Surrealism, a significant artistic and intellectual movement that dominated the 20th century still inspires an avid interest today. Surrealist exhibitions proliferate the world over, and books devoted to the movement's illustrious participants abound. Rather than the lingering memory of a past poetic and pictorial adventure, Surrealism has proven to be a permanently relevant force.

Written by Sarane Alexandrian, a friend and secretary to André Breton and one of Surrealism's most prominent historians, this book offers a dynamic comparison of the great and minor masters of Surrealism, via more than 200 illustrations demonstrating the myriad possibilities of these visionary and revelatory works. This volume pays tribute to the powers of the imagination, the random surprises of daily life and the observation of inexplicable phenomenon, while recognizing the sense of sacredness conveyed by cosmic mysteries, and adding to all the creative marvels seized by these artists the climax of their own inspiration. This book reveals how Surrealist painting, through its spirit and its audacious techniques, was fully engaged in the battle of modern art.