André Breton published the first Surrealist Manifesto in 1924. Titled Manifeste du surréalisme, the text set out Surrealism’s aims and helped establish the movement as a major force in modern art and literature.
Breton defined Surrealism as a form of pure psychic automatism. He wanted artists and writers to express thought with as little control from reason, convention, or conscious moral judgment as possible. Dreams, chance, and unconscious associations therefore became important sources of inspiration.
The manifesto appeared in Paris, where Surrealist circles had developed from the experimental culture surrounding Dada and the aftermath of the First World War. Breton’s role as organizer and editor made him the movement’s central public spokesman.
The year 1924 is sometimes confused with 1917, when Guillaume Apollinaire used the word “surrealism,” or with 1929, when Breton issued a second manifesto. Those are related milestones, but the first manifesto belongs specifically to 1924.