Born to a middle-class Catholic family near Cologne, Germany, Max Ernst (1891–1976) was prominent in both the Dada and the Surrealist movements, making his mark as a painter, sculptor and maker of enigmatic objects. Known for his interest in the unconscious, social commentary and experimentations with subjects and techniques, he was a witness to the evolution of the 20th century. Traumatized by his service in the German Army during World War I, Ernst made a name for himself in Paris in the early 1920s through an exhibition of his early collages along with with the powerful imagery and impressive crafstmanship of paintings such as The Elephant Celebes (1921) and Oedipus Rex (1922). After settling in the Frech capital in 1922, Ernst invented a graphic art technique called frottage (pencil rubbings of objects as sources of images), which was soon followed by grattage (in which paint is scraped against canvas), which he used in Forest and Dove (1927). He began sculpting in the mid-1930s while producing such ominous paintings as The Petrified City in 1933, the year the Nazis took power, and Barbarians Marching to the West (1935). In 1938, American heiress and art patron Peggy Guggenheim acquired a number of his works, and later helped Ernst flee to the U.S. after World War II broke out, eventually marrying him in 1942. By 1948, Ernst had remarried to artist Dorothea Tanning, and settled with her in Sedona, Arizona, until 1953, during which time he compiled his book, Beyond Painting and completed his sculptural masterpiece, Capricorn. Ernst was awarded the Grand Prize for painting at the 1954 Venice BIennale.

Max Ernst

Modern Evening Auction

Max Ernst (1891 - 1976) Jeune homme au coeur battant ou Sateur de mur ou Oiseau vole bronze Height: 25 ⅛ in. 63.7 cm. Conceived in 1944 and cast between 1953-56 in an edition of eight by the Modern Art Foundry, New York. Dr. Jürgen Pech has confirmed the authenticity of this work.

View 1 of Lot 148: Jeune homme au coeur battant ou Sateur de mur ou Oiseau vole

jeune homme au coeur battant ou sateur de mur ou oiseau vole

Modern Day Auction

Property from an Esteemed Private Collection

Property from an Esteemed Private Collection Max Ernst 1891 - 1976 Landscape (Arizona Mountains) signed Max Ernst (lower right) oil decalcomania on paper 6 by 8 ¼ in. 15.2 by 21 cm. Executed circa 1949. Dr. Jürgen Pech has confirmed the authenticity of this work, which will be included in the supplementary volume of the Complete Works of Max Ernst now in preparation, edited by Prof. Dr Werner Spies in collaboration with Dr. Jürgen Pech and Sigrid Metken.

View 1 of Lot 412: Landscape (Arizona Mountains)

landscape (arizona mountains)

Property from an Important Private Collection

Property from an Important Private Collection Max Ernst 1891 - 1976 Oiseau-tête bronze height: 20 ¾ in. 52.7 cm. Conceived in 1934-35; this example cast between 1956-68 by Modern Art Foundry, New York in an edition of 9. Dr. Jürgen Pech has confirmed the authenticity of this work, which will be included in the supplementary volume of the Complete Works of Max Ernst now in preparation, edited by Prof. Dr Werner Spies in collaboration with Dr. Jürgen Pech and Sigrid Metken.

oiseau-tête

Modern & Contemporary Discoveries

Max Ernst 1891 - 1976 En plein vol signed Max Ernst (lower right) and titled en plein vol (lower left) charcoal and chalk on paper. 46 by 33 cm. 18 ⅛ by 13 in. Executed in 1966.

en plein vol

Expanding Horizons: the Hedreen Collection

Expanding Horizons: the Hedreen Collection Max Ernst (1891 - 1976) Personnages dont un sans tête signed Max Ernst (lower left) oil, sand, stone and enamel on canvas 63 ¾ by 51 ½ in. 161.9 by 130.8 cm. Executed in 1927.

View 1 of Lot 141: Personnages dont un sans tête

personnages dont un sans tête

Le parquet se soulève, by<a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=max+ernst&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Max Ernst</a>, 1939 (Red).<ul><li>Sold as a set of 6.</li><li>Max Ernst (German 1891-1976).</li><li>Lithographs in red on Chine applique on BFK Rives paper.</li><li>Hand-signed and numbered.</li><li>Part of an edition of 25.</li><li>This work is presented unframed.</li></ul> This series consists of 6 original hand signed lithographs by the artist Max Ernst. Each one of these six lithographs is hand signed in pencil by the artist "max ernst" at the lower right margin. The work has been inscribed with the number 15/25 by another hand in the lower left corner. They were created to accompany the poems of Jean Tardieu. They were printed by J.E. Wolfensberger in 1973, in a limited edition of only 84 copies and published by Editions Brunidor and Editions Apeiros, Zurich. However, only the 25 first sets included the deluxe suite of these lithographs in different colors.&nbsp;Each one of the 6 lithographs was printed on separate sheet of Chine paper that was then supported on BFK Rives paper, which bears the "BFK Rives France" watermark.

Le Parquet se Soulève (Red)

First-edition illustrated copy of Mr. Knife Miss Fork.<ul><li>René Crevel (French).</li><li>Translated by Kay Boyle (American).</li><li>Illustrated by Max Ernst (German).</li><li>Paris:&nbsp;The Black Sun Press,&nbsp;1931.</li><li>38, [8] pages.</li><li>Octavo.</li><li>19 Cliché-verre prints ("photograms," after frottage).</li><li>One of 200 copies on finest bristol paper, of 255 total.</li><li>Bound in publisher's gilt stamped cloth, designed by Ernst, some rubbing to gilt spine.</li></ul>

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