2. MAX ERNST
• Born April 2nd 1891 in Bruhl Germany
• Joined the German army
• Part of the Dada and Surrealist
movement
• Moved to Paris in 1922
• Great friend to Andre Britton who
published a surrealist book called
“Surrealisme et la Peinture” which
Ernst named a Painting after.
• His work is filled with birds one of
them being his alter ego “LopLop”
• LopLop appears in most of his works
of art.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=tQJD7inost4
• Invented a technique called
Frottage which is taking rubbings of
different surfaces and combining
them to make something new.
• Ernst also used Grattage, which are
scrapping paint from textured
surface to find inexpected
revelations figures and patterns.
• Decalcomania was also used by
Ernst which is the pressing of paint
between two surfaces with a piece
of glass leaving textured traces of
paint behind.
4. SURREALISME ET LA
PEINTURE
(SURREALISM AND
PAINTING)
Ernst wanted to reduce the chance of
his conscious to control over his work.
Most of his works were left to the
imagination to interpret and could be
interpreted in many ways.
He wanted your imagination to wonder
off and make you feel liberated.
1942, Oil on Canvas 6’5” x 7’8
The Menil Collectin, Houston TX
5. L’Ange DU FOYER
The fireside angel
(Triumph of Surrealism)
1937, Oil on Canvas
114 cm x 146 cm
Private Collection
6. L’ANGE DU FOYER
THE FIRESIDE ANGEL
• Picture painted after the defeat of the
Republicans in Spain.
• He expresses his feeling of helplessness
with the menace of coming fascism.
• The bird monster figure is rampaging
and destroying everything in its path.
• Ironic Title, translates to “The ange of
Hearth and Home”
• Its destructive potential is stressed by its
aggressive colors.
• Uses Intensity and contrast of colors
7. ATTIREMENT
OF THE BRIDE
• 1940, Oil on Canvas
• 51 x 37 7/8 inches
• Peggy Guggenheim
Collection
• Venice, Italy
8. ATTIREMENT OF THE BRIDE
• The bride is being attended by a nude figure
whose headdress is done by Ernst using
decalcomania technique.
• The bride is resting her head right below the
breasts of her servant meaning that there was
probably a love affair between them while
the servant looks at the picture of the bride in
the background walking in field of ruins.
• Ernst came up with this painting after looking
at a stain for many hours.
• This work of art uses strong contrast of
light and shadow.
• The bride often interpreted to be his
lover, Leonora Carrington.
• The green bird said to be Ernst, is
pointing a broken spear at her
midsection while the little green imp at
the bottom right weeps maybe from
loss of battle.
• The bride wears red feathery owl
headdress and cape but the face
cannot be seen.
• Weird little face right above her breast,
and one eye can be seen out of the
hole.
9. THE ANTIPOPE
DECEMBER 1941- MARCH 1942, OIL ON
CANVAS 63 ¼ X 50 INCHES, PEGGY
GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION, VENICE,
ITALY.
10. THE ANTIPOPE
• In 1941 Ernst fled to New York, With the
help of Peggy Guggenheim, who he
later married, he was escaping from
Europe because of WW2.
• The Human-horse figure on the right is
interpreted as Ernst, who is being
fondled by the green figure and the
middle pink figure who were identified
as Peggy Guggenheim.
• Towards the middle of the picture is
another figure looking into the lake who
is identified as Pageen who was
Peggy’s daughter.
• The Pageen figure seems to have two faces
one looking at the horse figure on the right
and the other looking at the lake.
• The Horse-woman on the left was said to be
Leonora Carrington, who he was very involved
with while being with Peggy. Carrington was
said to have an obsession with horses as Ernst
had with birds.
• The spear that almost cuts the painting into
halves suggests Carrington and Ernst’s
separation as Carrington returned to Mexico
with her husband.
• Ernst soon divorced Guggenheim.
11. • After his divorce with Peggy
Guggenheim he married Dorothea
Tanning.
• Settled in Arizona for a while
• Moved back to France in 1950
where he received a grand prize for
painting at the Venice Biennale in
1954
• Died on April 1st 1976 in Paris.
12. HOW MANY WERE THERE??
Louise Straus 1st wife
(1918–27)
Max Ernst et Marie Berthe
Aurenche(1927–42)
