Max Ernst: A Legend Of Dada

Max Ernst (1891–1976) was a German-born artist and sculptor, and one of the prime movers and shakers of the Dada and Surrealist movements.

His initial area of study was philosophy, but he gradually became preoccupied with painting, which he first started in 1909. He was self-taught, but greatly inspired by Van Gogh and Macke.

Ernst’s life was a full one. He spent time on the Western Front during WWI, an experience which moved and changed him, as it surely did for all participants. He became highly critical of the modern world, which is a fair response.

He was held as an “undesirable foreigner” in France around the time of WWII but eventually fled as a refugee to America, where he was still considered an undesirable foreigner.

Ernst was the third of nine children, married four wives, and produced one child. He finally saw financial success in France in the 1950s, and continued his unusual, prolific artistry until his death in Paris in 1976.

Sculpture, painting, frottage (rubbing), and grattage (similar to frottage) were Max Ernst’s mainstay. He also created novels and pamphlets using collage techniques.

Here are some of his selected oddities: