Now the word "surrealism" is often understood as something strange, fantastic, irrational. Initially, the term denoted the largest movement in art of the early 20th century, which spread throughout the world.
A bit of history
In 1924, the French poet and writer André Breton published the Manifesto of Surrealism. Five years later, he published a second book on the same topic, which consolidated the success of the first. At the same time, a new direction appeared in Europe in literature, painting, sculpture, photography - surrealism. The adherents of this movement saw art “in a different way”, they sought to create a different aesthetics, which ran counter to traditional ideas about beauty.
A distinctive feature of the works of the surrealists was the use of the paradoxicality of combinations of illusions and forms. Artists skillfully combined invented and present in their paintings. In their opinion, hallucinations, delusions and sleep are able to combine with reality and obtain absolute reality.
The debut exhibition of the Surrealists was held in 1925 in Paris. Its visitors were shocked by the presented works. Despite this, Paris soon became a mecca for surrealists around the world: similar exhibitions were held there with enviable frequency.
By the 70s, surrealism is becoming a thing of the past, leaving behind its legacy principles that are still relevant today.
Famous surrealist painters and their paintings
Salvador Dali is one of the brightest representatives of surrealism in painting. Madness, extravagance and hysteria were characteristic of his paintings. Dali's works are considered one of the most mysterious and original. The most famous are his paintings "The Persistence of Memory", "The Great Masturbator", "Soft Construction with Boiled Beans", "The Riddle of Hitler".
Another prominent representative of surrealism is the Belgian Paul Delvaux. His works resemble images from dreams with nondescript characters that are repeated from plot to plot. In Delvaux's paintings, often naked women are surrounded by clothed men. Among his famous creations: "Wise Virgins", "Awakening the Forest", "Walk", "Man in the Street", "Skeletons in the Office".
Rene Magritte is a compatriot of Paul Delvaux. He entered the history of surrealism as the author of witty and mysterious paintings. His famous works: "Double Secret", "Lovers", "Treachery of Images".
The Spanish artist Joan Miró was at the forefront of surrealism. He described the world of dreams, fairy tales, and specifically his childhood. There is a lot of humor and fun in his works. Among the famous paintings by Miro: "Carnival of the Harlequin", "Plowed Field", "The Reaper", "Miss Chicago".
A special place among surrealist painters is occupied by the Mexican Frida Kahlo. In her work, she focused on self-portraits. There is a lot of fetish and symbols in her works. Popularity gained her paintings: "The Broken Column", "Long Live Life!", "The Wounded Deer", "The Girl with the Mask of Death".
