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, Sans-titre, Max Ernst

Max Ernst

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

£454

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

£208,986

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

£49,066

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

£74,508

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

£2,726

Painting, 900 degrés, Jonathan Ouisse

Jonathan Ouisse

Painting - 120 x 110 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 43.3 x 1.2 inch

£5,906

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

£727

Painting, May, Elena Shichko

May

Elena Shichko

Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

£1,454

Sculpture, Monnet (1), Ludo Gianroma

Ludo Gianroma

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

£345

Print, Soleil, Frédéric Menguy

Frédéric Menguy

Print - 57 x 72 x 0.01 cm Print - 22.4 x 28.3 x 0 inch

£345

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

£9,541

Painting, Landscape, Antonio Donghi

Antonio Donghi

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

£40,434

Fine Art Drawings, Comme ce ciel, Clémence Dupuch

Clémence Dupuch

Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

£727

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

£1,272

Sculpture, Le Violon, Terzo Yan

Terzo Yan

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

£908

Painting, Toy Room, Gabriela Lukschal

Gabriela Lukschal

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

£3,180

Fine Art Drawings, Tata, Rosemary Achata

Rosemary Achata

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 23 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 9.1 inch

£291

Painting, Seuls sur scène, Yutao Ge

Yutao Ge

Painting - 120 x 150 x 5 cm Painting - 47.2 x 59.1 x 2 inch

£5,634

Print, Phiole, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 38 x 28.5 x 0.1 cm Print - 15 x 11.2 x 0 inch

£872

Print, Old Faust, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

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

£1,726

Print, Vieux Faust, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 38 x 28.5 x 0.1 cm Print - 15 x 11.2 x 0 inch

£1,454

Print, Bucéphale, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

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

£6,270