Expressionism and Early Works

Max Ernst is especially known for his Surreal style paintings and collages, but what many people don't know, is that he actually started out painting in the Expressionist style. 

It has been said that "there simply was not a Dada movement at work in Cologne until the fall of 1919"-certainly not in the visual arts, as is evident in Ernst's own works. All of Ernst's paintings and drawings that can be documented or attributed to 1918-mid-1919 are essentially Expressionist in style. These include ink drawings of 1818 reproduced in Der Strom and illustrations for Consolamini, a volume of poetry by his friend Kühlemann, published in 1919 by Kairos-Verlag. 

These are disturbing drawings, primarily composed of human body parts, but fragmented and mutated almost beyond recognition, and meshed in configurations of physical strife. A recently published drawing from this period (fig.1) is particularly noteworthy insofar as it reflects both Ernst's stylistic references to the work of Chagall (fig.2) and his rare comments on contemporary political conditions. 

This drawing (fig.1) is inscribed with its title, Diskussion (Discussion), and the words "Freie Wirtschaft" ("free enterprise) coming out from the mouth of the figure with the huge head and comically small hat. The figure has been identified as President Ebert employing promises of "free enterprise" to court middle-class burghers fearful of more radical socialism. This interpretation of the drawing is basically convincing for both burghers - described as claw-fingered and willing to trample over themselves, and for Ebert - the smiling, dancing trickster, with a clown face on his collar, eyes in the back of his head, talons for fingers, a waist twisted with about-faces, and a three-legged stool inadequate to support him.

He made quite a few more attributions to the style and movement, this is just one strong example; many of his other paintings were reproduced in Der Strom, as well as, exhibited in the "Der Strom" Exhibit in Cologne and other museums, like the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf.

 (fig.1) Max Ernst: Discussion, 1919.

Watercolor and ink on paper, Fick-Eggert Collection, Ontario.

*(See page 50 (fig.21) of Max Ernst: Dada and the Dawn of Surrealism by William A. Camfield) 

           

  

                    (fig.2) Marc Chagall, Self-Portrait with Goat, 1922-23.

                                              *http://www.moma.org/collection/ object.php?object_id=64743

*Camfield, William A.

Max Ernst: Dada and the Dawn of Surrealism. Verlag, Munich, Houston: Prestel, the Menil Collection, 1993 (page 50-51)