Movement in art, literature, and film that
developed out of Dada around 1922. Led by
Andre Breton, who produced the Surrealist
Manifesto 1924, the Surrealists were inspired
by the thoughts and visions of the
subconscious mind. They explored varied
styles and techniques, and the movement was
the dominant force in Western art between
World Wars I and II. Surrealism followed the
Freudian theory of the unconscious. In art it
encompassed Masson's automatic drawings,
paintings based on emotive semi-abstract
forms (Ernst, Miro, Tanguy), and dreamlike
images painted in a realistic style (Dali,
Magritte). The poets Aragon and Eluard and
the film-maker Bunuel were also part of the
movement.