Despite the rich history of fantasy, the Fantastic art of the 20th century is quite different from that of its predecessors. It is considered to be one of the major movements of the 20th century, which continues to impact artists to this day. Originating in 1916 as a reaction to World War I and coming to a close before the end of World War II in 1940, Fantastic art stressed the growing interest in and preoccupation with an alternate way of living and thinking as a way to counter the destruction of war and the threat of the developing technology.
Fantastic artists felt threatened by the Italian movement called Futurism that embraced the beauty of machines and celebrated speed, technology, and violence. At the time of war, the Futurists' aggressive approach to artmaking hailed the power of man over nature. Their worship of the new and growing industry of weapons struck the Fantastic artists as offensive and dangerous. Futurists' glorification of warfare and rising fascism also posed a threat. The Fantastic artists felt that they were being robbed of their individuality that had to be saved with their personal interpretations of imagination, emotion, and instinct.
Fantastic art can be distinguished by its two unique styles Dadaism and Surrealism. The Dada movement developed in 1916 and came to an end in 1923, leading to the birth of Surrealism in 1924. An important presence in the history of Fantastic art can also be claimed by the Independents, Fantastic artists who did not align themselves with either, Dadaism or Surrealism. These artists were interested in exploring their personal take on fantasy without adopting an art movement's goals or affiliations.