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.
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Joan Miro, The Spanish Dancer, from Derriere le miroir, 1963
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled La danseuse espagnole (The Spanish Dancer), from the folio Derriere le miroir, No. 139–140, originates from the 1963 editio...
Lithograph
(after) Marino Marini - "Cavalier et cheval, bordure orange" pochoir
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: pochoir (after the lithograph). Printed by the atelier of Daniel Jacomet, and published in Paris in 1955 by Heinz Berggruen. The image measures 5 x 3 3/4 inches (130 x 97 mm)...
Lithograph, Stencil
$1,777Sale Price|28% Off
Held Inside a Shaft of Light (Window, Skyscape, Warm, Dreamy, ~29% OFF)
By Annieo Klaas
Located in Kansas City, MO
Annieo Klaas Held Inside a Shaft of Light 2023 Oil on Canvas 40 x 30 inches (101.6 x 30.48 cm) Signed lower right COA provided *On stretcher frame - gallery wrapped - ready to hang ...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
(after) Julio Gonzalez - "Personnage au livre" pochoir
By Julio González 1
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: pochoir (after the drawing). Printed in Paris in 1957 by Jacomet and published by the Galerie Berggruen for a rare catalogue. Image size: 6 3/4 x 3 3/4 inches (173 x 98 mm). ...
Lithograph, Stencil
Boston - Abstract Color Drenched Urban Cityscape Watercolor Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C. Bernhardsson is a colorful artist who lives and paints in Sweden. Most of her works are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Bernhardsson travels the world...
Paper, Mixed Media
Le Joie Colored Lithograph, Surrealist, Artist Proof, Mid-20th Century
By Marc Chagall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Marc Chagall "Le Joie" 1980 Signed lower right margin, ed. EA lower left margin. Colored lithograph Sheet size 45.7 x 29.6 inch - 116 x 75.3 cm Artist Proof “Le Joie” (French for Jo...
Lithograph
Tangent - Surreal Still Life - Coffee Table Setting, Oil on Panel
By John Hrehov
Located in Chicago, IL
This painting is John Hrehov’s Tangent, an oil on panel from 2025. In it, a modern red sofa runs straight across the back of the room, set against a grid of tall windows that open on...
Canvas, Oil, Panel
"The impossible is possible" Original futuristic mountain landscape. X-Large
By Sanne Bleka
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting describes a real story from the life of the artist. Harmony of colors and shapes give hope for a successful outcome of events. The gallery guarantees the uniqueness and ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Leonor Fini, Untitled, from Fruits of Passion, 1980 (after)
By Leonor Fini
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure, titled Sans titre (Untitled), after Leonor Fini, from the album Fruits de la passion, trente-deux variations sur un theme de Leonor Fini (Fruits of Passi...
Lithograph
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Joan Miro, Untitled, from Joan Miro, 1956
By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Sans titre (Untitled), originates from the 1956 publication Joan Miro. Published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, and printed by M...
Lithograph
On the Edge of Landscape
By Valton Tyler
Located in Dallas, TX
In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez writes of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintings, prints and drawings, whose style defies convenient labels. Abstract, surreal, cartoonish, sci-fi fantastic, metaphysical, apocalyptic-Baroque - all of these fit but also fall short of fully describing his art." (Edward M. Gomez, "Futuristic Forms Frolic Under Eerie Texan Skies...
Canvas, Oil
Pablo Picasso Christian Zervos 33 Volume Books
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Christian Zervos. Pablo Picasso. Œuvres de 1895 à [1972]. Paris: Éditions Cahiers d'Art, 1949-1986. 33 volumes in 34 (volume 2 in two parts), small folio (325 x 252 mm.), numerous p...
Offset
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Tramp (pet dog, beagle, troubadour guitare, animal portrait, surrealist painting
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Tramp," by Rudolf Kosow, is a whimsical painting that delights in its surreal juxtaposition of scale and serenity. At the center is a beagle's face, depicted with lifelike detail and expressiveness, eyes glistening with a calm intelligence that beckons the viewer into a state of contemplation. Positioned against the backdrop of the dog's vast visage, a small, solitary figure strums a guitar. The musician, dressed in casual attire, appears as a wandering troubadour, his music resonating with the quietude of the scene. This miniature man, though diminutive in size, plays a significant role in the narrative, providing a sense of companionship and shared experience. The painting's title, "Tramp," suggests a free spirit, both in the itinerant musician and the beagle, known for its adventurous and exploratory nature. Kosow's piece is an ode to the wandering souls and the moments of unexpected harmony they encounter. Through "Tramp," we are reminded of the melodies that score our journeys and the silent kinship we find along the way. It is an invitation to embrace the music of life, to find connection in the tranquility of existence, and to acknowledge the symphonies that unfold in the presence of kindred spirits, regardless of their size or form. keywords; painting on canvas, surrealist painting, animal vs human, americana, nature, man, man vs nature, surrealism, giant animal...
Canvas, Oil
$1,777Sale Price|28% Off
Inside a Cloud (Window, Skyscape, Warm, Bluesy, Dreamy, ~29% OFF)
By Annieo Klaas
Located in Kansas City, MO
Annieo Klaas Inside a Cloud 2024 Oil on Canvas 40 x 30 inches (101.6 x 30.48 cm) Signed lower right COA provided *On stretcher frame - gallery wrapped - ready to hang Annieo Klaas’...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
$3,120Sale Price|20% Off
PRINCE OF CUPS 1979, Signed Lithograph on Arches, Tarot Card Series, Surrealist
Located in Union City, NJ
Artist - Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989) Title - PRINCE OF CUPS, Tarot Card Series Publisher - DALART N.V. Year published - 1979 Medium - Lithograph on Arches Cover 270 gsm. 100% acid free, signed in pencil, inscribed 2/5 PP (Printers Proof) by Salvador Dali on lower print margin, publishers mark "DALART N.V. Copyright 1979" blindstamp embossed on lower left print margin. Fine impression, vivid colors, unframed, in very good condition. Print documentation provided.. Listed in the Albert Field's OFFICIAL CATALOGUE OF THE GRAPHIC WORKS OF SALVADOR DALI, Reference #79-15. PRINCE OF CUPS from the Tarot Series 1979, is a surrealist style limited edition lithograph by Salvador Dalí (1904 – 1989) Printed on archival Arches paper, 100% acid free. PRINCE OF CUPS depicts a freely drawn, black line portrait of a young Prince wearing his golden yellow crown, sporting a white ruffle collared shirt, looking slightly sideways posed behind a golden chalice...
Lithograph
$3,995
Salvador Dali Color Etching, Surrealist, Signed, 1969, "The Hippies: The Sun"
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: The sun Portfolio: The Hippies Medium: Color etching on Arches Date: 1969 Edition: 102/145 Frame Size: 31" x 26 1/2" Sheet Size: 26" x 20" Image Size: 15...
Etching
Le Plagiat - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1940 oil on canvas by René Magritte, printed signature of Magritte and numbered from the edition of 300. The lithograph features the dry stamps of the Magritte Foundation & ADAGP and is countersigned in pencil by Mr. Charly Herscovici, President of the Magritte Foundation, Chairman of the Magritte Museum and unique representative of the Magritte Succession. A proof of edition is printed on the back of the lithograph, guaranteeing its authenticity. Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist whose witty and thought-provoking images challenged observers? preconditioned perceptions of reality. Magritte's work frequently displays a juxtaposition of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things.Magritte grew up in a simple and somewhat tragic household. His father was a modest tailor. His mother, who was mentally unsound, committed suicide in the year 1912. Magritte started drawing at a young age, and his first paintings, produced c. 1915, were Impressionistic in style.Magritte first worked as a draughtsman in a wallpaper factory and, in the year 1922, fell in love with and married Georgette Berger. In 1926, Magritte signed...
Lithograph
Ecce Homo - Lithograph - 1964
Located in Roma, IT
Ecce Homo is a Color lithograph on heavy rag paper realized in 1964. It is part of Biblia Sacra vulgatæ edition is published by Rizzoli-Mediolani between 1967 and 1969. Signed and d...
Lithograph
$4,641Sale Price|60% Off
Tête de Femme Surrealist Ceramic Sculpture, Unique, Circa 1970, Signed
Located in CANNES, FR
Jules Agard ( 1905 - 1986 ) " Tête de femme " Sculpture surréaliste réalisée en terre rouge de Salernes et montée au tour . le corps est bombé et creusé alternativement . le col se...
Ceramic
Lady Godiva
Located in OPOLE, PL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - Lady Godiva Lithograph from 1970. Edition of 187/256. Dimensions of work: 68 x 50 cm Publisher: Simeon Wajntraub. On B.F.K Rives paper as stated in t...
Lithograph
Death of Orpheus, Surrealist Etching by Pablo Picasso
Located in Long Island City, NY
Pablo Picasso, Spanish (1881 -1973) - Death of Orpheus from Ovids The Metamorphoses, Year: 1930, Medium: Etching on thin laid paper, Edition: , Image Size: 9 x 6.5 inches, Size: ...
Etching
Le Lézard aux Plumes d'Or, Surrealist Lithograph, Signed, 14/20, 1971
By Joan Miró
Located in Roma, IT
Le Lézard aux Plumes d'Or is a beautiful and rare color lithograph on Jason Kochi paper, realized in 1971 by the Spanish Surrealist artist Joan Miró (Montroing, 1893 - Mallorca, 19...
Lithograph
$1,996Sale Price|20% Off
Salvador Dali, Untitled, from The Three-Cornered Hat, 1958
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite engraving by Salvador Dali (1904–1989), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the folio Le Tricorne (The Three-Cornered Hat), originates from the 1958 edition published b...
Engraving
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Wifredo Lam, Untitled, from Ediciones Poligrafa, 1979
By Wifredo Lam
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Wifredo Lam (1902–1982), titled Sin titulo (Untitled), from the album Ediciones Poligrafa, Barcelona - Redfern Gallery, London, originates from the 1979 ...
Lithograph
The scent of the garden
Located in Zofingen, AG
In the surreal space of this painting, the green tones of spring unfold as gently as the first warmth after a long night. Clear water plays with the waves, with the wind, and with th...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
Florals Water-Hybiscus Swan
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Florals Water-Hybiscus Swan MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali PUBLISHER: Editions Graphiques Internationals EDITION NUMBER: 62/35...
Etching
The Tub, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This painting is a modern reinterpretation of the English nursery rhyme "Rub-a-dub-dub, Three Men in a Tub," first published in Mother Goose's Melody in 1798. I...
Oil
$2,900Sale Price|39% Off
Shape of Face No. 5 - Framed Textural Expressionist Surrealist Figurative Art
By Iqi Qoror
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Iqi Qoror's surreal figurative paintings are arresting in their earthy palettes offset by pops of fluorescent textile embroidery. His artworks revolve around questions of trust, inte...
Wool, Canvas, Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Pablo Picasso "Portrait de Jacqueline"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) "Portrait de Jacqueline" 1959 (Baer 1245; Bloch 923) ...
Linocut
La Grande Guerre - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1954 oil on canvas by René Magritte, plate-signed by Magritte and numbered from the edition of 300. The lithograph features the dry stamps of the Magritte...
Lithograph
American Trotting Horse No II from Currier & Ives suite by Salvador Dali
Located in Paonia, CO
American Trotting Horses No. 2 by Salvador Dali has dynamic movement in the two trotting horses with an added giant Dalian insect head in coll...
Lithograph
"Moon Birth" (FRAMED) Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. 5/15 by Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Moon Birth" (FRAMED) Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. 5/15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the artist ...
Photographic Paper
Spanish Catalan Surrealist Lithograph Portrait Girl with Fruit Still Life
By Luis Vidal Molné
Located in Surfside, FL
Luis Molné (or Luis Vidal Molné ) painter and lithographer born in Barcelona in 1907 and lived in Monaco where he died in 1970. Friends with Antoni Clavé he belonged to the Catalan ...
Lithograph
$425
BASTED WAVES Signed Mini Lithograph, Surreal Beach Scene, Thread, Sewing Needle
Located in Union City, NJ
BASTED WAVES is a hand drawn limited edition lithograph by the American surrealist artist Fanny Brennan, created using traditional hand lithography techniques printed on archival Arc...
Lithograph
One Little Stage
By Valton Tyler
Located in Dallas, TX
In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintin...
Rag Paper, Etching
$3,488
Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) - Hand watercolored drypoint etching on Japanese paper
Located in Varese, IT
Hand watercolored drypoint etching on extremely fine Japanese paper, edited in 1969. Limited edition of 145 copies water-coloured, numbered in lower left corner EA (Epreuve d'artist)...
Paper, Etching
Crazy Horse
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Crazy Horse MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 223/250 MEASUREMENTS: 30.5" x 22.25" YEAR: 1968 FRAMED: No CERTIFICATE OF AUT...
Lithograph
The Dream a Marcos, Figurative Surrealism, Original oil Painting
By Ashot Yan
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Ashot Yan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen, Year: 2018 Style: Portrait, Surrealism, Subject: The Dream a Marcos, Size: 19" x...
Canvas, Oil
The world of the ocean
Located in Zofingen, AG
At first glance, it is an ocean. Vast, deep, and silent. But at its bottom lies Adam. A young Adam, immersed in a stillness that feels like the end of everything. This is a biblical ...
Canvas, Acrylic
DALI...DALI...DALI...
Located in London, GB
Softcover book Containing a signed and dated drawing by Salvador Dalí First edition and in the French language 8 3/4 x 12 inches Published by Draeger Éditeur, 1974
Pen
$280Sale Price|20% Off
L'Egaree De Stagliano Offset Print, Surrealist, 1970, Unframed
By Leonor Fini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is a reproduction of the original work titled Le Verre de Vin (The Wine Glass) created by Man Ray in 1936. This work captures a pear, cleverly arranged with a painted shadow and...
Offset
La Piscine
Located in OPOLE, PL
Henri Matisse (1869-1954) - La Piscine Lithograph from 1958. Dimensions of work: 103 x 35.5 cm. Publisher: Tériade, Paris. Each copy of this Lithograph was originally published w...
Lithograph
Triumph Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Artwork Title: Triumph Medium: Original Oil on Linen Dimensions: 40" x 32" x 1" (101 x 81 x 3 cm) Year: 2024 Unframed, Stretched o...
Canvas, Oil
For Alberti, For Spain! - Etching by Joan Mirò - 1975
By Joan Miró
Located in Roma, IT
For Alberti, For Spain! it's an original artwork realized by Joan Mirò in 1975. Etching, 90 x 66 cm. Hand signed. Edition 50/90. Reference: Dupin 926 Printed on Fabriano paper...
Etching
$900
Portrait with flowers, Leonor Fini (1907-1996) Women Surrealist, Lithograph 1960
By Leonor Fini
Located in New York, NY
Leonor Fini (1907-1996) Portrait with flowers, 1960 Lithograph 25 1/4 x 19 in (64 x 48 cm) With frame: 33 x 26 1/2 in (83,5 x 67,5 cm) Leonor Fini was born in 1907 in Buenos Aires a...
Lithograph
Les Betes Sauvages Dans le Desert
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Les Betes Sauvages Dans le Desert MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed by Salvador Dali PUBLISHER: Levine & Levine EDITION NUMBER: 189/450 MEASUREME...
Etching
Salvador Dali "Gladiolus (Ears)" Surrealist Etching, Signed, 1972
Located in Astoria, NY
Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989), "Gladiolus Cun Aurium Corymbo Expectantium" [Gladiolus with Golden Clusters Expected], Etching and Heliogravure in Colors on Arches Paper, 1972, f...
Paper, Etching, Photogravure
Statimque Tobias Visum Recepit - Lithograph - 1967- 1969
Located in Roma, IT
Statimque Tobias visum recepit ("And immediately Tobit revovered his sight") is an artwork realized in 1964. It is part of Biblia Sacra vulgatæ editionis published by Rizzoli-Mediola...
Lithograph
"To Be Announced" - surrealist painting, azalea, birds, toast, white square
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features hues of green, red, yellow, purple and blue. Guy Robinson is inspired by the work of Paul Klee, Albrecht Durer and Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Guy Robinson is an At...
Linen, Oil
Polished Nexus - Digital Print by Kevin Abanto - 2023
By Kevin Abanto
Located in Roma, IT
Polished Nexus invites viewers to an intersection of refined beauty, where each texture finds its nexus in polished elegance on the canvas. The play of light becomes a guide, leading...
Digital
$365
"Hybrid Butterfly 44" (2025), Abstracted Butterfly Portrait, Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Artist Statement: My paintings are channeled, Visual Dreamscapes in connection with Unseen Frequencies of the Universe. My exploration of the surreal investigates the mysteries of t...
Wood, Acrylic, Panel
Pablo Picasso, "Sculpteur et Modele debout, " etching, hand signed
Located in Chatsworth, CA
Artist: Pablo Picasso Title: Sculpteur et Modele debout Year: 1933 Medium: Original etching Edition: hand signed in pencil from an edition of 250 on small margins Size: Frame: 27 x 2...
Etching
A Surrealist Cyanotype on Cotton Sateen, "Moons, Birds, Rocks"
Located in San Diego, CA
This one-of-a-kind piece by San Diego-based artist Annalise Neil is a Cyanotype on Cotton Sateen, titled "Moons, Birds, Rocks." It is 22 x 10 x 1 ″.
Photographic Paper
$12,500
Christ
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Christ MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed EDITION NUMBER: 62/125 MEASUREMENTS: 25.5" x 19.75" YEAR: 1964 FRAMED: No CONDITION: Excellent RE...
Etching
Hard Margins - Woodcut - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
Hard Margins - Hell Plate 19, is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri. Not signed, as issued. G...
Woodcut
Discovering New Worlds, Oil Painting
By Eric Vanasse
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A large white polar bear lies on a cliff with its eyes closed, while a dodo bird leans beside it. To their side, an easel holds a Rembrandt painting of a stormy...
Oil
A Home in the Woods - Original Birds Portrait Still Life Framed Acrylic Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The figurative surrealistic paintings of Carlos Gamez de Francisco are heavily influenced by his Cuban upbringing in a Russian-governed academic setting. This presence exposed Franci...
Canvas, Acrylic
$988
Schéhérazade - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1950 oil on canvas by René Magritte, printed signature of Magritte and numbered from the edition of 275. The lithograph features the dry stamps of the Mag...
Lithograph
(after) Marino Marini - "Cavalier et cheval" pochoir
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: pochoir (after the lithograph). Printed by the atelier of Daniel Jacomet, and published in Paris in 1955 by Heinz Berggruen. The image measures 5 1/4 x 3 3/4 inches (135 x 10...
Lithograph, Stencil