Surrealism was an art and literature movement that began in the early 20th century. It was a cultural movement that sought to challenge the traditional views of reality by creating works of art and literature that were based on the subconscious mind. Surrealists used techniques such as automatic writing, free association, and dream analysis to create works that often contained elements of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions, and non-sequiturs. The movement was led by French poet and critic Andre Breton, who wrote the Surrealist Manifesto in 1924. Surrealism had a major influence on many other artistic movements, including abstract expressionism, pop art, and postmodernism.