Un Ami Empressé
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
- 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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