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Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Published on June 19, 2020 / Updated on October 14, 2023
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Max Ernst's paintings were revolutionary, challenging artistic norms with a boldness and creativity not seen before.

His work within the Dada and Surrealist art movements was inspired by his deep connection with his own mind as well as studies in philosophy and psychiatry.

Max Ernst's attitude towards western society sank after his experiences during WWI and some of his work went into displaying his dismay through the use of symbolism. There would be several repeating objects throughout his career, just as Rene Magritte had used bowler hats in paintings such as The Son of Man. He would put his opinions together via several key art movements, namely Dadaism and Surrealism. He was also a key factor in putting these groups together, as well as contributing several entirely new artistic techniques, most famously Frottage.

Influence on German Art

The impact of Max Ernst's paintings provides a huge impact on German out even though he was also a naturalist American and French. He ranks alongside some of the country’s other great names such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Otto Dix, Max Beckmann and also August Macke as one of the most significant exponents of art from this region. He also left a legacy within the United States as well which impacted the abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock.

In all, his legacy is greater than the knowledge of the public about his career but hopefully we can educate others as to the importance of his career and the impact that it left on others, both in Germany but also right across the globe. There has been a greater respect shown to the Surrealists as a whole in recent years, with younger generations seeming to be particularly interested in this movement.

Public Reception to Modern Art

Modern art is sometimes regarded as technical dumbing down, where detail is lost and form is reduced to the fewest number of components. Surrealism cannot be summarised like this, though. Deep-thinking artists such as Max Ernst combine high technical skills as both draughtsman and painters with the content of their own minds, be it thoughts or dreams. Their art then becomes a truly unique exploration which allows us to see visually the processes within their mind.

The result of this inevitably lead to a bending of reality which some love but leaves others confused. In this way, Surrealist paintings tend to be loved or hated by the public, with little room for neutrality in this controversial and intriguing artistic style. Thankfully, the present day allows a greater variety of work more generally, and allows the public to make their own choices based on personal taste, rather than dictating what is good or bad, although the mainstream media still have a tendancy to try to impose their own views upon us, in some cases.

Related Artists

Work by the likes of Duchamp, Dali or Ernst often requires a level of context in order to truly understand what one sees in a painting or sculpture. Accessible art would be the landscapes or cityscapes of artists like Monet, Pissarro or Giorgione. Modern life is so fast that many appreciate this immediacy. Others prefer to look deeper into the symbolism of particular objects included by a composition - what is its relevance in relation to the rest of the scene?

In some cases even the academics may struggle to decide between a number of different explanations after an analysis of each work, and unless concrete documentation has been provided, we are all left to discuss and debate possible meanings between ourselves. The easier artists to decipher tend to be those who use iconographical forms across different paintings, leaving a signature style which remains fairly consistent. Max Ernst's paintings are unique in both the content that he used, but also in the technical ways in which he worked and developed his artworks, making his career particularly important and influential from amongst all of those who contributed to the Surrealist movement.


Landscape with Wheat Germ Max Ernst
Landscape with Wheat Germ
A Little Sick Horse's Leg Max Ernst
A Little Sick Horse's Leg
A Maiden, a Widow and a Wife Max Ernst
A Maiden, a Widow and a Wife
After Us Motherhood Max Ernst
After Us Motherhood
Antipodes of Landscape Max Ernst
Antipodes of Landscape
Barbarians Marching to the West Max Ernst
Barbarians Marching to the West
Birds also Birds, Fish Snake and Scarecrow Max Ernst
Birds also Birds, Fish Snake and Scarecrow
Blind Swimmers (Effect of a Touch) Max Ernst
Blind Swimmers (Effect of a Touch)
Castor and Pollution Max Ernst
Castor and Pollution
Child, Horse, Flower and Snake Max Ernst
Child, Horse, Flower and Snake
Chimera Max Ernst
Chimera
Colorado of Medusa, Colour Raft of Medusa Max Ernst
Colorado of Medusa, Colour Raft of Medusa
Configuration No.6 Max Ernst
Configuration No.6
Cormorants Max Ernst
Cormorants
Crucifixion Max Ernst
Crucifixion
Dancing Owl Max Ernst
Dancing Owl
Dark Forest and Bird Max Ernst
Dark Forest and Bird
Day and Night Max Ernst
Day and Night
Design in Nature Max Ernst
Design in Nature
Euclid Max Ernst
Euclid
Europe after the Rain I Max Ernst
Europe after the Rain I
Father Ubu with Son Max Ernst
Father Ubu with Son
Feast of the God Max Ernst
Feast of the God
Fish Fight Max Ernst
Fish Fight
Fishbone Forest Max Ernst
Fishbone Forest
Flower Shell Max Ernst
Flower Shell
Flying Geese Max Ernst
Flying Geese
Flying Horse Garden Max Ernst
Flying Horse Garden
Forest Max Ernst
Forest
Fruit of a Long Experience Max Ernst
Fruit of a Long Experience
Gulf Stream Max Ernst
Gulf Stream
Hydrometric Demonstration Max Ernst
Hydrometric Demonstration
Landscape with Shells Max Ernst
Landscape with Shells
Loplop introduces Loplop Max Ernst
Loplop introduces Loplop
My Absolute Max Ernst
My Absolute
My Friend Pierrot Max Ernst
My Friend Pierrot
Painting for Young People Max Ernst
Painting for Young People
Paris Dream Max Ernst
Paris Dream
Pomegranate Flower Max Ernst
Pomegranate Flower
Praise to Tanguy Max Ernst
Praise to Tanguy
Saint Cecilia (Invisible Piano) Max Ernst
Saint Cecilia (Invisible Piano)
Sanctuary Max Ernst
Sanctuary
Sea and Sun Max Ernst
Sea and Sun
Seascape Max Ernst
Seascape
Self Portrait Max Ernst
Self Portrait
Sign for a School of Monsters Max Ernst
Sign for a School of Monsters
The Couple in Lace Max Ernst
The Couple in Lace
The Entire City II Max Ernst
The Entire City II
The Fall of an Angel Max Ernst
The Fall of an Angel
The Garden of France Max Ernst
The Garden of France
The Gramineous Bicycle Garnished with Bells the Dappled Fire Damps and the Echinoderms Bending the Spine to Look for Caresses Max Ernst
The Gramineous Bicycle Garnished with Bells the Dappled Fire Damps and the Echinoderms Bending the Spine to Look for Caresses
The Hunter Max Ernst
The Hunter
The Inner Vision - The Egg Max Ernst
The Inner Vision - The Egg
The Large Forest Max Ernst
The Large Forest
The Obscure Gods Max Ernst
The Obscure Gods
The Phases of the Night Max Ernst
The Phases of the Night
The Postman Cheval Max Ernst
The Postman Cheval
The Slug Room Max Ernst
The Slug Room
Towers Max Ernst
Towers
Two Sisters Max Ernst
Two Sisters
Untitled (1920) Max Ernst
Untitled (1920)
Untitled (Dada) Max Ernst
Untitled (Dada)
Untitled Max Ernst
Untitled
Vision Induced by the Nocturnal Aspect of the Porte St Denis Max Ernst
Vision Induced by the Nocturnal Aspect of the Porte St Denis