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Surrealist Art

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
Returnable Items Only
"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 Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Refuge- Original surrealistic floral wildlife painting- contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
"Refuge" by Hallie Packard is a captivating original painting that transports viewers into a surreal world where flora and fauna converge in a scene of tranquility and beauty. With b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

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 Art

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 Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Papageno 24 original lithograph limited edition painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Papageno original lithograph limited edition painting Original lithograph signed by hand. Perfect state
Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Cave Skull (Open Edition)
Located in Dallas, TX
Based in Istanbul, Turkish artist and graphic designer Ali Gulec has an eye for images that oscillate between the macabre, irreverent, and absurd. Working at his ikiiki Design Studio...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Screen

Hérold, Composition, XXe Siècle (after)
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Original Edition Lithograph on wove paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Excellent Condition; never framed or matted. Notes: From the volume, XXe Siècle, vol. no. 43, 1974. Pub...
Category

1970s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Free Gouda! – 25-08-18, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Free Gouda! – 25-08-18 I was walking on a Sunday afternoon, the last very hot one of this summer and the central square was deserted. No one was there because of the dying heat ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Pencil

Oudaen – 26-11-18, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Oudaen – 26-11-18 Last year I was at Oudaen, a city castle at Utrecht, Netherlands which now is a crowdy hotspot for party people. I was dining near the window in the corner wit...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Pencil

Initiatrix – 03-12-18, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Initiatrix – 03-12-18 The third art work in my new series on Egypt. I experimented with my personal style ‘roundism’ in combination with realism and surrealism. I also used ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Pencil

Nights over Egypt – 13-11-18, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Nights over Egypt – 13-11-18 I found this picture of Jenna J. Ross on Instagram and I liked it a lot. It was dark and blue. I found it fit for my Egypt project and decided to tu...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Pencil

Bastet – 01-01-19, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Bastet – 01-01-19 My Egyptian series is an addition to my ‘j’accuse’ painting ‘The Revelation of Bettie Page’. My New Year’s resolution for this year: I dare all alg...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Pencil

Isis – 25-01-19, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Isis – 25-01-19 Some time ago I saw underwater excavation pictures of Heracleion, an ancient Egyptian city submerged. I always thought to return to my painting ‘Loving the Ali...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Pencil

A Surreal Encaustic on Wood "Growth at a Snails Pace (Diptych)"
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original encaustic mixed media artwork by Tiffany Bociek. Its dimensions are 6.1 x 12 x 1.6 in. A certificate of authenticity will follow delivery. Created...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Encaustic, Oil

Solarized Roundism – 01-07-22, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Back to Sketching This graphite pencil drawing ‘Solarized Roundism – 01-07-22’ is a welcome change from oil painting. After the completion of ‘Geesje Kwak and the Secret o...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Pencil

Bright Blue Times, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

Nothing to Show, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

Wish You Were Here, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

I Miss My Sanity, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

From Here to Eternity, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

Temporarily Out of Order, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

Lost in Life, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

Once Upon a Time, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

The Majority is Stupid, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

Who in Hell is Archie, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

And Then We Die, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

The Show Must Go On, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

Living Life Backwards, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

It's Easy to Die, Digital on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
The artwork is a digital decoupage and an artistic experiment with this medium. Technically, it is Giclée quality print on the fine art paper 265 gram Hahnemühle. The edition i...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Digital

French Surrealist pastel drawing 'Offering to the bride' by Marchand des Raux
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Louis Marchand des Raux (French, 1902 – 2000) L’offrande a l’epouse Pastel on paper Signed ‘Marchand des Raux’ (lower right) 25.1/4 x 18.1/2 in. (64 x 47 cm Louis Marchand des Raux ...
Category

20th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Pastel, Paper

"L'Ete"
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph and pochoir. Catalogue reference: Dupin 1310, Benhoura 396. This lithograph was printed in 1938 at the atelier Mourlot and published in Paris by Teriade for the ar...
Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Small Study in White 3" - surrealist still life, lace, skull, patterns, shell
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features the colors of the rainbow as they appear in white objects. Guy Robinson is inspired by the work of Paul Klee, Albrecht Durer and Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Atlanta based artist Guy Robinson attended the Atlanta College Of Art on a Ford Foundation grant and has worked extensively in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and drawing. His surrealists works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and have a place in important collections including the Museum Of Contemporary Art, Georgia (MOCA,GA). Robinson has over thirty-five years experience teaching drawing and painting for Emory...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Linen

The Human Condition, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This piece blends collaged pages from an old novel with translucent oil glazes as a background. The subjects—a primate, a tennis ball, and a shoe—are rendered in opaque and calm tones. The piece delves into the human condition...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Mixed Media

French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - El Aire
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas with knife Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - El Fuego
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas with knife Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - El Cielo
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas with knife Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

French Contemporary Art By Helen Uter - Abajo
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas with knife Helen Uter is an established Franco-American painter born in 1955 who lives and works in Donnery, near Orléans, France. Heavily influenced by Edward Hopper...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Hühnerauge - Contemporary Drawing
Located in Vienna, AT
Catharina Bond Hühnerauge 2023 Pencil on paper 30 x 30 cm Unique The tourist takes snapshots of life. Experiences are simultaneously “strange” and “typical”. There is an absurdity t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Pencil

Beach Proposal, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
The scene depicts a beach where anthropomorphic rabbits are enjoying a sunny day. In the foreground, a bunny sits gracefully on the sandy shore while another kn...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Art

Materials

Oil

Bords de L'Oise - Etching by Charles-François Daubigny - Late 19th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Signed and titled on plate. Etching and aquatint print. Good condition.
Category

Late 19th Century Surrealist Art

Materials

Etching

Untitled by Anton Kushaev - Surrealist painting, oil and acrylic on canvas, 2022
Located in Basel, BS
The Untitled is part of the series "Frame of Sorrows" created by Anton Kushaev for the installation at Voskhod Gallery's showcase in Basel in 2022. This painting was exhibited in the...
Category

2010s Surrealist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Madame de la Rombiere - Rare Book Illustrated by Simeon - 1926
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 450 copies including original etchings by Simeon. Copy on velin de Rivés. Very good conditions and partially uncut.
Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

La ritirata del Friuli - Rare Book Illustrated by Ardengo Soffici - 1919
Located in Roma, IT
La ritirata del Friuli - note di un ufficiale della Seconda Armata. Diary of the author Ardengo Soffici (Rignano sull'Arno,1879 – Vittoria Apuana, 1964), during his participation in ...
Category

1910s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Scoperte e Massacri, Scritti...- Rare Book Illustrated by Ardengo Soffici - 1919
Located in Roma, IT
Volume on the art by Ardengo Soffici (Rignano sull'Arno,1879 – Vittoria Apuana,1964). The texts are mainly a collection of art critics first published by Soffici on the italian magaz...
Category

1910s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

L'Uva e la Croce - Rare Book Illustrated by Ardengo Soffici - 1951
Located in Roma, IT
L'Uva e la Croce, autoritratto d'artista italiano nel quadro del suo tempo. Autobiographical work by Ardengo Soffici (Rignano sull'Arno,1879 – Vittoria Apuana,1964), in which the aut...
Category

1950s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Medardo Rosso - Rare Book Illustrated by Ardengo Soffici - 1929
Located in Roma, IT
Original edition including 42 illustrations of the works by the artist. Famous critical essay by Ardengo Soffici on one of the main sculptores of his age, Medardo Rosso (Torino, 1858...
Category

1920s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Elegia dell'Ambra - Rare Book Illustrated by Ardengo Soffici - 1927
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 600 copies. One of the 100 copies out of commerce, with the original signature of the author. Includes some original xylographies on the cover, on the frontispiece and on ...
Category

1920s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Les Dernières Nuits de Paris - Rare Book Illustrated by Philippe Soupault - 1928
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 500 copies. Copy on papier Velin du Marais paper. Language: french. Soft editorial cover, almost perfect conditions. Uncut. Philippe Soupault was born in 1897 and died in ...
Category

1920s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Notes d'Art - Rare Book Illustrated by André Toulet - 1924
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 1000 copies. One of 100 copies numbered by Roman numerals on Japon paper. Language: french. Little foxing on cover, perfect conditions inside. Uncut. 
Category

1920s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Fermina Marquez - Rare Book Illustrated by Chasles Laborde - 1925
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 364 copies including 14 original engravings by Chas Laborde. One of the rare copies on paper from Holland. Original editorial softcover.Copy in perfect conditions.The firs...
Category

1920s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

L'Inflation Sentimentale - Rare Book Illustrated by Chasles Laborde - 1923
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 140 copies including 21 original watercolors by Charles Laborde. Copy on Hollande Van Gelder paper. Lightly damaged on binding. Inside perfect conditions. Very rare and p...
Category

1920s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Supplément au voyage de... - Rare Book Illustrated by J.E. Laboureur - 1921
Located in Roma, IT
Supplément au voyage de Bougainville, ou dialogue entre A et B sur l'inconvénient d'attacher des idées morales à certaines actions physiques qui n'en comportent pas. Edition of 315 c...
Category

1920s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Où Boivent les Loups - Rare Book Illustrated by Tristan Tzara - 1932
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 1010 copies. Copy on Alfa paper. Language: french. Superb copy in perfect conditions, as new. Uncut.
Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Chansons Madécasses - Rare Book Illustrated by J.E. Laboureur - 1920
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 412 copies including 30 original colored vignettes by J. E. Laboureur. Copy on Jute naturel. Light flowering in the last pages. Very good conditions, uncut. 
Category

1920s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Comment les Blancs Sont d'Ancien Noirs - Rare Book by A. Latour - 1930
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 500 copies. Copy on papier velin. Very good conditions.
Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Tableau de Grands Magasins - Rare Book Illustrated by Jean Emile Laboureu - 1925
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 334 copies. Copy number 2 on Velin pur fil Lafuma Navarre paper. Includes 12 original etchings by Jean Emile Laboureur. Partially uncut. Perfect conditions. 
Category

1930s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

La Mye du Roi - Rare Book Illustrated by Léon Lebègue - 1902
Located in Roma, IT
La Mye du Roi - conte dròlatique manuscrit et enluminé par Léon Lébegue. Edition of 245 copies including original hand-colored illustrations by Léon Lebègue. Copy on vergé à la form...
Category

Early 1900s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Tableau de la Mode - Rare Book by Marcel Vertès - 1926
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 342 copies including 21 etchings and 11 lithographs by Marcel Vertés. Perfect conditions. 
Category

1920s Surrealist Art

Materials

Paper

Surrealist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Surrealist art 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 art 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, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Salvador Dalí, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, and Leonor Fini. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Lithograph 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 art, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for art 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 $1,450,000, while the average work sells for $1,426.

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