Who founded the Surrealist movement by publishing the 1924 Surrealist Manifesto?

André Breton founded the Surrealist movement by publishing the 1924 Surrealist Manifesto.

Breton was a French writer, poet, and critic who became Surrealism’s principal organizer and theorist. His manifesto defined Surrealism as “pure psychic automatism,” meaning an attempt to express thought without the controls of reason or conventional artistic rules. The movement drew on dreams, free association, and unexpected combinations.

Breton had been involved with Dada before developing Surrealism in Paris. The 1924 manifesto helped distinguish the new movement from Dada, although several important artists and writers moved between the two circles. Breton’s role was influential but sometimes controversial because he tried to enforce shared principles within a movement known for experimentation. The manifesto is often confused with Breton’s later 1928 book Nadja, which is a literary work rather than the founding declaration.