Few artistic movements of the 20th century created quite such a stir as Surrealism. Defined by photorealistic precision, abstract figures and fantasy dreamscapes, Surrealism was founded as a "revolutionary movement" by the French poet Andre Breton in 1924. Subversive by nature, it is also strongly associated with Freudian psychoanalysis and the idea of creating art without conscious thought, the ultimate aim, according to the Tate museum, being to "reveal the unconscious and reconcile it with rational life".
Although renowned for the more subdued paintings of the Dutch Golden Age, Holland will this year be throwing the spotlight on Surrealism with a comprehensive new exhibition dedicated to the movement.
Mad About Surrealism will take place at Rotterdam's Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and is produced in collaboration with Hamburg Kunsthalle and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Opening on 11 February, it will showcase masterpieces by legendary Surrealist artists including Rene Magritte, Max Ernst, Joan Miro and, of course, Salvador Dali. Instantly recognisable in both style and subject, the majority of the artwork on display has rarely or never been publicly exhibited before.
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The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is one of the oldest in the Netherlands and already home to the country's largest and most important Surrealist collection, which was acquired by senior curator Renilde Hammacher in the 1970s. Given the museum's long-standing association with Surrealism, the new exhibition not only aims to explore the history and diversity of this iconic cultural movement but also to cast light on the private collectors behind the work on display. These include golfer-turned-collector Gabrielle Keiller; British aristocrat Edward James, whose portrait by Magritte will be on show; artist Roland Penrose, who was a leading figure in establishing the English Surrealist movement, and collector power couple Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch.
Mad About Surrealism is ultimately a fascinating look into lesser-known works by some of the movement's most revered artists, as well as the people who were inspired by them and who played a vital role in Surrealism's enduring appeal.
Mad About Surrealism runs 11 February - 28 May; boijmans.nl
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