The Elephant Celebes by Max Ernst | Most-Famous-Paintings.com

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"The Elephant Celebes"

Max Ernst - Collage - 125 x 107 cm


famous painting The Elephant Celebes of Max Ernst

Max Ernst: The Artist Behind the Painting

Max Ernst (1891-1976) was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet who played a significant role in the development of the Dada movement and Surrealism. Born in Brühl, near Cologne, Ernst was one of nine children of a middle-class Catholic family. He studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Bonn before serving in World War I. After the war, he became involved in the Dada movement and later co-founded the Surrealist group with André Breton in Paris.

The Elephant Celebes: A Masterpiece of Surrealism

The Elephant Celebes (1921) is a masterpiece of Surrealism, a cultural movement that developed in Europe after World War I. The movement aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in illogical or dreamlike scenes and ideas. According to leader André Breton, Surrealism sought to resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality into an absolute reality, a super-reality, or surreality. The Elephant Celebes is among the most famous of Ernst's early surrealist works and "undoubtedly the first masterpiece of Surrealist painting in the de Chirico tradition" (Wikipedia). It combines the vivid dreamlike atmosphere of Surrealism with the collage aspects of Dada. The painting attempts to apply Dada's irrationality and absurdity to Surrealism's exploration of the unconscious mind.

The Style of The Elephant Celebes

The Elephant Celebes is a prime example of Ernst's use of collage, a technique that involves combining disparate elements to create a new whole. In this painting, Ernst used an illustration from an English anthropological journal of a huge communal corn-bin peculiar to the Konkombwa tribe of the southern Sudan as the basis for the boiler-like form on its pair of 'legs'. He then added various appendages and transformed the hollow clay container into a metallic appearance. The painting also features brightly colored constructions, mysterious eyes, and other surreal elements that contribute to its dreamlike atmosphere. The use of color, texture, line, shape, and form in The Elephant Celebes creates a sense of depth and space, making it an immersive experience for the viewer.

Conclusion

The Elephant Celebes is a masterpiece of Surrealism that showcases Max Ernst's innovative use of collage and exploration of the unconscious mind. The painting is a must-see for anyone interested in Surrealism, Dada, or modern art. You can learn more about The Elephant Celebes and other works by Max Ernst on our website, WahooArt.com.
  • For more information about Surrealism, visit Wikipedia.
  • To learn more about the history of art, visit Wikipedia.
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