Jimmy Ernst Paintings

American, German, 1920-1984

An important and influential artist and educator, Jimmy Ernst was associated with two of the twentieth century's major art movements—Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. The son of the Surrealist painter Max Ernst and the art historian Louise Straus, he was born Hans Ulrich Ernst in Cologne, Germany, on June 24, 1920. His parents divorced two years later, and his father moved to Paris, while Ernst stayed in Cologne with his mother. In 1930, Ernst traveled to Paris to visit his father, where he met many of the Surrealists including Luis Buñuel, Salvador Dalí, Andre Masson, Jean Miró, and Man Ray. After Hitler's rise to power in 1933, the Ernst apartment in Cologne was searched, and his mother began to fear for their safety. He was sent to live with his maternal grandfather, while his mother moved to Paris. Five years later, in 1938, Ernst immigrated to the United States. After settling in New York, he met other European exiles and members of the avant-garde. Ernst petitioned the Emergency Rescue Committee in 1941 to help his parents escape France. His father successfully fled Europe in 1941, arriving in America with Peggy Guggenheim. However, his attempt to rescue his mother was unsuccessful. In 1944 she was sent to Auschwitz, where she died. Ernst had his first solo exhibition at Norlyst Gallery in New York in 1941. On October 20, 1942, Guggenheim's legendary Art of this Century Gallery opened with Ernst as Director, a role that further associated him with the New York avant-garde. In 1950, he joined such eminent artists as Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko in the famous "Irascible Eighteen." The largely Abstract Expressionist group protested the perceived anti-abstractionist bias of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and drew much attention to the New York School. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Ernst exhibited in the Grace Borgenicht Gallery, Inc., New York, and in various other galleries across in the United States and abroad. Ernst married Edith Dallas Bauman in 1947. They had two children, Amy Louise (1953) and Eric Max (1956). In 1969 Ernst moved to East Hampton, New York where he lived off and on for the rest of his life. In 1982 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate by Southampton College of Long Island University. Shortly before his death, in 1983, Ernst was elected to the American Academy and the Institute of Arts and Letters, both in New York. Ernst died suddenly of a stroke on February 6, 1984, in New York. His works are owned by numerous world-class public collections, including the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

Artist: Jimmy Ernst

Jimmy Ernst"Personal Equation" Jimmy Ernst, Abstract Surrealism, Black, Red, Blue, White, 1950

$28,000Sale Price|20% Off

"Personal Equation" Jimmy Ernst, Abstract Surrealism, Black, Red, Blue, White

By Jimmy Ernst

Located in New York, NY

Jimmy Ernst Personal Equation, 1950 Signed and dated lower right Oil on canvas 41 x 39 1/2 inches Provenance: Laurel Gallery, New York Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York Collection ...

Category

1940s Surrealist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Jimmy ErnstBlack on Black #4, 1962

$24,000

Black on Black #4

By Jimmy Ernst

Located in Miami, FL

The artist has painted the work in matte black and gloss black. It a sense this is also an optical art “Op Art” in that it changes as the light changes. Jimmy Ernst was a major figure of the New York School of abstract painting and part of The Irascibles, and son of Max Ernst: Provenance: Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, New York; Joseph H. Hirshhorn, New York and Washington, D.C. (acquired from the above in 1966); Joseph H. Hirshhorn bequest, Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C., 1981; Sotheby's Arcade, New York, New York, February 24, 1995, lot 331; The Jeanne and Carroll Berry...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Enamel

Jimmy ErnstModern art painted disc by Jimmy Ernst, 1968

$5,500

Modern art painted disc by Jimmy Ernst

By Jimmy Ernst

Located in Colfax, CA

Painted mixed media by Jimmy Ernst. Jimmy Ernst, (1920-1984), was born in Cologne, Germany, the son of famous German Surrealist Max Ernst, and Luise Straus-Ernst, a well-known art hi...

Category

1960s Abstract Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Metal

Jack HammackTabletop Still Life Mid-century Abstract Painting, 1957

$900

H 27 in W 23 in D 1 in

Tabletop Still Life Mid-century Abstract Painting

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Jack Hammack (1924-1990) Cubist Tabletop Still Life, 1957 Oil on paper measuring 16 x 20 inches. Framed measurement, 23 x 27 inches. Signed and dated lower right.

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

SOPHIE DUMONTQuiet structure, Abstract Library, oil paint, Expressionism, Contemporary art, 2026

$2,189

H 22.45 in W 22.45 in D 0.79 in

Quiet structure, Abstract Library, oil paint, Expressionism, Contemporary art

By SOPHIE DUMONT

Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR

Point d’Équilibre Oil on canvas 50 x 50 cm (19.7 x 19.7 in) Framed dimensions available upon request Floater frame in natural wood (also available in black and oak) Signed on the fro...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Oil

SOPHIE DUMONTPoint d'equilibre, Abstract Library, oil paint, Expressionism, Contemporary art, 2026

$2,248

H 22.45 in W 22.45 in D 0.79 in

Point d'equilibre, Abstract Library, oil paint, Expressionism, Contemporary art

By SOPHIE DUMONT

Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR

Point d’Équilibre Oil on canvas 50 x 50 cm (19.7 x 19.7 in) Framed dimensions available upon request Floater frame in natural wood (also available in black) Signed on the front Born...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Oil

SOPHIE DUMONTPause artistique : Abstract Studio, Still life, Contemporary Cubism, French, 2024

$3,431

H 26.38 in W 26.38 in D 1.38 in

Pause artistique : Abstract Studio, Still life, Contemporary Cubism, French

By SOPHIE DUMONT

Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR

Framed size: 67 x 67 cm (26.37 x 26.37 in) Unframed size: 60 x 60 cm (23.62 x 23.62 in) Choose the frame: wood or black Signed: Sophie Dumont in front and on the back of the canvas O...

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21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Oil

Warren A. WolfAn Abstract Geometric "Men of Matthew", 1959

$750

H 26.75 in W 33.75 in D 1.25 in

An Abstract Geometric "Men of Matthew"

Located in San Francisco, CA

It’s time to bury the so-last-century idea that folks are either "right-brained,” i.e., naturally creative, or (boringly) "left-brained," always operating logically. And here’s just ...

Category

1950s Abstract Geometric Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

SOPHIE DUMONTLarge Contemporary Bookshelf Painting – Oil on Canvas in Blue, Ochre and Ivory, 2025

$4,497

H 22.45 in W 61.82 in D 1.38 in

Large Contemporary Bookshelf Painting – Oil on Canvas in Blue, Ochre and Ivory

By SOPHIE DUMONT

Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR

This large horizontal abstract painting by French artist Sophie Dumont is an oil on canvas measuring 150 x 50 cm (59 x 19.7 in). It is presented in a floater frame, available in eit...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Oil

Jocelyn Auld"Two Figures with Doorway" Original Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting, Signed, 2026

$750

H 11 in W 14 in D 0.63 in

"Two Figures with Doorway" Original Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting, Signed

Located in Soquel, CA

"Two Figures with Doorway" Original Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting, Signed Vibrant oil painting by Jocelyn Auld (American, b. 1999.) Two abstracted figures stand to the left of ...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Wood, Masonite, Oil

Leonardo NiermanTempest, Signed Abstract Expressionist Oil on Masonite by Leonardo Nierman, 1995

$10,000

H 36.5 in W 48.5 in

Tempest, Signed Abstract Expressionist Oil on Masonite by Leonardo Nierman

By Leonardo Nierman

Located in Long Island City, NY

Leonardo Nierman's paintings vibrantly come to life as they capture the intensity and spontaneity of the dynamic forces that rule both nature and the cosmos. With swirling whirlpools...

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1990s Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Oil, Masonite

SOPHIE DUMONTSilence des livres - Modern Abstract painting, Geometric, Original Oil on Canvas, 2026

Sold|~~$3,786~~

H 26.38 in W 26.38 in D 1.38 in

Silence des livres - Modern Abstract painting, Geometric, Original Oil on Canvas

By SOPHIE DUMONT

Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR

French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont is known for her abstracted library compositions and layered oil technique. Working from her studio in Normandy, she builds each canvas thr...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Oil

Earl HillGas Station Attendant (African American artist), 1966

$3,000

H 18 in W 15 in

Gas Station Attendant (African American artist)

By Earl Hill

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Earl Hill (1927-1985). Gas Station Attendant, 1966. Oil on masonite panel, 10.5 x 13.5 inches, 15 x 18 inches framed. Signed and dated lower right. Inscribed...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Antique American Abstract Expressionist Framed Original Oil Painting, 1950

$875

H 24 in W 20 in D 2 in

Antique American Abstract Expressionist Framed Original Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Antique American abstract oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a giltwood molding. Excellent condition, ready to hang and en...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Jocelyn AudetteAmerica Rising - Patriotic 9/11 Figurative Abstract, 2001

$850

H 26 in W 22 in D 1.5 in

America Rising - Patriotic 9/11 Figurative Abstract

By Jocelyn Audette

Located in Soquel, CA

Vivid and evocative abstracted painting of 9/11 by artist Jocelyn Audette (American, b. 1952), circa 2001. Impasto adds texture and interest. Label on verso with artist's name. Pres...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Oil, Masonite

Previously Available Items

Jimmy ErnstUntitled 1963 Abstract Oil Painting by Jimmy Ernst, 1963

Sold

H 8.5 in W 8.25 in

Untitled 1963 Abstract Oil Painting by Jimmy Ernst

By Jimmy Ernst

Located in Hudson, NY

This abstract is signed and dated "Jimmy Ernst 63" on the lower right. Measurement of artwork is 8 ½" x 8 ¼" and framed measures 15 ½" x 15" x 1 ¼" in a painted frame. Provenance: Gift from the artist to his personal friend architect John Johansen...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Jimmy Ernst"2:19 Blues" Jimmy Ernst, Louis Armstrong Jazz, Abstract Surrealism, 1947

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H 25 in W 24 in

"2:19 Blues" Jimmy Ernst, Louis Armstrong Jazz, Abstract Surrealism

By Jimmy Ernst

Located in New York, NY

Jimmy Ernst 2:19 Blues, 1947 Signed and dated lower right; signed, titled, and dated on the reverse Oil on canvas 23 x 22 inches Provenance: Private Collection, New Jersey An impor...

Category

1940s Surrealist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Jimmy Ernst"Untitled, " Jimmy Ernst, Abstract Expressionism, Black Red Midcentury Surrealism, 1950

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H 18 in W 13.5 in

"Untitled, " Jimmy Ernst, Abstract Expressionism, Black Red Midcentury Surrealism

By Jimmy Ernst

Located in New York, NY

Jimmy Ernst Untitled, 1950 Watercolor on paper 18 x 13 1/2 inches Signed and dated lower right Provenance: Gift of the artist, Long Island, NY, circa 1960 Estate of the above, 2020...

Category

1950s Surrealist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Jimmy Ernst"Untitled, " Jimmy Ernst, Abstract Expressionism, Black Red Midcentury Surrealism, 1950

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H 18 in W 13.5 in

"Untitled, " Jimmy Ernst, Abstract Expressionism, Black Red Midcentury Surrealism

By Jimmy Ernst

Located in New York, NY

Jimmy Ernst Untitled, 1950 Watercolor on paper 18 x 13 1/2 inches Signed and dated lower right Provenance: Gift of the artist, Long Island, NY, circa 1960 Estate of the above, 2020...

Category

1950s Surrealist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Jimmy Ernst"Anti - Personal", 1958

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H 47 in W 49 in

"Anti - Personal"

By Jimmy Ernst

Located in Lambertville, NJ

Signed and Dated Lower Right Jimmy Ernst (1920 - 1984) The son of Dada Surrealist artist Max Ernst and art historian Louise Straus-Ernst, Jimmy Ernst was influenced by the sty...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Jimmy Ernst Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Jimmy Ernst paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Jimmy Ernst paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Jimmy Ernst in oil paint, paint, canvas and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Jimmy Ernst paintings, so small editions measuring 9 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of William Gear, Joseph Glasco, and Agnes Hart. Jimmy Ernst paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $8,000 and tops out at $35,000, while the average work can sell for $24,000.