Max Ernst: A Retrospective

Max Ernst (1891–1976) was a pivotal figure in the history of twentieth-century art. A leader of the Dada movement in Germany, he later joined the circle of writers and artists gathered in Paris around André Breton, the unofficial founder of the Surrealist movement. At the outset of World War II, Ernst fled Germany for the United States, first going to New York and eventually settling in Sedona, Arizona. Ernst returned to Europe in 1950 and continued to explore Surrealist imagery and methods throughout his life.

This important book accompanies the first retrospective exhibition of Ernst’s work held in the United States in thirty years. It examines his pioneering accomplishments in painting, collage, and sculpture and considers his use of the techniques of frottage, grattage, and decalcomania. Also featured are Ernst’s unique collage novels--narratives comprising disparate images culled from nineteenth-century engravings and combined in surreal, unsettling compositions. Leading scholars write on various aspects of Ernst’s life and art: Werner Spies on Ernst in America; Ludger Derenthal on Ernst and politics; Pepe Karmel on Ernst and contemporary art; Thomas Gaehtgens on Ernst and the old masters; and Robert Storr on the collage novels.

A comprehensive look at the life and work of a pioneering 20th-century artist

Library Journal

This is the catalog of a centennial retrospective of Ernst's work held at London's Tate Gallery and in Germany. Spies, the leading Ernst scholar, delivers a dense but accessible introduction to the artist's ideas and work, followed by 250 very good color plates, Ernst's own extensive biographical notes, and specialized essays by four other authors on particular aspects of Ernst's oeuvre. An excellent introduction to this complex and difficult genius of Dada and Surrealism, this book covers all periods of Ernst's rich history in detail. Key works not included in the exhibit are included in the plates, making this a more thorough survey than most exhibition catalogs (though Spies's complete catalog has already reached seven volumes). Highly recommended for all art collections.-- Jack Perry Brown, Ryerson & Burnham Libs., Art Inst . of Chicago

Werner Spies is an Ernst scholar and art critic.