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.
René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU... Limited Surrealism French Contemporary
Located in Madrid, Madrid
René Magritte - LE CHEF D'OEUVRE OU LES MYSTÈRES DE L'HORIZON, 1965 Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition number: 131/275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Condition: N...
Lithograph
In Tentazione - Lithograph - 1966
Located in Roma, IT
In Tentationem - From "Pater Noster" is a very interesting illustration (offset lithograph) by Salvador Dalí, from the volume "Pater Noster" published by Rizzoli Editore, Milan, 1966...
Lithograph
René Magritte - DÉCALCOMANIE, 1966 Limited ed. Lithograph. Surrealism French
Located in Madrid, Madrid
René Magritte - DÉCALCOMANIE, 1966 (DECALCOMANIA) Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition: 275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Condition: In mint conditions, brand new...
Paper, Lithograph
$1,170Sale Price|35% Off
Códice Miguelito I Giclée Print, Surrealist Style, Framed, 2010+
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
PEDRO FRIEDEBERG, GRAPHIC, SURREALIST WORK, IMPORTANT MEXICAN ART, EXQUISITE FRAME . . . Artist and designer Pedro Friedeberg is known for his surrealist paintings, prints, and sculp...
Giclée
$587
Duality of expression. Limited edition print, Surreal, Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Size of sheet is ca. 21 x 29 cm (A4) Contemporary figurative giclee print by Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. Print is signed, numbered and has a stamp of an artist's atelier. It comes...
Paper, Color
RENÉ MAGRITTE LA GRANDE FAMILLE, 1963 Limited edition Lithograph - Surrealism
Located in Madrid, Madrid
LA GRANDE FAMILLE, 1963 (THE LARGE FAMILY) Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition: 275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Observations: Lithograph on BFK Rives paper plat...
Lithograph
$1,526
La Cascade - 20th Century, Surrealist, Lithograph, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Color lithograph after the 1961 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 Mag...
Lithograph
RENÉ MAGRITTE L'EMPIRE DES LUMIÈRES, 1964 Limited edition Lithograph, Surrealism
Located in Madrid, Madrid
L'EMPIRE DES LUMIÈRES, 1964 (THE EMPIRE OF LIGHTS, 1964) Date of creation: 2010 Medium: Lithograph on BFK Rives Paper Edition: 275 Size: 60 x 45 cm Observations: Lithograph on BFK Ri...
Lithograph
Untitled Lithograph, Surrealist Style, 1970s, Edition of 150
By Wifredo Lam
Located in Roma, IT
Modern artwork realized by Wifredo Lam in 1970s. Colored lithograph on paper. Hand monogrammed in the right lower margin with original dry stamp by Galleria Nuovo Sagittario, Milan...
Lithograph
$67Sale Price|24% Off
Reclining Female (Surreal, Colorful, Vibrant, Modern) (25% OFF LIST PRICE)
By Franz Graw
Located in Kansas City, MO
Franz Graw Reclining Female (Surreal, Colorful, Vibrant, Modern) Color Offset Lithograph Year: 2021 Size: 16.53 x 11.73 inches (42 x 29.8 cm) Edition: 100 Signed and numbered in penc...
Lithograph, Offset
TIE Fighter Beatles Large Oversize Pop Art Print Signed Limited Edition
By BATIK
Located in London, GB
TIE Fighter Beatles by B A T I K Pop art work featuring the Fab Four Paul McCartney , George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon running away from Star Wars TIE fighters chasing...
Black and White, Archival Pigment
Le Retour - 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 Mag...
Lithograph
Hands - Il tempo che passa - Etching by Mayo - 1977
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on paper. Hand Signed and numbered. Edition of 25, in roman numbers. Excellent condition.
Etching
$1,200Sale Price|50% Off
Malabaristas Parapsicológicos Giclée Print, Surrealist, Framed, 2010+
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
Artist and designer Pedro Friedeberg is known for his surrealist paintings, prints, and sculptural furniture. He was the subject of a 2009 retrospective at the Museo del Palacio de B...
Giclée
$469
Jean COCTEAU and Raymond MORETTI : The kiss- Original Hansigned Lithograph, 1973
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Paris, IDF
Jean Cocteau and Raymond Moretti The Kiss Original lithograph Printed signature in the plate, handsigned by Raymond Moretti Numbered 1/79 - Very look for artist proof bearing n°1 On...
Lithograph
$469
Jean COCTEAU and Raymond MORETTI: Love Encounter - Original Hansigned Lithograph
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Paris, IDF
Jean Cocteau and Raymond Moretti Love Encounter Original lithograph Printed signature in the plate, handsigned by Raymond Moretti Numbered EA 1/10 - Very look for proof bearing n°1 ...
Lithograph
Casanova : Birdy on the Tongue - Original etching (Field #67-4 F)
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador DALI (1904-1969) Casanova : Birdy on the Tongue, 1967 Original etching Printed signature in the plate On Rives vellum 38 x 28 cm (c. 14.9 x 11 inch) REFERENCES : - Catalog...
Etching
$5,402
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) – Lithograph with drypoint etching Auvergne paper
Located in Varese, IT
Color lithograph with drypoint etching on Auvergne paper from the series 'Flordali (Les Fruits)', edited in 1969. Limited edition, numbered as LXXXI/CL in lower left corner. Hand-sig...
Paper, Drypoint, Etching, Lithograph
Dali's Inferno
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Dali's Inferno MEDIUM: Lithograph SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Levine & Levine for DALART EDITION NUMBER: 90/250 MEASUREMENTS: 21.5" x 30" ...
Lithograph
Surreal Etching Print of Crowned Figure on Horse, 1984
Located in Palm Springs, CA
This richly detailed print by Mexican artist Maximino Javier, dated 1984, exemplifies his surreal and symbolic approach to etching. At the center of the composition is a crowned figu...
Etching, Aquatint
Untitled Lithograph by Wifredo Lam, Surrealist, 1970s, Edition of 150
By Wifredo Lam
Located in Roma, IT
Untitled is a modern artwork realized by Wifredo Lam in 1970s. Mixed colored lithograph, realized after one of the Artist's paintings. Hand monogrammed in the right lower margin wi...
Lithograph
The Creation Lithograph, Surrealist Style, 1960, Edition of 6500
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Color lithograph realized by Marc Chagall in 1960 to illustrate "The Bible". Edition of 6500, published by Tériade in no. 33 and 34 of the Art Magazine Verve. Printed by Mourlot a...
Lithograph
$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
$2,595
Salvador Dali Surrealist Etching, Signed, 1980, from Neuf Paysages Portfolio
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Tourbillon-spirale from rose Portfolio: Neuf Paysages Medium: Etching Year: 1980 Edition: 3/49 Sheet Size: 14 7/8" x 14 7/8" Signature: Initialed (S.D.) ...
Etching
1971 L'Académie de Paris Etching, Surrealist, Signed, 184/250
Located in Roma, IT
L'Académie de Paris (The Academy in Paris). Etching on Arches wove paper (watermark), 1971. Signed and numbered 184/250 A. Plate 42.5 cm x 59.5 cm. Sheet approx. 56.5 cm x 75.5 c...
Etching
Candique - Héliogravure by Marc Chagall - 1960
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Héliogravure on brown-toned paper, no signature. Héliogravure on bot sheets, recto and verso. Edition of 6500 unsigned copies. Printed by Mourlot and published by Tériade on the A...
Photogravure
Lovers - Thétis and Pelée - Original etching handsigned and numbered
Located in Paris, IDF
Pierre-Yves Tremois Thésis and Pelée Original etching, 1970 Handsigned by the artist Numbered / XXIV copies (total edition of 90 + XXIV) Size 57 x 45 cm (c. 22,4 x 17,7 in) Very goo...
Etching
$469Sale Price|20% Off
Opposite of sentimental... . Limited edition print, Surreal, Established artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Size of sheet is ca. 21 x 29 cm (A4) Contemporary figurative giclee print by Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. Print is signed, numbered and has a stamp of an artist's atelier. It comes...
Paper, Color
$998
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
Códice Miguelito III Etching, Surrealist Print, Framed, 2010- Present
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
-Pedro Friedeberg signed print featuring a fantastical architectural scene inspired by “Mickey”. Includes whimsical figures, optical art elements, and surreal details. framed in a ha...
Etching
$3,080Sale Price|20% Off
"Conception" - Portrait of a Native American on a Vision Quest
Located in Soquel, CA
"Conception" - Portrait of a Native American on a Vision Quest Large scale and fine detailed work by the artist. Detailed and evocative depiction of a Native American elder by Frank Howell...
Laid Paper, Screen
The Beloved Feeds Between the Lilies - Lithograph - 1971
Located in Roma, IT
Etching with pochoir and gold overlay. Edition of 121/250. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Ref. Michler-Lopsinger 477c. Very good condition. The artwork is from the series So...
Lithograph
Unknown
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Untitled" is a color off set lithograph by acclaimed Iranian artist Mahmoud Farshchian, born 1930. It is hand signed and numbered 23/3...
Lithograph
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
Dali, Femme à tete de Roses (after)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Title: Femme à tete de Roses Year: 2004 Medium: Lithograph on wove paper Size: 30.25 x 22 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Unsigned and unnu...
Lithograph
The Awakening of Boaz - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1960
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
The awakening of Boaz is an artwork from the Series "The Bible", by Marc Chagall in 1960. Mixed colored lithograph on brown-toned paper, no signature. Edition of 6500 unsigned lit...
Lithograph
David Saved by Michal - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1960
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Color lithograph realized by Marc Chagall in 1960 to illustrate "The Bible". Edition of 6500, published by Tériade in no. 33 and 34 of the Art Magazine Verve. Printed by Mourlot a...
Lithograph
$7,500
Mystery of Sleep (The Hermit), Signed Surrealist Lithograph by Salvador Dali
Located in Long Island City, NY
A clock-faced figure wearing monk's robes floats in a blue void above a roiling storm cloud. This Surrealist lithograph by Salvador Dali shows the figure in movement, traveling with ...
Lithograph
$6,995
Salvador Dali Color Etching, Signed, 1973, The Twelve Tribes of Israel, Gad
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Salvador Dali Title: Gad Portfolio: The Twelve Tribes of Israel Medium: Etching and pochoir on Arches paper Year: 1973 Edition: 130/195 Frame Size: 32 3/8" x 26 7/8" Sheet Si...
Engraving
$1,040Sale Price|35% Off
Loteria Canina Giclée Print, Surrealist Style, Framed, 1970s, Signed
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
-Pedro Friedeberg signed print featuring a collection of various dogs. Includes whimsical figures, optical art elements, and surreal details. framed in a hand-painted black and gold ...
Giclée
La Grande Danseuse - Etching by Marc Chagall - 1967
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Etching and aquatint on Japan paper. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Edition of 23/35 prints. Excellent condition. Ref. Cramer, Marc Chagall, The Illustrated Books, no. 6
Etching
Three Children, Surrealist Lithograph by Jean Jansem
By Jean Jansem
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jean Jansem, French (1920 - 2013) - Three Children, Year: circa 1960, Medium: Lithograph, signed in the plate lower right, Image Size: 12.5 x 9.5 inches, Frame Size: 20.25 x 17.2...
Lithograph
Homecoming (The Green Horse) - Lithograph by Marc Chagall - 1973
By Marc Chagall
Located in Roma, IT
Color lithograph realized by Chagall for the Art Review "XXème Siècle" in 1973. Edition of 10.000, unnumbered and unsigned. Excellent condition, with a center folder. Printed by M...
Lithograph
$469Sale Price|20% Off
An umbrella. Limited edition print, Surrealism, Established Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary colorful figurative surrealistic print on paper by Polish artist Rafal Olbinski. This print shows woman with dress shaped like an umbrella from under which it rains. The...
Paper, Color
$15,000
Drue
Located in Columbia, MO
Leonora Carrington (British-Mexican 1917 - 2011) was a painter, writer, and key figure in Surrealism whose work explored the sacred, the mystical, and the magical in everyday life. B...
Lithograph
$15,971Sale Price|20% Off
Magritte Portfolio IV 20 lithographs- 20th Century, Surrealist, Figurative Print
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Complete set of 20 color lithographs in a beautiful burgundy board with ties, plate-signed by Magritte and numbered from the edition of 275. The lithograph features the dry stamp...
Lithograph
Signs of The Zodiac, Libra original lithograph by Salvador Dali
Located in Paonia, CO
Libra from Signs of the Zodiac by Salvador Dali is from a series of 12 limited edition lithographs. This original hand signed lithograph is Libra, the seventh astrological sign ...
Lithograph
Amazonas Odiosonas, Hand Signed Serigraph, Custom Framed, Edition of 24
Located in Aventura, FL
Serigraph in colors on paper. Hand signed lower right by Pedro Friedberg. Hand numbered 2/24 lower left. Framed as pictured in the signature Friedeberg striped gold leaf frame. S...
Paper, Screen
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Centre Noeuds (Sabatier 393), Roberto Matta
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Roberto Matta (1912-2002) Title: Centre Noeuds (Sabatier 393) Year: 1974 Edition: 38/125, plus proofs Medium: Etching on Arches paper Size: 23.875 x 17.5 inches Inscription: ...
Etching
Alice in Wonderland
Located in Hollywood, FL
ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Alice in Wonderland MEDIUM: Etching SIGNED: Hand Signed PUBLISHER: Transworld Art EDITION NUMBER: A IX/XL PAPER: Japon Paper MEASUREMENTS: 29.75"...
Etching
Art Deco Embossed Serigraph Print by Erte, 1991, Boudoir
By Erté
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Erté Title: Boudoir Medium: Embossed serigraph Year: 1991 Edition: 290/300 Sheet Size: 41 3/4" x 29 1/4" Image Size: 35 1/4" x 23 1/4" Signature: Stamped signature
Screen
Nadine's Bookcase
Located in New York, NY
Created by Surrealist Fanny Brennan from 1992-96, Nadine's Bookcase is a lithograph in colors on wove paper. Hand-monogrammed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 250, the artw...
Lithograph
$9,500
Obsession of the Heart (The World), Surrealist Lithograph by Salvador Dalí
Located in Long Island City, NY
Obsession of the Heart Salvador Dali, Spanish (1904–1989) Portfolio: Visions Surrealiste Date: 1976 Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition of 150 Size: 29 x 21 in. (73.66 ...
Lithograph
$7,500
The Coronation of Gala (The Empress), Surrealist Lithograph by Salvador Dalí
Located in Long Island City, NY
The Coronation of Gala (The Empress) from Visions Surrealiste Salvador Dali, Spanish (1904–1989) Portfolio: Visions Surrealiste Date: 1976 Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil E...
Lithograph
$1,080Sale Price|40% Off
Mathias en Cuernavaca Digital giclee art, Surrealist, Framed
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
-Pedro Friedeberg signed print featuring a fantastical surrealistic scene. Includes whimsical figures, optical art elements, and surreal details. framed in a hand-painted black and g...
Paper, Screen
The Immaculate Conception, Signed Surrealist Lithograph by Salvador Dali
Located in Long Island City, NY
Salvador Dalí was born in May 11, 1904 in the small agricultural town of Figueres, Spain. Figueres is located in the foothills of the Pyrenees, only sixteen miles from the French bor...
Lithograph
Sun Figures, Surrealist Offset Lithograph by Andre Masson
By André Derain
Located in Long Island City, NY
Andre Masson, French (1896 - 1987) - Sun Figures from the Omaggio a Michelangelo Portfolio, Year: 1975, Medium: Offset Lithograph, signature in the printing, Image Size: 13 x 9 in...
Lithograph, Offset
Soles de Ninive Giclée Print, Surrealist Framed Art, 2010+
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
PEDRO FRIEDEBERG, GRAPHIC, SURREALIST WORK, IMPORTANT MEXICAN ART, EXQUISITE FRAME . . . Pedro Friedeberg signed print featuring a fantastical surrealistic scene. Includes whimsical ...
Giclée
Hell 22 - The Liars - Original Woodcut 1963 (Field p 189 à 200)
Located in Paris, IDF
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Hell 22 - The Liars, 1963 Wood engraving from "Divine Comedy" with the signature printed in the plate On BFK Rives vellum 32,8 x 26,4 cm (c. 13 x 10") REF...
Woodcut
Dante and Beatrice - Woodcut - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
Dante and Beatrice - "The Divine Comedy" - Song 29 - Purgatory is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Aligh...
Woodcut
Cavalier et sa Mort (Knight and Death) - Etching - 1960s
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on chamois-colored laid paper, realized in 1968/69. Plate from "Faust (La Nuit de Walpurgis), published by Argillet, Paris. Edition of 49/150, hand colored. Hand signed an...
Etching