Max Ernst Art
American, German, French, 1891-1976
Born in Germany in 1891, later naturalized as an American, then a French citizen, Max Ernst was a pioneer in the Dada and Surrealist movements, the boundaries of which he pushed with his unconventional methods of printmaking, drawing and collage.
Ernst had no formal art training — and that may have been his greatest asset. He produced his first work following four years serving in World War I. At the time, he was in Cologne, Germany, working closely with fellow Dada pioneers Jean Arp and Johannes Baargeld. His output during this period consisted largely of collages, which allowed him to represent the shards, rubble and explosions from his traumatic wartime experience.
In 1922, Ernst moved to France, where he soon became affiliated with Surrealism, the avant-garde art movement taking shape in Paris. Alongside Man Ray, Joan Miró and a couple of others, Ernst was among the first visual artists to experiment with imagery and techniques associated with Surrealism.
Ernst’s greatest contribution to the Surrealist movement was his invention of frottage (French for “rubbing”), wherein an artist rubs a pencil or crayon over a paper atop a textured surface, and later grattage (French for “scraping”), where a similar technique is applied with paint. Both methods showcase Ernst’s fascination with the unconscious and serendipitous elements of artistic creation, a theme that connected the Dadaists and the Surrealists. Ernst had deep knowledge of psychoanalysis and Sigmund Freud’s dream theories, which were big influences on Surrealists. He was among the first Surrealists to use Freud’s work to examine his own creative impulses. He also published a series of books of his collages, all of which were deeply symbolic and often philosophical.
When Germany occupied France during World War II, Ernst escaped to America with the help of patron and collector Peggy Guggenheim, whom he married in 1941. While living in New York, Ernst’s work and techniques proved instrumental in inspiring the early development of Abstract Expressionism — influencing Robert Motherwell and Jackson Pollock in particular. He later moved to Sedona, Arizona, where he lived with his fourth wife, Dorothea Tanning, a fellow Surrealist and prolific visual artist and poet.
While Ernst and Tanning are largely responsible for Sedona’s reputation as an artist colony, they relocated to France in the 1950s and remained until Ernst’s death in Paris in 1976.
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Artist: Max Ernst
Le parquet se soulève, 1939 (Red)
By Max Ernst
Located in London, GB
MAX ERNST 1891-1976
Cologne 1891-1976 Paris (German)
Title: Le parquet se soulève, 1939 (Red)
Technique: A Suite of Six Original Hand Signed and hand Numbered Lithographs in Red on...
Category
1930s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Obliques - Drypoint by Max Ernst - 1967
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
"Obliques" is an etching hand-signed and numbered etching realized by Max Ernst in 1967. This is an edition of 57 prints. Passepartout included. Very good condition.
Published by Ge...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Drypoint
Les Petits Soldats - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
The Soldier's Ballad is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not ...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Composition with Blue Vase - Lithograph and stencil, 1958
By Max Ernst
Located in Paris, IDF
Max ERNST
Composition with Blue Vase, 1958
Lithograph and stencil (Jacomet workshop) after a painting
On wove paper 31 x 24 cm (c. 12 x 10 in)
Edited by San Lazarro, 1958
Excellent...
Category
1950s Abstract Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph, Stencil
Masque - Etching by Max Ernst - 1950
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Color etching on vellum.
Image dimension 18x13 cm.
Edition of 33/100.
Hand signed in pencil.
Light-stained, browned, with pinholes in two corners.
Very rare.
Category
1950s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Etching
Max Ernst, The Hundred Headless Woman, from XXe Siecle, 1958
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph and pochoir by Max Ernst (1891–1976), titled La femme 100 tetes (The Woman with 100 Heads), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXe Annee, No. 10 (double) Mars 1958, originates from the 1958 edition published by Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris, and printed by Atelier Daniel Jacomet et Cie, Paris, 1958. La femme 100 tetes reflects Ernsts distinctive synthesis of dream logic, visual poetry, and psychological transformation during one of the most influential periods of his Surrealist production.
Executed as a lithograph and pochoir on velin paper, this work measures 12.5 x 9.75 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Atelier Daniel Jacomet et Cie, Paris.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Max Ernst (1891–1976)
Title: La femme 100 tetes (The Woman with 100 Heads)
Medium: Lithograph and pochoir on velin paper
Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.75 inches (31.75 x 24.77 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1958
Publisher: Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris
Printer: Atelier Daniel Jacomet et Cie, Paris
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXe Annee, No. 10 (double) Mars 1958, published by Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris; printed by Atelier Daniel Jacomet et Cie, Paris, 1958
About the Publication:
Gualtieri di San Lazzaros XXe Siecle (Twentieth Century) was one of the most influential art journals of the modern era, founded in Paris in 1938 as a platform for the greatest painters, sculptors, and writers of the 20th century. San Lazzaro, a visionary editor, critic, and champion of modernism, believed that art and literature should coexist as expressions of a shared human imagination. Under his direction, XXe Siecle became a cultural bridge between Europe and the wider world, publishing special issues devoted to leading figures such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque, Calder, Miro, Kandinsky, and Leger. Each edition combined essays by renowned critics and poets with original lithographs and woodcuts printed by the foremost ateliers of Paris, Milan, and New York, including Mourlot, Curwen, and Amilcare Pizzi, creating a uniquely rich dialogue between text and image. The 1960 issue, XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, No. 14, showcased Daphnis et Chloe, one of Chagalls most celebrated lithographic subjects, coinciding with his work on the monumental suite of lithographs inspired by the same pastoral tale, published by Teriade. Through this publication, San Lazzaro further cemented Chagalls reputation as the modern poet of color and love, uniting myth, nature, and emotion in visual form. Today, XXe Siecle remains an essential record of 20th century modernism, celebrated for its seamless integration of fine art, literature, and design.
About the Artist:
Max Ernst (1891–1976) was a German-French painter, sculptor, printmaker, and poet whose groundbreaking imagination and experimental techniques made him one of the most revolutionary figures of 20th century art, a founding member of both Dada and Surrealism who dismantled traditional notions of art through chance, dream imagery, and psychological exploration; born in Bruhl, Germany, he studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Bonn before rejecting academic convention to pursue art, inspired by Symbolism, Cubism, and the early abstractions of Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky; after the trauma of World War I propelled him toward the Dada movement in Cologne, he began creating seminal collages that fused scientific diagrams and Victorian engravings into surreal dreamscapes; by 1922 he had moved to Paris and joined a circle of avant-garde luminaries including Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and Andre Breton, each of whom shared his fascination with the irrational and the unseen; Ernsts invention of frottage (rubbing) and grattage (scraping) revolutionized modern painting, revealing textures and hidden images below the surface and allowing chance to participate in creation; his visionary paintings—from The Elephant Celebes and Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale to Europe After the Rain II—blend myth, science, and dream into symbolic landscapes that remain among the defining masterpieces of Surrealism; a restless innovator, he expanded into sculpture with enigmatic totemic forms such as Capricorne, echoing the equilibrium of Calders mobiles and the conceptual wit of Duchamp; fleeing Nazi-occupied France during World War II, he emigrated to the United States with the support of Peggy Guggenheim, influencing Abstract Expressionists including Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and Willem de Kooning before returning to Europe to refine his poetic, alchemical approach to art; represented in MoMA, the Tate, the Centre Pompidou, and major museums worldwide, Ernst remains a cornerstone of modern art whose legacy continues to influence generations of artists. His highest auction record was achieved by Le roi jouant avec la reine (The King Playing with the Queen) (1944), which sold for approximately 24.4 million USD at Christies New York in November 2022.
Max Ernst XXe Siecle 1958, Max Ernst lithograph...
Category
1950s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$796 Sale Price
20% Off
Electra - Original lithograph
By Max Ernst
Located in Paris, IDF
Max ERNST
Electra
Stone Lithograph
Printed signature in the plate
On cream vellum 31 x 24 cm (c. 12.5 x 10 inch)
Excellent condition
Category
1950s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Une Pyramide en Colère, Micro-Painting on Leather by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Micro picture, gouache on paper mounted on black leather. Belonging to the serie “Microbes”.
Interestingly, it is unusually mounted on a black leather surface whose shape reminds th...
Category
1940s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Leather, Gouache, Cardboard
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
The Soldier's Ballad - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
The Soldier's Ballad is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not ...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Les Petits Soldats - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Les Petits Soldats is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not nu...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
The Soldier's Ballad - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
The Soldier's Ballad is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not ...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
The Soldier's Ballad - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
The Soldier's Ballad is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not ...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Max Ernst etching 'L’Oiseau Mere', numbered and signed, German
By Max Ernst
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Max Ernst (German, 1891 – 1976)
L’Oiseau Mere (The Mother Bird)
An etching and aquatint on Japan paper
Numbered and signed ‘4/60 Max Ernst’ (under the plate)
The plate measurements: ...
Category
20th Century Modern Max Ernst Art
Materials
Etching, Aquatint
Birds - Original lithograph (Leppien/Spies #88)
By Max Ernst
Located in Paris, IDF
Max ERNST
Birds
Original lithograph, 1963
on vellum
33 x 25 cm
REFERENCES : Catalogue raisonné Leppien/Spies # 88
Excellent condition
Category
1960s Modern Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Les Chiens Ont Soif XII, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif XII, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 165/320, Size: 17 x 24.5 in. (43.18 x 62.23 c...
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Max Ernst, After Me, from XXe siecle, 1971
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Max Ernst (1891–1976), titled Apres-moi (After Me), from the album XXe siecle, numero special hors abonnement, Hommage a Max Ernst, originates from the 1...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$716 Sale Price
20% Off
Max Ernst, Electra, from XXe Siecle 1959
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Max Ernst (1891–1976), titled Electra (Electra), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXIe Annee, No. 13, Noel 1959, originates from the 1959 editi...
Category
1950s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$796 Sale Price
20% Off
Ficus Elastica - Original lithograph - Limited / 25 copies
By Max Ernst
Located in Paris, IDF
Max ERNST (1891-1976)
Ficus Elastica, c. 1965
Original lithograph
Unsigned
Numbered / XXV copies
On Japanese paper 57 x 42 cm
INFORMATION: Edition produced by Lucien Treillard, pub...
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Max Ernst, Coelacanthe, from XXe Siecle, 1974
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Max Ernst (1891–1976), titled Coelacanthe (Coelacanth), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXXVIe Annee, No. 42, Juin 1974, originates from the 1974 edition published by Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris, and printed by Pierre Chave, imprimeur, Vence, 1974. Coelacanthe reflects Ernsts poetic, textural, and dream-infused Surrealist language at a mature moment in his career.
Executed as a lithograph on velin paper, this work measures 12.5 x 9.75 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Pierre Chave, imprimeur, Vence.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Max Ernst (1891–1976)
Title: Coelacanthe (Coelacanth)
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.75 inches (31.75 x 24.77 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1974
Publisher: Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris
Printer: Pierre Chave, imprimeur, Vence
Catalogue Raisonne Reference: Ernst, Max, et al. Max Ernst: Graphische Welten: Die Sammlung Schneppenheim. DuMont, 2003, illustration 252.
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXXVIe Annee, No. 42, Juin 1974, published by Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris; printed by Pierre Chave, imprimeur, Vence, 1974
About the Publication:
Gualtieri di San Lazzaros XXe Siecle (Twentieth Century) was one of the most influential art journals of the modern era, founded in Paris in 1938 as a platform for the greatest painters, sculptors, and writers of the 20th century. San Lazzaro, a visionary editor, critic, and champion of modernism, believed that art and literature should coexist as expressions of a shared human imagination. Under his direction, XXe Siecle became a cultural bridge between Europe and the wider world, publishing special issues devoted to leading figures such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque, Calder, Miro, Kandinsky, and Leger. Each edition combined essays by renowned critics and poets with original lithographs and woodcuts printed by the foremost ateliers of Paris, Milan, and New York, including Mourlot, Curwen, and Amilcare Pizzi, creating a uniquely rich dialogue between text and image. The 1960 issue, XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, No. 14, showcased Daphnis et Chloe, one of Chagalls most celebrated lithographic subjects, coinciding with his work on the monumental suite of lithographs inspired by the same pastoral tale, published by Teriade. Through this publication, San Lazzaro further cemented Chagalls reputation as the modern poet of color and love, uniting myth, nature, and emotion in visual form. Today, XXe Siecle remains an essential record of 20th century modernism, celebrated for its seamless integration of fine art, literature, and design.
About the Artist:
Max Ernst (1891–1976) was a German-French painter, sculptor, printmaker, and poet whose groundbreaking imagination and experimental techniques made him one of the most revolutionary figures of 20th century art, a founding member of both Dada and Surrealism who dismantled traditional notions of art through chance, dream imagery, and psychological exploration; born in Bruhl, Germany, he studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Bonn before rejecting academic convention to pursue art, inspired by the Symbolists, Cubists, and the early abstractions of Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky; the trauma of World War I propelled him toward the Dada movement in Cologne in 1919, where he began creating collages that fused scientific diagrams and Victorian engravings into surreal dreamscapes; by 1922 he had moved to Paris and joined an avant-garde circle that included Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and Andre Breton, each sharing his fascination with the irrational and the unseen; Ernsts invention of frottage (rubbing) and grattage (scraping) revolutionized modern painting by allowing chance to participate in creation, revealing hidden textures and subconscious imagery; his visionary paintings, such as The Elephant Celebes, Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale, and Europe After the Rain II, blend myth, science, and dream into symbolic landscapes that remain defining masterpieces of Surrealism; expanding into sculpture, he crafted enigmatic totemic forms such as Capricorne that bridge organic abstraction and surreal fantasy, echoing the equilibrium of Calders mobiles and the conceptual wit of Duchamp; fleeing Nazi-occupied France during World War II, he emigrated to the United States with the support of Peggy Guggenheim, influencing the emerging Abstract Expressionists, including Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and Willem de Kooning; returning to Europe after the war, he refined an alchemical, poetic approach to painting that inspired later artists such as Anselm Kiefer, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, and Kiki Smith; represented in major museums including MoMA, the Tate, and the Centre Pompidou, Ernst remains a cornerstone of modern art whose limitless curiosity reshaped visual language. His highest auction record was achieved by Le roi jouant avec la reine (The King Playing with the Queen) (1944), which sold for approximately 24.4 million USD at Christies New York in November 2022.
Max Ernst Coelacanthe XXe Siecle 1974, Max Ernst lithograph...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$796 Sale Price
20% Off
The Soldier's Ballad - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
The Soldier's Ballad is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not ...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Max Ernst, A Song of Love, from XXe Siecle, 1958
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Max Ernst (1891–1976), titled Un chant damour (A Song of Love), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, No. 11 (double), Noel 1958, originates from the 1958 edition published by Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1958. This work reflects Ernsts mature Surrealist language, merging dream, myth, and poetic abstraction into a visionary composition.
Executed as a lithograph on velin paper, this work measures 12.5 x 9.75 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Mourlot Freres, Paris
Artwork Details:
Artist: Max Ernst (1891–1976)
Title: Un chant damour (A Song of Love)
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.75 inches (31.75 x 24.77 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1958
Publisher: Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue Raisonne Reference: Ernst, Max, et al. Max Ernst: Graphische Welten: Die Sammlung Schneppenheim. DuMont, 2003, illustration 71C
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, No. 11 (double), Noel 1958, published by Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris; printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1958
About the Publication:
Gualtieri di San Lazzaros XXe Siecle (Twentieth Century) was one of the most influential art journals of the modern era, founded in Paris in 1938 as a platform for the greatest painters, sculptors, and writers of the 20th century. San Lazzaro, a visionary editor, critic, and champion of modernism, believed that art and literature should coexist as expressions of a shared human imagination. Under his direction, XXe Siecle became a cultural bridge between Europe and the wider world, publishing special issues devoted to leading figures such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque, Calder, Miro, Kandinsky, and Leger. Each edition combined essays by renowned critics and poets with original lithographs and woodcuts printed by the foremost ateliers of Paris, Milan, and New York, including Mourlot, Curwen, and Amilcare Pizzi, creating a uniquely rich dialogue between text and image. The 1960 issue, XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, No. 14, showcased Daphnis et Chloe, one of Chagalls most celebrated lithographic subjects, coinciding with his work on the monumental suite of lithographs inspired by the same pastoral tale, published by Teriade. Through this publication, San Lazzaro further cemented Chagalls reputation as the modern poet of color and love, uniting myth, nature, and emotion in visual form. Today, XXe Siecle remains an essential record of 20th century modernism, celebrated for its seamless integration of fine art, literature, and design.
About the Artist:
Max Ernst (1891–1976) was a German-French painter, sculptor, printmaker, and poet whose groundbreaking imagination and experimental techniques made him one of the most revolutionary figures of 20th century art. A founding member of both Dada and Surrealism, Ernst dismantled traditional notions of art through chance, dream imagery, and psychological exploration, transforming painting, sculpture, and collage into instruments of the unconscious mind. Born in Bruhl, Germany, he studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Bonn before rejecting academic convention to pursue art, inspired by the Symbolists, Cubists, and the early abstractions of Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky. His traumatic experience serving in World War I left him disillusioned with logic and order, propelling him toward the Dada movement in Cologne in 1919, where he began creating his seminal collages that fused scientific diagrams and Victorian engravings into surreal dreamscapes. By 1922, Ernst had moved to Paris and joined a circle of avant garde luminaries that included Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and Andre Breton, each of whom shared his fascination with the irrational and the unseen. Ernsts invention of frottage (rubbing) and grattage (scraping) revolutionized modern painting, revealing textures and hidden images beneath the surface and allowing chance to become an active participant in creation. His visionary paintings such as The Elephant Celebes (1921), Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale (1924), and Europe After the Rain II (1940–42) blend myth, science, and dream into vast symbolic landscapes that remain among the defining masterpieces of Surrealism. A restless innovator, Ernst expanded into sculpture, crafting enigmatic totemic forms such as Capricorne (1948–1963) that bridged organic abstraction and surreal fantasy, echoing the fluid equilibrium of Calders mobiles and the conceptual wit of Duchamp. Fleeing Nazi occupied France during World War II, Ernst emigrated to the United States with the support of Peggy Guggenheim, whom he later married, influencing the emerging Abstract Expressionists among them Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and Willem de Kooning through his fusion of automatism, texture, and mythic narrative. Returning to Europe after the war, he continued to refine his poetic, alchemical approach to painting, blending chaos and order into cosmic landscapes that inspired later artists such as Anselm Kiefer, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, and Kiki Smith. His work, housed in major museums including MoMA, the Tate, and the Centre Pompidou, stands as a testament to his belief that art could bridge the conscious and unconscious, the rational and the fantastic. Standing alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, Max Ernst remains a cornerstone of modern art an artist philosopher whose limitless curiosity reshaped visual language and influenced generations of creators. His highest auction record was achieved by Le roi jouant avec la reine (The King Playing with the Queen) (1944), which sold for approximately 24.4 million USD at Christies, New York, in November 2022, reaffirming Max Ernsts enduring legacy as one of the most visionary, provocative, and collectible masters of 20th century modernism.
Max Ernst XXe Siecle 1958, Max Ernst lithograph...
Category
1950s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$796 Sale Price
20% Off
Through the Window - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Through the Window is a lithograph on Arches paper realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Belongs to the suite "Judith". Limited edition of 500.
Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued.
Godd c...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Les Chiens Ont Soif IV, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif IV, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 165/320, Size: 17 x 24.5 in. (43.18 x 62.23 cm...
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Composition, Feuilles éparses, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Etching on vélin cuve de Rives paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, Feuilles éparses, 1965. Published and printed by Louis B...
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Etching
$9,996 Sale Price
20% Off
Untitled (Two Birds) - Etching by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Etching and aquatint on Japan paper, realized in 1972 and published by Georges Visat, Paris.
Edition of 100.
Hand signed and numbered in pencil.
Sheet a little browned, except for...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Etching
Scarabée - Etching by Max Ernst - 1973
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Lithograph on Japan paper, realized in 1973.
Image dimension 20.8x14.2 / Shee dimension 31.5x23.4 cm.
Edition of 79.
Hand signed and numbered 35/79.
Color variant of the suppleme...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Etching
Surrealist Composition - Original Lithograph (Leppien/Spies #202B), 1971
By Max Ernst
Located in Paris, IDF
Max ERNST
Surrealist Composition : Après-moi le XX° siècle, 1971
Original lithograph in colours
Unsigned
On wove paper 31 x 24 cm (c. 12,2 x 9,4 inches)
REFERENCES : Catalogue rais...
Category
1960s Modern Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Pink Composition - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1974
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Color lithograph realized by Max Ernst in 1974.
Not signed. as issued.
Printed by Atelier Pierre Chave in Vence, France. Excellent condition.
This lithograph was realized by th...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$284 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Max Ernst - Birds - Original Lithograph
By Max Ernst
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Max Ernst - Birds - Original Lithograph
Birds, 1964
Dimensions: 32 x 24 cm
From the art review XXe siècle
Unsigned and unumbered as issued
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Le Cathedrale - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
The Soldier's Ballad is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not ...
Category
1970s Modern Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
The Soldier's Ballad - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
The Soldier's Ballad is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not ...
Category
1970s Modern Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
The Soldier's Ballad - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
The Soldier's Ballad is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not ...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Les Chiens Ont Soif I, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif I, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 165/320, Size: 17 x 24.5 in. (43.18 x 62.23 cm)...
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Les Chiens Ont Soif III, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif III, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 165/320, Size: 17 x 24.5 in. (43.18 x 62.23 c...
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Les Chiens Ont Soif VII, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif VII, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 165/320, Size: 17 x 24.5 in. (43.18 x 62.23 c...
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Composition (Spies/Leppien 218), La Ballade du Soldat, Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. P...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
$2,796 Sale Price
20% Off
Max Ernst - Abstract Birds - Original Lithograph
By Max Ernst
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Max Ernst - Birds - Original Lithograph
Birds, 1962
Dimensions: 32 x 24 cm
From the art review XXe siècle
Unsigned and unumbered as issued
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
The Soldier's Ballad - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
The Soldier's Ballad is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not ...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
The Soldier's Ballad - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
The Soldier's Ballad is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not ...
Category
1840s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Les Chiens Ont Soif IX, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif IX, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 165/320, Size: 17 x 24.5 in. (43.18 x 62.23 cm...
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Les Chiens Ont Soif, Surrealist Color Etching by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Color Etching, signed in pencil lower right, Edition: 165/320, Image Si...
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Etching
Les Chiens Ont Soif XI, Surrealist Lithograph by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Les Chiens Ont Soif XI, Portfolio: Les Chiens Ont Soif, Year: 1964, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 165/320, Size: 17 x 24.5 in. (43.18 x 62.23 cm...
Category
1960s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Le Point Cardinal Poster, Modern Poster by Max Ernst
By Max Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
Max Ernst, German (1891 - 1976) - Le Point Cardinal Poster, Year: 1964, Medium: Poster, Size: 24.25 x 16 in. (61.6 x 40.64 cm), Printer: Imprimerie Union, Description: From the ...
Category
1960s Modern Max Ernst Art
Materials
Offset
Lizards - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Lizards is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not numbered. Ed...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Monkey - Lithograph by Max Ernst - 1972
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Monkey is a contemporary artwork realized by Max Ernst in 1972.
Mixed colored lithograph on Arches Paper.
Edited by Manus Presse, Stuttgart 1972.
Not signed and not numbered. Edi...
Category
1970s Surrealist Max Ernst Art
Materials
Lithograph
Les Malheurs des Immortels - Rare Book illustrated by Max Ernst - 1922
By Max Ernst
Located in Roma, IT
Les Malheurs des Immortels révélés par Paul Eluard et Max Ernst. Collection of poems and prints Woodcuts. Uncut. Copy number 822 of 1300. This copy is printed on paper Madagascar.
Category
1920s Modern Max Ernst Art
Materials
Paper
Max Ernst art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Max Ernst art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, orange, pink and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Max Ernst in lithograph, etching, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Surrealist style. Not every interior allows for large Max Ernst art, so small editions measuring 5 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Théo Tobiasse, Man Ray, and Valton Tyler. Max Ernst art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $100 and tops out at $140,371, while the average work can sell for $1,297.
Artists Similar to Max Ernst
Questions About Max Ernst Art
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 30, 2024How much Max Ernst paintings are worth depends on their size, history, condition and other factors. In 2023, his oil-on-panel piece Taya's Sun sold for more than $304,000 at auction. Ernst was a pioneer in the Dada and Surrealist movements, pushing their boundaries with his unconventional methods of printmaking, drawing and collage. If you own an Ernst, consider having a certified appraiser or experienced art dealer evaluate it. Explore a selection of Max Ernst art on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 10, 2025The meaning of Ubu Imperator is literally "The Commander." Max Ernst painted the work in 1923. The piece is an example of Ernst's transition from a Dadaist to a Surrealist style. Experts have provided various interpretations of the work, including as a satire of power, as it shows a human-like top spinning in a desert landscape. On 1stDibs, find an assortment of Max Ernst art.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 20, 2024Max Ernst contributed to Surrealism by pushing the boundaries of the movement with his unconventional methods of printmaking, drawing and collage. He invented frottage (French for “rubbing”), wherein an artist rubs a pencil or crayon over a paper atop a textured surface, and later grattage (French for “scraping”), where a similar technique is applied with paint. Both methods showcase Ernst’s fascination with the unconscious and serendipitous elements of artistic creation, a theme that resonated with the Dadaists and the Surrealists. Ernst had deep knowledge of psychoanalysis and Sigmund Freud’s dream theories, which were big influences on Surrealists. He was among the first Surrealists to use Freud’s work to examine his own creative impulses. He also published a series of books of his collages, all of which were deeply symbolic and often philosophical. Explore a selection of Max Ernst art on 1stDibs.
- Where did Max Ernst live?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 26, 2024Max Ernst lived in several places during his life. He was born in Brühl, Germany, in 1881 and later moved to Bonn to attend the university located there. Then he settled in Cologne, not far from his birthplace. In 1922, Ernst moved to France, where he soon became affiliated with Surrealism, the avant-garde art movement taking shape in Paris. Alongside Man Ray, Joan Miró and others, Ernst was among the first visual artists to experiment with imagery and techniques associated with Surrealism. When Germany occupied France during World War II, Ernst escaped to America with the help of patron and collector Peggy Guggenheim, whom he married in 1941. While living in New York, Ernst's work and techniques proved instrumental in inspiring the early development of Abstract Expressionism. He later moved to Sedona, Arizona, where he lived with his fourth wife, Dorothea Tanning, a fellow Surrealist and prolific visual artist and poet. While Ernst and Tanning are largely responsible for Sedona's reputation as an artist colony, they relocated to France in the 1950s and remained there until Ernst's death in Paris in 1976. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Max Ernst art.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 13, 2024You can see Max Ernst paintings in many places around the world. The Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR in Brühl, Germany, is home to one of the largest exhibitions of his work. Other museums that have Max Ernst paintings in their permanent collections include the Museum of Modern Art in New York, New York; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, California; the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois and the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit, Michigan. Explore a range of Max Ernst art on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 15, 2024Max Ernst used Surrealism to process the traumas he experienced during World War I. His early works consisted largely of collages, which allowed him to represent the shards, rubble and explosions from his wartime experience. In 1922, Ernst moved to France, where he soon became affiliated with Surrealism, the avant-garde art movement taking shape in Paris. Alongside Man Ray, Joan Miró and others, Ernst was among the first visual artists to experiment with the imagery and techniques that became associated with Surrealist art. Ernst’s greatest contribution to the Surrealist movement is often considered his invention of frottage, wherein an artist rubs a pencil or crayon over a paper atop a textured surface, and later grattage, where a similar technique is applied with paint. Both methods showcase Ernst’s fascination with the unconscious and serendipitous elements of artistic creation, a theme that connected the Dadaists and the Surrealists. Explore a range of Max Ernst art on 1stDibs.