Surrealism

What is surrealism?

Surrealism is a movement that seeks to capture the world of dreams, the unconscious and the irrational (that which escapes rational control). It draws on the ideas of Sigmund Freud and his interpretation of dreams, and lets onto the canvas images we would normally meet only in the mind or in sleep. Put simply, artists here paint what cannot be planned by reason.

When and how did it come about?

The movement's birth is taken to be the Surrealist Manifesto, written in 1924 by the French poet André Breton; last year we therefore marked a hundred years since that milestone. Surrealism built on Freud's exploration of the unconscious and quickly grew from a literary circle into painting, sculpture and film. What could be freer than making work directly out of what lies beneath the surface of consciousness?

Who are its most important figures?

Alongside the movement's classic names, the names of women surrealists now resonate strongly — artists long kept in the background who nonetheless made some of its most powerful works. They include Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo and Leonor Fini, and we count the Czech painter Toyen among them. It is precisely the rediscovery of these artists that gives surrealism fresh breath today.

How does it do on the art market, and is it worth collecting?

Interest in surrealism on the market is growing, and attention is turning ever more to the women surrealists who were previously undervalued. The centenary of the manifesto gave the movement further visibility and brought it back to the centre of collectors' attention. If you are drawn to art that combines artistic value with a story of rediscovery, surrealism is a rewarding field to explore.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club