Green apples, melted clocks, and unknown creatures—surrealism is among the most recognizable art movements of the past two hundred years, but what inspired it? And what can we learn from its otherworldly aesthetics today?
Join Dr. Leonard Folgarait (distinguished professor, emeritus, of history of art and architecture at Vanderbilt University) for a closer look at the surrealist art movement, presented in conjunction with International Surrealism from Tate: Fifty Years of Dreams.
The lecture will begin with an overview of the European context in which the Surrealist movement began before diving into a detailed investigation of some key images from the movement by artists such as René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, and Meret Oppenheim. The lecture itself will not be stuck in the past, however, as Folgarait is interested not only in the history and context of the movement but also the continued relevance of surrealism in today’s challenging political context.
About Dr. Leonard Folgarait
Leonard Folgarait is perhaps best known for his decades-long career at Vanderbilt University, where he served most recently as distinguished professor of history of art and architecture, and also as chair of the department. His areas of teaching and research are the modern art of Latin America, with a specialization in the art of Mexico, and modern European and American art and architecture. Other special interests include the relationship between art and politics, early cubism, surrealism, performance art, film, photography, and historiography.
Folgarait has published four books on modern Mexican art, and his articles have appeared in journals such as Oxford Art Journal, Arts Magazine, Art History, Works and Days, and Quintana. He has served on the editorial boards of Latin American and LatinxVisual Culture and the Getty Research Journal. He is currently developing a critical study of the self-portraits of Frida Kahlo.
Top image: Salvador Dalí. Autumnal Cannibalism, 1936. Oil on canvas; 25 5/8 x 25 5/8 in. Tate, Purchased 1975. © 2026 Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, Artists Rights Society. Photo: Tate
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