Magic Realism

The turn of phrase of magic realism was invented by German photographer, art historian and art critic Franz Roh in 1925 when he wished to describe modern realist paintings that portrayed fantastical or dream-like topics as their subjects of attention. The term originates from Roh's book Nach Expressionismus: Magischer Realismus which translates as “After Expressionism: Magic Realism".

In 20th century European culture, Magic Realism partook in a reactionary movement against modern or avant-garde art, known as the return to order. This movement in the arts was largely founded around a philosophy that came as a result of the legacy of the First World War. Magic realist artists included Giorgio de Chirico, Alberto Savinio and others in Italy, and Alexander Kanoldt and Adolf Ziegler in neighboring Germany. Magic Realism is closely related to the dreamlike depictions of Surrealism and Neo-Romanticism in France. The term is also used to describe the work of certain painters from across the pond in America in the 1940s and 1950s including Paul Cadmus, Philip Evergood and Ivan Albright. It has also been known to describe the practices of literature, such as the writing of Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel García Márquez.

Discover on Artsper some of the best contemporary artists of the magic realist expression!

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Print, Henry V, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 44 x 31.2 cm Print - 17.3 x 12.3 inch

£721

Fine Art Drawings, Daydream, Nino Eliashvili

Nino Eliashvili

Fine Art Drawings - 41.5 x 29.5 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.3 x 11.6 x 0 inch

£721

Painting, Golafre, Joan Miró

Joan Miró

Painting - 101.8 x 72.5 x 0.04 cm Painting - 40.1 x 28.5 x 0 inch

£207,192

Fine Art Drawings, Que Font Ces Gens, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Fine Art Drawings - 15.5 x 9.5 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.1 x 3.7 x 0.1 inch

£73,869

Fine Art Drawings, Non title, Joan Miró

Joan Miró

Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 44 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 17.3 x 0.2 inch

£48,645

Painting, Rebel, Nino Eliashvili

Nino Eliashvili

Painting - 100.5 x 70.5 x 3 cm Painting - 39.6 x 27.8 x 1.2 inch

£2,703

Fine Art Drawings, Memories, Rosemary Achata

Rosemary Achata

Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 51 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 20.1 inch

£468

Fine Art Drawings, Landscape, Giorgio de Chirico

Giorgio de Chirico

Fine Art Drawings - 13 x 19 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.1 x 7.5 x 0.1 inch

£9,459

Painting, Landscape, Antonio Donghi

Antonio Donghi

Painting - 38 x 49 x 1 cm Painting - 15 x 19.3 x 0.4 inch

£40,087

Painting, Toy Room, Gabriela Lukschal

Gabriela Lukschal

Painting - 76 x 72 x 3 cm Painting - 29.9 x 28.3 x 1.2 inch

£3,153

Print, Kyoto, Teddy Gardez

Teddy Gardez

Print - 80 x 60 x 0.2 cm Print - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch

£522

Sculpture, Le Violon, Terzo Yan

Terzo Yan

Sculpture - 35 x 12 x 5 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 4.7 x 2 inch

£900

Painting, Nos Récoltes, Yutao Ge

Yutao Ge

Painting - 100 x 100 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1 inch

£3,153

Painting, A slow Sound, Yi Zhang

Yi Zhang

Painting - 20 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

£1,261

Fine Art Drawings, Unstable fantasy, Amber MA

Amber MA

Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 22.5 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 8.9 x 0.4 inch

£1,351

Sculpture, Botero, Ludo Gianroma

Ludo Gianroma

Sculpture - 22 x 28 x 2 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 11 x 0.8 inch

£342

Print, Sainte Lucie, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 90.2 x 63.5 x 1.5 cm Print - 35.5 x 25 x 0.6 inch

£6,554

Print, Old Faust, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 38 x 28 x 0.1 cm Print - 15 x 11 x 0 inch

£1,712

Print, Bucéphale, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 68 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 26.8 x 19.7 x 0 inch

£6,216

Print, Minotaure, Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso

Print - 49 x 36 x 0.5 cm Print - 19.3 x 14.2 x 0.2 inch

£721