FAQ – Surreal Art

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQ) about surrealist art

Which are known surrealist artists?

Some of the most famous surrealist artists include René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Giorgio de Chirico, and Roberto Matta to name just a few. Artists - Learn more

Who is René Magritte?

René Magritte was a surrealist painter from Belgium who was born in 1898 and died in 1967. Starting out as an impressionist, he eventually began creating surreal paintings that depicted everyday objects in strange ways with the intent to challenge the viewer's notions about life. René Magritte - Learn more

Who is Max Ernst?

Born in 1891 in Germany, Max Ernst was an early pioneer of Surrealism. He was a sculptor and a painter, his early work heavily influenced by Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh. He invented several painting techniques that would go on to be frequently used by other surrealists, and was highly influential in the movement. Max Ernst - Learn more

Who is André Breton?

André Breton was a French writer who was the intellectual and philosophical founder of Surrealism as a school of thought. He established the basis of the movement in two Surrealist Manifestos. André Breton - Learn more

Who is Salvador Dalí?

Salvador Dalí was one of the most famous surrealist artists of the 20th century. Born in Spain in 1904, he went on to create some of the most iconic works in Surrealism, blending a hyper-realistic Renaissance style with the depictions of strange, impossible circumstances. Salvador Dalí - Learn more

What is the most famous painting by Salvador Dalí?

The most famous painting by Dalí is The Persistence of Memory, and to this day, with its striking landscape of melting clocks. remains an instantly-recognizable work of Surrealism even to people with little knowledge of art. Salvador Dali paintings - Learn more

What is a surrealist painting?

Surrealism was more than just an aesthetic movement, it was also a philosophical one that had influence on the greater culture. According to its founder André Breton, the purpose of surrealism is to express “the real functioning of thought […] in the absence of all control exercised by reason,” so in other words, a surrealist painting would be one in which the artist intends to depict reality as it really is perceived by the raw mind, before it is colored by any judgment or rational thinking. Paintings - Learn more

What are the famous surrealistic artworks?

Some of the most famous and iconic surrealist works are The Elephant Celebes,one of the early surrealist works by Max Ernst, The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí, one of the most famous paintings of all time, and The Song of Love by Giorgio de Chirico. Famous artworks - Learn more

What is the Surrealist Manifesto?

There were two manifestos with this name written by André Breton which founded the movement and established its aesthetic and philosophical significance. Surrealism Manifesto - Learn more

Where did Surrealism start?

Surrealism had its start in Europe, after the first World War. Like many artistic schools of thought, much of the creative force of this movement was centered in Paris, France. Origin - Learn more

What is the philosophy of surrealism?

According to André Breton, the movement's founder, the point of Surrealism is to present reality to the viewer (or reader, etc) in such a way that they see it without the lens of reason or bias. The intention was to not exert judgment, either moral or aesthetic and to simply experience one's thoughts without thinking about them. Because of this, there is a huge emphasis on dreams and dreamscapes in surrealist art. Philosophy - Learn more