Who first used the term magical realism to describe works of artists who put dreamlike images in their paintings?

The term "magical realism" wasn't initially used to describe paintings. It was first used in literary criticism to describe a style of writing that blends realistic elements with fantastical or magical elements.

The first person to use the term "magical realism" in a literary context is widely believed to be Franz Roh, a German art critic, in his 1925 book "After Expressionism: Magic Realism in Painting." However, it's important to note that his use of the term was specific to painting, not literature.

While Roh coined the term, it wasn't widely used until much later, gaining traction in the 1940s and 1950s when it was applied to Latin American literature.

It was Alejo Carpentier, a Cuban writer, who popularized the term in literature with his 1949 essay "The Kingdom of This World," where he discussed the unique blend of realism and magic found in Latin American literature.

So, while Roh may have used the term first, it was Carpentier who truly brought "magical realism" to the forefront of literary discourse. The term has since been applied to various forms of art, including painting, film, and music.