Surrealism is one of the most fascinating styles of art and is believed to illustrate the unconscious mind of humans. For many artists, surrealism is not just an artistic style, but a whole movement on its own.

Surrealist artists aim to deeply explore the unconscious mechanisms of the human mind through art, and create dreamy and almost bizarre images across a wide range of mediums. Surrealism has become an immensely popular style of art over the years, with many modern artists incorporating this unique style into their paintings.

Here’s all you need to know about surrealism:

A brief history

Surrealism was an important artistic movement initiated by renowned poet Andre Breton in Paris in the year 1924. The main idea of this movement surfaced around the notion that the enlightenment that took place in the 17^th and 18^th century, trumped reason and eccentricity. It was believed that it greatly suppressed the unconscious mind and the qualities it possessed.

Andre Breton was also deeply influenced by the psychological theories of the unconscious mind Sigmund Freud proposed, and published a book called “La Revolution Surrealiste” in the year 1925. He also mentioned visual artists like Pablo Picasso in his book, who started to resonate with the theories of surrealism and what it denoted.

Artistic techniques

Surrealism is all about creative freedom, and this means there are many artistic techniques used in this art form. One of the main things these artists focus on is dreamlike paintings, and they created many techniques to make sure they capture the entire essence of it.

One of these techniques is known as frottage. This comprised of the artist gently rubbing a pencil over a textured area to leave its residue on the canvas he’s using. Another popular technique was called grattage. This included the artist scraping the painted canvas to create a clearer, visual textured pattern.

However, it is important to understand that surrealists did not limit themselves to a single medium. Film, photography, and sculptures for instance, were also widely used and greatly inspired their works.

Famous surrealist artists

Jean Arp was a renowned surrealist artist who is most popular for his sculptures consisting of wavy lines. He embodied a range of mediums in his work, including sculptures, drawings, even poems.

Max Ernst was another popular surrealist artist who was well known for creating dreamlike imagery and depicting the inner psyche of the human mind.

Check out our range of surrealist artworks now and get the best rates. We offer a variety of affordable artworks online that encompass a broad array of art styles. We also offer an extensive selection of original abstract paintings and oil paintings.

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