8 curiosities you should know about surrealism

But what is Surrealism?

The Surrealism is an artistic and literary movement emerged in Paris in the 1920s as a reaction to the horrors of the First World War and, therefore, is inspired by psychological and psychoanalytical theories in order to manifest the workings of the subconscious, leaving aside any kind of rational control.

Surrealist works of art are characterized by: the presence of contradictory fantasy elementsrandomly associated; strange images depicting dreamlike and ambiguous landscapes; a hyper-realistic hyperrealistic of forms and volume; the distortion of reality distortion of reality achieved through the sinister modification of everyday objects and, finally, by the use of experimental techniques such as collage, frottage, grattage or decalcomania.

Salvador Dalí, Face of the great masturbator, 1929

8 curiosities you should know about surrealism

1. The word "surrealism" was coined by the French poet, novelist and art critic Guillaume Apollinaire in 1917.
2. Surrealism developed from the Dada art movement, born in Zurich during the First World War to make visible the madness and horrors of the conflict.
3. The Manifesto of Surrealism was published in 1924 by André Breton, founder and main exponent of the movement.
4. According to Artprice, Rene Magritte is the most sought-after surrealist artist in 2022.

Rene Magritte, Terapauta, 1937

5. Although Salvador Dalí, of Spanish origin, is the most representative artist of surrealism, the movement began in France.

Salvador Dalí, Le Repos Amoureux (The Amorous Sleep), 1974

6. There are many surrealist women artists, such as Eileen Agar and Claude Cahun.

Claude Cahun, Self-portrait (kneeling, naked, with mask), c.1928

7. The title of the 59th Venice Biennale 2022 has been inspired by a surrealist book by surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, called "The Milk of Dreams".

8. Dalí collaborated with Walt Disney in a short film ¨Destino¨.