1896 – 1966

FRENCH

SURREALISM

André Breton was a French writer and theorist known as the founder and leading figure of Surrealism. Breton moved to Paris to study medicine, where his experiences working in psychiatric wards during World War I shaped his interest in the unconscious mind. He developed a revolutionary approach to art and literature that emphasized automatism, dreams, and the liberation of thought from rational control. His work explored themes of desire, imagination, and the hidden forces of the psyche, seeking to merge reality and dreams into what he called "surreality." Deeply influenced by Sigmund Freud and Dadaism, Breton's ideas helped define Surrealism as both an artistic movement and a philosophical outlook that challenged traditional cultural values. Through his manifestos and writings, he profoundly influenced modern art and literature, inspiring generations of artists to explore the unconscious and the transformative power of imagination.