Max Ernst

London Arts Gallery, London
Galleria Alexandre Iolas, Milan 
Galerie Klopfer Fine Art, Zurich
Private Collection, Italy (acquired circa 1990-94 and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 20, 2007, lot 380)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Milan, Galleria del Credito Valtellilnese "Refettorio delle Stelline," Max Ernst da collezioni francesi e italiane, 1996-97, no. 74, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Werner Spies, Sigrid & Günter Metken & Jürgen Pech, eds., Max Ernst Oeuvre-Katalog: Werke 1964-69, vol. VII, Cologne, 2007, no. 4485, illustrated p. 322

The panel is sound and there are no signs of retouching visible under UV light. Apart from some very small nicks and losses, notably throughout the cage and at upper center, and some light frame rubbing to the top two corners, this work is in very good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Created in 1965, La Liberté détruite par l'absence is a striking example of Max Ernst’s mature corpus. Against a dream-suffused background in which deep night and sunset appear to be jarringly juxtaposed, a curious cage-like structure protrudes three-dimensionally from the composition with sculptural force. This intriguing mingling of media—metal and paint—causes the viewer to briefly question their own visual perception, whilst ensuring that the cage itself seems to exert a very real presence within its ambient space. The present work forms part of a group of works Ernst created during this period in which a similar cage structure dominates the scene. However, in contrast to many other works within this series, La Liberté détruite par l'absence features a cage in which the central section is open, hinting quite literally at the tantalizing possibility of freedom and liberty.

Ernst was a true giant of the Surrealist movement, creating works throughout his career that serve to both challenge and confront the onlooker whilst equally providing an entrée into an extraordinary world of philosophy and dreams. Philippe de Montebello surmised the extraordinary range and power of Ernst’s art: “Few twentieth century artists have played a role as decisive as Ernst’s in the invention of modern techniques and styles. His paintings and collages, steeped in Freudian metaphor, private mythology, and evocations of childhood memories, are icons of Surrealist art. The collages, even more than the paintings, are emblematic of the Surrealist movement…elements are transformed into fantastic, magical, sometimes disquieting, and always surprising images” (quoted in Werner Spies & Sabine Rewald, ed., Max Ernst, A Retrospective (exhibition catalogue), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2005, p. vii).