3/18: Max Ernst, Europe
after the Rain
One of
paragons of the Dada movement, Max Ernst was already an old hand at rejecting
war and traditional art in favor of alternative styles of expression. In this work, Ernst’s antipathy toward
fascism and the horrors of World War I are expressed in his depiction of
war-ravaged Europe. He adopted the new
and emerging style of Surrealism, which prided itself in surprise and
unexpected juxtaposition as well as using the psyche to reveal contradictions
in everyday life in order to spur on a revolution. In this work, he heavily uses a technique
called “decalomania”, which involved putting paper or glass on a newly painted
surface, and then removing it to create interesting visual effects. What is seen is that the paper has created an
interesting texture, making the landscape almost aquatic and coral-like while
also giving it a ruin-like appearance. The coral-like structures that appear in most
of the ground have been altered by the effect, so that now they also appear to
be bones and remains of people that have suffered during the war. The artist has also carefully titled the
painting to reflect that the landscape mirrors an area that has recently experienced
rain, as well as the metaphorical rain of bombs that devastated the
countryside.
More on the Surrealist Movement:
More on Max Ernst and his background:
The reshaping of Europe after World War I:
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