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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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

$276,708

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

$962

Print, Canoe, Peter Doig

Peter Doig

Print - 59.5 x 75 cm Print - 23.4 x 29.5 inch

$5,053

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

$64,967

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

$3,609

Painting, Chien froid, Peter Doig

Peter Doig

Painting - 106.5 x 75 x 3 cm Painting - 41.9 x 29.5 x 1.2 inch

$541,388

Print, Holiday, Lars Tunebo

Lars Tunebo

Print - 49.5 x 37 cm Print - 19.5 x 14.6 inch

$593

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

$12,632

Fine Art Drawings, Memories, Rosemary Achata

Rosemary Achata

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

$626

Painting, Landscape, Antonio Donghi

Antonio Donghi

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

$53,537

Sculpture, Adalyn, Françoise Leblond

Françoise Leblond

Sculpture - 40 x 29 x 0.5 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 11.4 x 0.2 inch

$1,083

Print, Kyoto, Teddy Gardez

Teddy Gardez

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

$698

Sculpture, Le Violon, Terzo Yan

Terzo Yan

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

$1,202

Painting, Nos Récoltes, Yutao Ge

Yutao Ge

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

$4,211

Sculpture, Botero, Ludo Gianroma

Ludo Gianroma

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

$457

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

$1,684

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

$1,805

Print, Henry V, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

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

$962

Print, The Kiss, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 40 x 25 x 0.2 cm Print - 15.7 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch

$1,805

Print, Anemone, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 35 x 25 x 0.1 cm Print - 13.8 x 9.8 x 0 inch

$2,647

Print, Apollon, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 75.5 x 53.7 x 0.1 cm Print - 29.7 x 21.1 x 0 inch

$2,166

Print, Old Age, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 60.8 x 43 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.9 x 16.9 x 0 inch

$2,166

Print, The Dance, Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$1,444