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Surréalisme

1924-1960

About the movement

Le surréalisme est un mouvement artistique et littéraire fondé à Paris en 1924 par André Breton avec la publication du Manifeste du surréalisme. Profondément influencé par la psychanalyse de Freud, ce courant explore l'inconscient, le rêve et l'irrationnel pour libérer la création de toute contrainte logique ou morale. Les artistes surréalistes utilisent des techniques variées comme l'écriture automatique, le cadavre exquis, le frottage et les associations libres d'images. En peinture, Salvador Dalí crée des paysages oniriques peuplés d'objets déformés, tandis que René Magritte joue sur les paradoxes visuels. Max Ernst, Joan Miró et Yves Tanguy ont également marqué ce mouvement. Les musées de France possèdent d'importantes collections surréalistes qui invitent le visiteur dans un univers où le merveilleux défie la réalité.

Major artists

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know

The Surréalisme movement is an artistic current that developed during the 1924-1960 period. It is characterized by shared aesthetic choices, techniques, and a vision of art among a group of artists, and has profoundly shaped the history of art in France and Europe.

The Surréalisme movement is generally situated in the 1924-1960 period. As with any artistic current, its chronological boundaries are indicative: the origins may be earlier and the movement's influence may extend well beyond its main period of activity.

The Surréalisme movement brought together many artists whose works are held in the museums of France. Check the list of associated artists on this page to discover the major figures of this current and access their works referenced in the Joconde database.

The number of works associated with the Surréalisme movement varies depending on classification criteria. The Joconde database of the Ministry of Culture catalogues works associated with this current across all institutions labeled "Museum of France." The exact total is shown at the top of the artworks list on this page.

Works of the Surréalisme movement are spread across many museums of France, both in Paris and in the regions. National museums and major provincial museums hold significant collections of this current. Dell'Arte allows you to locate these works by museum or by city.

The Surréalisme movement (1924-1960) is distinguished by its own aesthetic and technical choices that differentiate it from preceding and following currents. These characteristics are visible in the works held in the museums of France, which you can explore on this page.

Like most artistic movements, Surréalisme exerted an influence on the currents that followed it. Artists of subsequent generations often adopted, transformed, or challenged the principles of Surréalisme, thus contributing to the continuous evolution of art history.

On Dell'Arte, you can refine your exploration of the Surréalisme movement by filtering by artistic field: painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, decorative arts, and others. These filters are available on the movement page and allow you to target works according to your interest.

The artworks presented come from the Joconde database of the Ministry of Culture (data.culture.gouv.fr), under Open License v2.0. The descriptions and artist groupings are based on catalogue entries written by the curators of the museums of France and on reliable historical sources.

The museums of France regularly organize temporary exhibitions around major artistic movements, including Surréalisme. Check the websites of museums that hold works of this current for current programming and upcoming events.

The presence of the Surréalisme movement in collections varies by museum and region. Major cities and national museums generally hold the most significant collections, but noteworthy works may also be found in lesser-known provincial museums.

The Surréalisme movement (1924-1960) holds an important place in the history of French art. It reflects the cultural, social, and technical developments of its era and constitutes an essential link in understanding artistic creation in France, as documented by the collections of the museums of France.