Oscar Dominguez, Marcel Duchamp, René Magritte, Yves Tanguy, etc. Ernst Max -
Fini Leonor -
Giacometti Alberto -
Lam Wifredo -
Man Ray -
Masson André -
Matta Roberto -
Moore Henry -
Picabia Francis -
Picasso Pablo -
Prassinos Mario -
Ubac Raoul -
Arp Jean -
Bryen Camille -
Tanning Dorothéa -
Bellmer Hans -
Dali Salvador -
Hayter S.-William -
Léger Fernand -
Miro Joan -
Bury Pol -
Goetz Henri -
De Chirico Giorgio -
Delvaux Paul -
Motherwell Robert -
Prévert Jacques -
Magritte René -
Sutherland Graham -
Michaux Henri -
Adam Henri-Georges -
Seligmann Kurt -
Riopelle Jean-Paul -
Baj Enrico -
Brauner Victor -
Visat Georges -
Char René -
Bo Lars -
Guth Hella -
André Breton created this literary and artistic movement in 1924 with the publication of his Manifesto of Surrealism. In it, he gave the following definition of surrealism: “Surrealism, n. Psychical automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express – verbally, by means of the written word, or in any other manner – the actual functioning of thought. Dictated by the thought, in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any esthetic or moral concern.”
Enthused, many artists joined this new movement.
In 1928, in Surrealism and Painting, Breton gave the Surrealist definition of art, as follows:
”It is the inner representation of the image as it presents itself to the mind.” Thus, Surrealists practiced automatic writing and automatic art creation, le cadavre exquis; they used collages, they created objects or sculptures whose function was purely symbolic. Through the years, they published many reviews. Their very first art show, La Peinture Surréaliste, took place in Paris in 1925. Between 1927 and 1935, the movement lost its cohesion because of political disagreement within the group.
However by 1934 the movement had become international and in its European phase lasted until the Second World war. Many large shows were presented, among the most successful ones, London in 1936, and Paris in 1938, where the greatest artists from this movement were represented.
During the war, many artists left Europe for the United States; their influence on American painting was deeply felt.
Surrealism survived albeit chaotically until 1969.
Index chosen on the movements, important currents and events in the XX 2nd century art
I wanted to give here, with 46 various short introductions, some general elements on the movements or currents of art, groups or exhibitions, which concern the artists whose works are presented in gallery or were it recently. The table, above, will make it possible to visually locate the periods or dates in time.
Each entry is followed of a list of the principal artists belonging to the movement or current. It may be that there is only one simple relationship between such or such artist and the movement in which in theory one locates it (Click on the names in blue to reveal work or works currently in stock).
It will be understood, some movements are represented much than of others in my gallery. The same artist will be often found in several movements (as each one knows it, it was thus).
Although these some introductions, briefly developed, are not addressed to the specialists, they will forgive me the few lapses of memory or choices which would lend to discussion. I hope that these tiny introductions will be however useful to some of you. Michelle Champetier
