered the best photo-portraitist in France. He had an incessant interest in faces: “Every face I see seems to hide—and sometimes fleetingly reveal—the mystery of another human being.” Halsman’s photographs of politicians, celebrities, and intellectuals were featured widely in magazines like LIFE and Vogue. His more famous subjects included the likes of Marc Chagall, Le Corbusier, Audrey Hepburn, and Albert Einstein. He also had a 37-year collaboration with Salvador Dalí, which resulted in several famous surrealist series including the “Dalí’s Mustache” portraits...
Category

1950s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

"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 Photography

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Steady My Steed, limited edition photograph, archival, signed and numbered
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Steady My Steed, limited edition photograph, archival, signed and numbered I present unspoken stories that illustrate fleeting moments in time and which are intended to evoke a mood...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

The Hostess
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

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Sweet Nectar
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

Moi sans toi
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

Dalí with a Bow Tie - Original Silver Gelatin Photography
Located in Paris, IDF
Marc LACROIX (1927-2007) Dalí with a Bow Tie, 1971 Original silver gelatin photograph Signed in ink Numbered on 99 copies On silver print paper 58 x 48 cm (c. 22.8 x 18.9 inch) IN...
Category

1970s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Tea For Two, limited edition photograph, archival pigment, signed and numbered
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Tea For Two, limited edition photograph, archival pigment, signed and numbered My photographic series Tales of Heroines is a collection of stories about the lives of young women tol...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Dalí Staring at the Horizon - Original Gelatin Silver Photography, SIGNED
Located in Paris, IDF
Marc LACROIX (1927-2007) Dalí Staring at the Horizon, 1971 Original silver print photograph Signed in ink Numbered on 50 copies On silver print paper 58 x 48 cm (c. 22.8 x 18.9 inch...
Category

1970s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Kaleidoscope of Dalí - Original Gelatin Silver Photography, SIGNED and LTD / 50
Located in Paris, IDF
Marc LACROIX (1927-2007) Kaleidoscope of Dalí, 1971 Original silver print photograph Signed in ink Numbered on 50 copies On silver print paper 57 x 47 cm (c. 22.4 x 18.5 inch) INF...
Category

1970s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Artists Prostitutes
Located in New York, NY
Limited Edition of 2,500 copies, numbered and signed by David LaChapelle Edition of 2,500 Hardcover in clamshell box, 13.6 x 19.7 in., 43.43 lb, 698 pages
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Untitled 4
Located in Winterswijk, NL
The City of Women from the serie Lollipop. Edition: 10 ex "Victoria Lykholot, an artist and lecturer from Ukraine. After graduating from the Faculty of Philosophy in 2007. For seve...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Queen 2" Black White Photography 39" x 39" in Edition 2/3 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Queen 2" Black & White Photography 39" x 39" in Edition 2/3 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

“Al Andalus” Nude Photography 30" x 24" inch Edition 2/12 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 ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée

The philosopher’s study.
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

Holiday Situations #4 Original Vintage Color Photograph
Located in Surfside, FL
HOLIDAY SITUATIONS,1999, color c-prints on Fuji crystal archive paper, each initialed on verso and inscribed "BAT" sheets 11 ¾ x 11 ¾", printed & published by Muse X, Los Angeles. (f...
Category

1990s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print

Conceptual Surreal Portrait Photography - Fairies Feli
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Performative Surreal Portrait: Girl with Meat Headpiece in Green Dress - Feli Julia Kissina Photography (Fujicolor Print, 1997/98) Unique performativ...
Category

1990s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"I am" Black White Photography 31" x 31" in Edition of 7 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"I am" Black & White 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 issues by the arti...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Ahead of me 2" Photography 24" x 24" in Edition 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Ahead of me 2" 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 issues by the artist No...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Untitled 3
Located in Winterswijk, NL
The City of Women from the serie Lollipop Edition: 8ex "Victoria Lykholot, an artist and lecturer from Ukraine. After graduating from the Faculty of Philosophy in 2007. For several...
Category

2010s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Speed" Black White Photography 24" x 29.5" in Edition 1/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Speed" 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 Not framed. Ships in a tu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Speed 2" Black White Photography 31" x 39" in Edition 1/7 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Speed 2" Black White Photography 31" x 39" in Edition 1/7 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 Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Metaphysical Composition - Photographic Print by Erberto Carboni - 1940
Located in Roma, IT
Metaphysical Composition by Erberto Carboni is a photographic print on high quality single coated paper (baryta layer). On front there are four faint pencil lines that divide the ph...
Category

1940s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Black and White

Ripple Effect l
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

"Pygmalion and Galatea" Photography 24" x 24" in Edition of 15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Pygmalion and Galatea" Photography 24" x 24" in Edition of 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 Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

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

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

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

Suzanne Camp Crosby "Enchanted Forest" 1989 Original Photograph
Located in New York, NY
Suzanne Camp Crosby (American, 1948-2020) Enchanted Forest, 1989 Cibachrome Sight: 14 3/4 x 14 3/4 in. Framed: 23 x 22 x 7/8 in. Signed and inscrib...
Category

1980s Surrealist Photography

Materials

C Print

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

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

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

NIGHTMARE Signed Photograph, Surreal Self-Portrait, Mexican Folklore, Skeleton
By Nia Mora
Located in Union City, NJ
NIGHTMARE by the photographer Nia Mora is a very unique self portrait color photograph exhibiting lush deep tones of intense red and jet-black, with haunting surrealist imagery of three figures positioned on a bed in a red walled room: one wearing a skeleton mask robed in black velvet, two with ghostly white faces all portraying the artist's self portrait as three entities of a nightmare. Photo Print size - 24 x 24 inches, unframed, excellent condition, signed in black ink on reverse by photographer Nia Mora Edition of 10 Year produced - 2007 Nia Mora, an American photographer, artist and chef, focuses her commercial work towards her passions of food, wine, and travel. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, her father is the jazz percussionist Francisco Mora...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Color

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

"Pygmalion and Galatea 2" Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. of 15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Pygmalion and Galatea 2" Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. of 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 Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

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.

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