Skip to main content

Film still from Un Chien andalou

1929
Luis Buñuel (Spanish (active France), 1900–1983) , and Salvador Dalí (Spanish, 1904–1989)
Julien Levy sold avant-garde journals and books at his gallery, and he himself read deeply about the progressive movements that interested him. In 1936, he compiled a book about Surrealism, designed as an introduction to the subject for an American audience and partly composed of texts by European participants. Levy employed a creative graphic design for the book, as he did for his gallery announcements. Surrealism's dust jacket is based on Joseph Cornell's 1932 design for the gallery's Surréalisme exhibition announcement. Inside the book Levy included examples of art that were not officially Surrealist but paralleled Surrealist principles-including boxes by Cornell-and photographs by Eugène Atget and Henri Cartier-Bresson. An important advocate for Surrealism in the United States, Levy served as dealer and promoter to the painters Salvador Dalí, Yves Tanguy, Leonor Fini, and Roberto Matta, among others. He continued to champion the movement into the 1960s and 1970s, when he discerned the renewed importance of Surrealist ideas for many post-Pop artists.

Object Details

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.