Un Ami Empressé

Max Ernst French, born Germany
1944
Not on view
Max Ernst was part of the Paris Surrealist circle when World War II forced his departure for the United States. In 1944, working in Long Island, he produced a series of sculptures that embraced the specific location of his new working environment, while returning to his earlier formal experiments, especially with found objects, and subjects, including his avian alter-ego, Loplop. To make this work, Ernst utilized existing kitchen utensils, hardware, and other everyday items for the plaster mold. The final bronze sculpture, of a being that faces in two directions, reflects Ernst’s interests in the dual nature of things.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Un Ami Empressé
  • Artist: Max Ernst (French (born Germany), Brühl 1891–1976 Paris)
  • Date: 1944
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 26 3/8 × 14 1/4 × 16 5/8 in. (67 × 36.2 × 42.2 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mireille and James Levy, 2021
  • Object Number: 2021.2.7
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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