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.
21
to
290
1,380
699
488
257
1,050
914
270
469
335
383
379
685
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
45,660
37,024
18,877
7,806
3,394
2,981
2,954
2,251
1,241
1,195
1,174
1,165
444
238
1,012
635
487
335
276
149
123
122
116
116
114
89
83
78
76
64
60
51
45
41
1
683
1,566
1
5
18
39
33
60
109
85
64
85
57
35
29
28
2,144
1,499
1,001
931
539
Style: Surrealist
20th Century Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Hoddesdon, GB
20th century modernist oil painting on canvas . Signed with artists monogram and Dated 1991.
This large and impressive painting evokes a range of emotions and interpretations. With...
Category
1990s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
20th Century Surrealist Painting By Philip Krevoruck Wpa Era
Located in Hoddesdon, GB
Philip Krevoruck 1919-1999 an accomplished WPA artist . Surrealist Oil on board painted during the 1950s .
Dimensions:
30inch X 25.5inch including frame . 24 X 19.5 without frame .
M...
Category
1950s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Surrealist Oil Painting By Fernand Carette, 20th Century
Located in Hoddesdon, GB
Fernand Carette 1921- 2005 Futuristic surrealist landscape . oil painting by Belgian artist Carette painted during the 1960s while he was working with the Phases group . 64cm x 49cm ...
Category
1960s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Female Birds Eating Men
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen
“Water Melon” surrealist painting of fruit on real food tray
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Ackrill presents to us his humor in "Water Melon." A juicy slice floats gently upon a surreal body of water, beneath a blue sky. The scene rests within a food tray, which makes us wo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Metal
Voyage To India, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Travel is in your heart, and she beckons you to follow. Original oil painting by artist, painted live at i3 Arts Fest Art Car Ball in Pershing Square Los Angeles. :: Painting :: Surr...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Antique Toys" Priscilla Roberts, Magic Realism, Surrealism, Still Life
Located in New York, NY
Priscilla Roberts
Antique Toys
Signed lower left; identified through gallery label affixed to backing
Oil on board
20 x 24 inches
Provenance:
Grand Central Galleries, New York
Pris...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Luna, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Wild, bright and bold, Luna's gaze of daydreaming wonder. Original oil painting of Heather Ireland's Surrealism series. :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Djinn- Original contemporary surrealistic seascape landscape painting-modern art
Located in London, Chelsea
"Djinn" by Hallie Packard is an original seascape painting that transports viewers into a dreamlike realm where reality blends with fantasy. With bold colors and imaginative imagery,...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
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
Some Night in Spring- Original surrealistic floral wildlife painting-modern art
Located in London, Chelsea
"Some Night in Spring" by Hallie Packard is an original painting that transports viewers into a whimsical world where elements of nature intertwine with dreamlike imagery. With a sur...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Cascade. Contemporary Surrealist Oil Painting
By Sax Berlin
Located in Brecon, Powys
Once again Berlin gifts us a different aspect of his art. Within Cascade he is able to echo and reference simultaneously several of the Great Masters and also include his own unique ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Freedom
Located in London, GB
Several Anastasia Kurakina's artworks have been included into the Vatican Museums collection since 2017
She has exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London at bp portrait aw...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Hourglass butterfly, Painting, Oil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series “Please do not kill butterfliesâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Blue Dream
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Immerse yourself in a unique visual experience with this oil painting in shades of blue and violet. The artwork features enigmatic figures of men and animals coming to life in a noct...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Pastel, Oil, Cotton Canvas
Surrealist scene oil on canvas painting surrealism
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Oil on canvas.
Signed Aress.
Oil mesures 33x24 cm.
Frame mesures 48x39 cm.
Category
1990s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Civic Center with Matrioska, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
From the series “Red Starâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Chromatic butterfly - light blue, Painting, Oil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series “Please do not kill butterfliesâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Chromatic butterfly - white, Painting, Oil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
An original piece from the series “Please do not kill butterfliesâ€
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Colourful Surrealist Painting on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
An early 21st century surrealist acrylic on paper by British artist Derek Carruthers. Signed to the bottom right and signed and dated to the reverse.
A colourful and lively painting...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Ark
Located in Bayonne, NJ
A small but very intricate painting by a Ukrainian artist, Vachagan Narazyan. This oil on linen painting was acquired from Tamara Tumasian gallery in Kharkiv in 2008. It is in excell...
Category
Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Tower Number 11
Located in Bayonne, NJ
This oil on linen framed painting is an example of an authentic stylistic composition created by Vachagan Narazyan. The painting was acquired from the gallery that represented the ar...
Category
Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Beauty has thorns, original oil Roses surrealism, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Esam Jlilati
Located in Yardley, PA
Original oil painting, Modern emotional Surrealism Art with Roses hold in hand in landscape environment The Painting title: Beauty has Thorns la beauté a des épines Schönhe...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Jardin: After Monet. Contemporary Surrealist Oil Painting
By Sax Berlin
Located in Brecon, Powys
A riotous explosion from the palette of Sax Berlin. This garden uses the beautiful colours familiar to those who have travelled the southern reaches of France and used to such amazin...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Acrylic
Children in the Ukraine 2022, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Eva Hoffmann
Located in Yardley, PA
Difficult time now for children in the Ukraine . 2022 is the year of fear, immigration, war, terror. Hommage L.Reber :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Surrealist Painting on Paper. '43 Stones'.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Surrealist acrylic on paper by British artist Derek Carruthers. Initial signed DC in the bottom right and signed and dated and titled '43 Stones' to the reverse..
An intriguing and ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
Mind Field
By Chris Leib
Located in Dallas, TX
Featuring casts of astronauts and Bonobo chimps, Leib’s meticulously layered and detailed paintings provide his subjects with a corporeal quality that pull us into their narrative an...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
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
Canvas, Oil
Still-life with Sun Rise
By Kevin Sloan
Located in Denver, CO
A cheeky still-life with a wry surprise, "Still-life with Sun Rise" is a work by Kevin Sloan that turns heads. A butterfly lands lightly on the stem of an orange accompanied by a se...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Condensation
Located in Dallas, TX
In 2003, Sérgio adopted the name “Odeith” after years of painting street murals under the name “Eith”. It was during this time that he began gaining international recognition for his...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Metaphysical scene with Daisy
Located in Atlanta, GA
Item is in excellent condition and has only been displayed in a gallery setting.
This specific work has the following story:
Model dancer: Kristina Tavarovskaya
In this metaphysical...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media
Villosa
Located in Dallas, TX
This work was featured at ComplexCon 2019 - November 2nd and 3rd in Long Beach, CA.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Wood, Oil
Blues
Located in Dallas, TX
Austin Surrealist Artist
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Cock Fight. Two Fighting Birds. A Riot of Aggression, Masculinity & Feathers
By David Wilde
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
David Wilde.
English ( b.1913 - d.1974 ).
Cock Fight.
Acrylics. Signed and Titled.
Image size 15.4 inches x 22.2 inches ( 39cm x 56.5cm ).
Frame size 19.1 inches x 26 inches ( 48.5c...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
'Woman Dancing', Spanish Surrealist Figural, Geneva, Museum of Paris, Benezit
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'A. Úbeda' for Augustin Úbeda (Spanish, 1925-2007) and painted circa 1965.
Formerly in the collection of Jean Negulesco, the artist and Hollywood Film Director....
Category
1960s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Eating and Drinking I", surrealist, red, green, yellow, acrylic painting
By John Baker
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Eating and Drinking I” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 24 x 30 inches in reds, greens and yellows against a neutral background. What at first glance appea...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Mixed Media, Canvas
"Eating at the Airline Diner", surrealist, red, blue, yellow, acrylic painting
By John Baker
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Eating at the Airline Diner” is an acrylic on canvas with collage 30 x 30 inches in reds, yellows and blues with green accents. The iconic diner, in Queens, New York, i...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Mixed Media, Canvas
"Eating and Drinking II", surrealist, red, green, yellow, acrylic painting
By John Baker
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Eating and Drinking II” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 24 x 30 inches in yellows, reds and greens on a neutral background. In one sense an illustration o...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
European Collage Cubist Oil Painting 1960 Surrealist Interior with Vase and Pipe
Located in Surfside, FL
Wonderful mid century, signed (illegibly) and dated. I believe it is German or Austrian but not certain. It is an assemblage of textures and materials collaged together, done in bright jewel tones. Avant Garde painting...
Category
1960s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Felt, Mixed Media, Oil, Laid Paper
needle in the eye, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
a painterly exercise designated to bitterly fight ill-received ideas. :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Untitled, Tinga tinga, African art, Figurative art, Surrealism
Located in Milano, IT
Mohamed Charinda
Senza Titolo
2000s
Acrylic on Canvas
Canvas measurements: 92.5 x 76.5 cm
Frame size: 90 x 74.5 x 3 cm
Signed lower left "Charinda"; Signature on verso inverted "Cha...
Category
Early 2000s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Untitled, Tanzania, African Art, Figurative Art, Surrealism
Located in Milano, IT
Acrylic on canvas by Mikidadi Bush, signed and dated on the front.
Bush's work deals with themes related to animist culture, creating visions that combine dreamlike and ordinary atmo...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Jungle again, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
By Diana Rosa
Located in Yardley, PA
original acrylic paint on wooden panel, new work since 7 November, 2022, ready to hang :: Painting :: Surrealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity sign...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Surreal harlequin oil on board painting expressionism Ubeda
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Gustavo Úbeda (1930-1994) - Surrealist Harlequin - Oil panel
Oil measurements 41x50 cm.
Frame measurements 44x53 cm.
The painting by Gustavo Úbeda Romer...
Category
1970s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Board, 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
Spring Garden
Located in Sempach, LU
Spring Garden" landscape in the style of Paul Cezanne. Impressionism" original oil painting by Volskya Lilya
Magical iridescence of colors on canvas.
For...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Cardboard, Cotton Canvas, Canvas
Kyle Andrew Szpyrka - Where Have You Been, Where Are You Going?, Drawing 2014
Located in Greenwich, CT
The Paths series was born out of a trip I took one summer to LA. The trip itself was more of an escape from my life in New York. At the time I was at a crossroads. Having just gone t...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Kyle Andrew Szpyrka - Babel, Drawing 2014
Located in Greenwich, CT
Sutra, a Sanskrit word meaning “thread”, is a word or small group of words that summarize an entire complex web of ideas, truths, wisdoms, or teachings all woven together into a sing...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Kyle Andrew Szpyrka - Don't You Recognize Me?, Drawing 2014
Located in Greenwich, CT
The Paths series was born out of a trip I took one summer to LA. The trip itself was more of an escape from my life in New York. At the time I was at a crossroads. Having just gone t...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Kyle Andrew Szpyrka - Honesty, Drawing 2014
Located in Greenwich, CT
The Paths series was born out of a trip I took one summer to LA. The trip itself was more of an escape from my life in New York. At the time I was at a crossroads. Having just gone t...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
The Ephemeral Embrace
Located in PUIFLIJK, NL
Francien Krieg is a Dutch painter and AI artist who has made a name for herself by painting older naked women. Her artwork is recognized for its unique celebration of the female form...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Man Adjusting his Tie", surrealist, green, red, blue, yellow, acrylic painting
By John Baker
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Man Adjusting his Tie” is an acrylic painting on canvas 24 x 18 inches in greens and reds with blue and yellow color accents. The disheveled appearance of the man impli...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
"Self Chaperone", surrealist, woman, portrait, mixed media, acrylic painting
By John Baker
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “Self-Chaperone” is an acrylic painting on canvas with collage 28 x 22 inches in flesh tones, yellows and greys. The portrait depicts the inner conflict between uninhibi...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
"The Lonely Crowd", surrealist, portrait, mixed media, acrylic painting
By John Baker
Located in Natick, MA
John Baker’s “The Lonely Crowd” is a multi-colored acrylic painting on canvas with collage 40 x 60 inches. Blues, yellows and greens predominate while reds provide color accents. The...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Motherhood: Contemporary Surrealist Oil Painting by Sax Berlin
By Sax Berlin
Located in Brecon, Powys
Motherhood is a self portrait of Sax Berlin’s experience as a single father. He had to be mother and father at a time when he was aggrieved after his beautiful wife Susan’s passing ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Oil
Nietzsche Forever Young, w/ Turin Horse in Elysium, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Diana Heit
Located in Yardley, PA
“Man is the cruelest animal," says Zarathustra. "When gazing at tragedies, bull-fights, crucifixations he hath hitherto felt happier than at any other time on Earth. And when he in...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
The Forest and the Girl
Located in Seoul, SO
This is original work by Okumura Aka,
Pen, acrylic on paper mounted on wood panel
Okumura Aka ( Japan )
Aka Okumura explores the spiritual aspect of life and death by contrasting ...
Category
2010s Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Hompage Magritte, Called Woman Seen From Behind, Original Gouache
Located in Stockholm, SE
This gouache painting by Ulf Linde, a multifaceted Swedish figure, presents a unique portrayal of a woman seen from behind, set against a blue and white...
Category
20th Century Surrealist Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Board
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.
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Mary And Child
Black J12
Horse Head Painted
Infinity Sign
Antique Russian Painting
Country French Provence
Pair Street Signs
Dance Floor
Women Sculptures Italian
J12 Black
Antique Portrait Italian
French School 18th Century
House Of R And D
Pair Of Paintings Gold Frame
Cool Vintage Paintings
Cool Vintage Painting
Fresco Modern Painting
Piano Music