Max ERNST - Original print - Etching - Untitled (A poem in each Paul Eluard book) 1

Artist : Max ERNST (1891-1976)

Title : Untitled (A poem in each Paul Eluard book), 1955

Medium : Etching on paper​

Type of work : Original print hand-signed by the artist in pencil lower right, numbered III/III. This work is an additional wide-margined edition of illustration 4 of the tribute book to Eluard "a poem in each book" published in 1956 in 120 copies. In the book illustration 4 is positioned next to Paul Eluard's poem "Imbécile Habitant" taken from the collection "Examples". The work offered here comes from the album called "Album A", Reprinted from the book in 20 copies. Each album contains like the book 16 prints but they were printed with large margins and unlike the prints in the book, all signed or monogrammed by the artists. The album we have was the property of the publisher Louis BRODER. It stands out from the others because it is enriched in addition to the 16 wide-margined illustrations of many other prints (including this work by Max ERNST) collected by the publisher throughout his collaboration with the artists on this book.

Dimensions : 32 x 25cm (Picture 13 x 14.5cm)

Condition : Good

Provenance : Genevieve and Jean Paul Kahn collection

Expert's comment: It was in 1922 that Max Ernst met Paul Eluard, it was artistic love at first sight between the two men. It is therefore logical that max Ernst is present in Album A with this magnificent etching illustrating in the book the poem "Imbécile habitant" taken from "Examples" written in 1921. was "poet, friend of poets and poetry" and that his works were "poems in prose, famous novels in pictures accompanied by captions".

The Album and the Book :

Explanatory photo 1: Comparison between Album A offprint of "a poem in each book" printed in 20 copies and the book "a poem in each book" printed in 120 copies.
Explanatory photo 2: Album A offprint of 20 copies having belonged to the publisher Louis Broder contained in a gray canvas box with a label stuck on the back and the first cover.
Explanatory photo 3: Proof of printing of Album A which indicates the maximum number of copies of prints contained in total in the 20 albums as well as the names of the artists. It is annotated in red pencil "Editor's copy B" because it belonged to Louis Broder.
Explanatory photo 4: Original print signed and printed with wide margins by Pablo Picasso, contained in album A
Explanatory photo 5: Original print signed and printed with large margins by Max Ernst, contained in album A
Explanatory photo 6: Book "a poem in each book" printed in 120 copies, containing the 16 prints unsigned by the artists (signatures on the proof of printing of the book)
Explanatory photo 7: Print by Pablo Picasso on double page, unsigned contained in the book "a poem in each book"
Explanatory photo 8: Print by Max Ernst unsigned contained in the book "a poem in each book"

To discover in pictures the history of Album A and the rare prints it contains, click on the video below !

Biography of the artist : Max Ernst, son of the painter Philipp Ernst, is a German painter and sculptor born in 1891 in Brühl. Between 1909 and 1913, his first paintings were first of expressionist inspiration, to become later more surrealist, when he joined the dada movement. The influence of Paul Klee or Marcel Duchamp will mark his works at this time. In 1929, he discovered the metaphysical painting of De Chirico and became, in 1921, the friend of Paul Eluard. He then explored dreamlike painting in a fantastic realistic style and a few years later invented the frottage technique.
In 1945, Max Ernst fled Europe to go to New York where he pursued his art with Marc Chagall and Marcel Duchamp, while contributing to the birth of abstract expressionism.​

History of the book and the album: We advise you to read our blog "THE ALBUM OF LOUIS BRODER: A LEGENDARY PORTFOLIO".

About Paul ELUARD : We advise you to read our blog "PAUL ELUARD: THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE ART".

A few lines from the poem:
Out of season face,
Face, glass and stone,
The walls of the house look like me
a mask,
They are attached to my flesh.

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