Max Ernst Christmas Card 1938 Signed Modern Mixed Media Collage and Drawing

A Modern Dadaist mixed media collage on paper titled “Christmas Card, 1938.” Signed in pencil “Max Ernst” on the bottom right. The artwork is composed of an addressed stamped envelope, a Madonna and Child Christmas card, sheet music, and an oven image. The baby Jesus is depicted with a lid from the cooking pot on his head – a quintessential example of The Dada movement which embraced nonsense and irrationality. The items are arranged in a triangular composition with additional linear drawings from the artist in the background. Inspired by de Chirico and mail-order catalogues, teaching-aide manuals and similar sources, he produced collages, a technique which would dominate his artistic pursuits. In 1938, the same year this collage was created, the American heiress and artistic patron Peggy Guggenheim acquired several Max Ernst's works, which she displayed in her new gallery in London. A unique opportunity to collect a one-of-a-kind collage by a celebrated Modern artist. Dimensions: 30”h x 23.5”w x 1.25”d (framed) / 17.5”h x 12.25”w (image). In very good vintage condition consistent with age.

Provenance: From a prominent estate in Southfield, MI. Acquired from Bill Hood and Sons Art & Antique Auctions (2007). Private collection, St. Petersburg, FL. Helmut Preiss, Miami, FL (20th century). Vivian Fowler, Leicester, England (1938). 

Max Ernst (1891-1976) was a German French painter, sculptor, printmaker, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was a primary pioneer of the Dada movement and Surrealism in Europe. Ernst's work often featured ironic juxtapositions of grotesque elements with Cubist and Expressionist motifs. In 1954 Ernst received the Grand Prize for Painting at the Venice Biennale. Throughout his career he participated in several influential exhibitions at prestigious institutions including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Tate Gallery, Musee National d'Art Moderne, and Kunsthaus Zurich to name a few. A retrospective of 104 works spanning the years 1920–1968, drawn entirely from the Menil Collection, toured Europe from 1970 to 1972. The Max Ernst Museum opened in 2005 in his hometown Brühl, Germany. Today, his artwork can be found in countless private and public collections internationally.