facts about surrealism

Facts About Surrealism

What is the Surrealism Art Movement?

The Surrealism art movement is a remarkable visual art and literature movement. That brought a turning point in the history and philosophy of Art. This moment started in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century after world war one and two. The Dadaist movement proved to be a milestone in initiating Surrealism, but both belonged to different schools of Arts to some extent.


The main idea of surrealism was generated after the Dadaist movement, but where the Dada movement was an Anti Art movement. Surrealism was something completely different, bringing the unconscious and conscious together. Surrealist artists wanted to combine the dream and reality and try to put them on one canvas.

How Surrealism Got its Name?

They named it an ultimate reality; that’s why this movement is called su-real” which means super real. It was initiated in France from the 1920s to 1950s. Guillame Appollinere who was a poet, was the first one to name this art movement Surrealism. The main influences of this art movement were Dadaism and Abstractism. Moreover, this art movement further influenced Abstract Expressionism and Post Modernism.
Note: This word was later added to the dictionary in 1967.

Andre Breton was the think tank for this art movement, art critic, and French poet who led this movement. He was the first to release an art manifesto for the Surrealist Movement in 1924. This art movement involved several Art theories from different geniuses like Sigmund Frued and Karl Marx. Suryast boomband captured a state which lay in between the horizons of the mythical and real world.

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Main Characteristics Of Surrealism

When it comes to the main features of Surrealism, it didn’t have any unified or single style. If we need to explain Surrealism in simple words, surrealism is an extreme of reality composed of fiction. The Artist portrayed things with great realistic detail but portrayed them in a highly fictitious scenario. The Paradoxical placing of realistic objects in a nonrealist framework was the main feature of Surrealism. The relation of imagery or idea, when detached from reality, is surrealism: an automatic thought, a sudden and abrupt idea.

Good Read: Horizons of mythical and real world

The Leading Artists Of Surrealism?

The most remarkable work of Surrealism was created by Salvador Dali, Named, The Persistence Of Memory. But had other important artists like Joan Miro, Max Ernst, Rene Magritte, Frida Kahlo, Andre Masson, Paul Delvaux, Jean Arp, and Pabalo Picasso. Every Surrealist artist had their mode of expression and source of inspiration. Surrealist artists were portraying not the logical world but the psychological situations. The artist was trying to emphasize the illogical placing of objects and the awkwardness they cause. Innovative techniques like Frottage and Grattage were introduced during the surrealist movement by artist Max Ernst.

Not only male artists but some remarkable female artists also played important roles in this art movement. The most remarkable female names include Dorothea Tanning, Leonora Carrington, and Kay Sage.

Most Remarkable Paintings Of the Surrealist Movement 

  • Golconda By Rene Magritte

The irregular placing of men falling from the sky, with the background of flat buildings

  • Salvador Dali’s Dream Caused By The Flight of A Bee Around a Pomegranate, A Second Before Awakening

A perfect combination of an amazing situation where the artist portrayed a great combination of threat and seduction.

  •  Rene Magritte, The Treachery of Images

A very realistic pipe with a statement it’s not a pipe, I think, the most simple yet most powerful statement of the Surrealist Movement. Describes the movement to its best.

  • Max Ernst’s Ubu Imperator  

The imbalance of authority and political satire in a surrealist style

  • Kay Sages, I Saw Three Cities

This female artist had a distinguished style. The way she portrayed a contrast between classicism along with harsh modern shapes is simply amazing.