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Surrealism

Surrealism is a revolutionary cultural and artistic movement that emerged in Europe in the early 1920s, founded on the conviction that rational thought suppresses deeper truths accessible only through the unconscious mind.

Type: Concept Domain: Art Philosophy Humanities Era: 1924 — 1966

Overview

Formally launched by André Breton's 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, the movement drew on Freudian psychoanalytic theory, employing automatic writing, dream imagery, and deliberate juxtaposition of unrelated objects to bypass logical censorship and access raw psychological material.

Why it matters

Surrealism fundamentally challenged Enlightenment assumptions about reason, reshaping the intellectual landscape of the twentieth century. It influenced painting — through Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Frida Kahlo — as well as literature, cinema, theatre, and photography, demonstrating through works like *Un Chien Andalou* that irrational imagery could transform narrative form.

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