MAX ERNST | Orage

Galleria Alexander Iolas, Milan
The Bodley Gallery, New York
Vente : Christie's, New York, 21 octobre 1980, lot 254
Vente : Christie's, Londres, 8 décembre 1997, lot 229
Acquis lors de cette vente par Dr. Arthur Brandt

New York, Bodley Gallery, Max Ernst/René Magritte, 1970, no. 18
Boone, Turchin Center for the Arts, The Omnipotent Dream: Man Ray, Confluences and Influences, 2003, no. 41, reproduit dans le catalogue p. 30 et listé p. 34
Ithaca, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, A Private Eye: Dada, Surrealism and More from the Brandt Collection, 2006, reproduit dans le catalogue p. 46

Werner Spies, Max Ernst Oeuvre-Katalog, Werke 1954-1963, Cologne, 1998, no. 3483, reproduit p. 224 (illustré avec le carton de fond de l'artiste, visible en partie basse)

Executed on paper laid down on panel, mounted on two pieces of wood affixed to the mount with glue. There is a strip of paper, formerly the artist's mount, signed and titled by the artist, which has been cut and glued on the reverse of the panel to the backing board, and was originally located on the lower part of the drawing. Examination under UV light reveals two dots of fluorescence in the upper left quadrant (approximately 7 cm from the left edge and 8 cm from the upper edge). There is minor surface abrasion to the sheet in the lower edge with small associated dots of pigment loss on the left part, and another tiny pigment loss to the centre of the right edge. There are a few additional flecks of pigment loss in places, notably towards the upper right corner and towards the right part of the lower edge (approx. 1.5 cm from the lower edge and 4 cm from the right edge), and a small horizontal surface scratch (approx. 4 cm long) to the lower part of the right edge. This work is in overall fairly good condition.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"Question : Quelles sont les occupations quotidiennes d’un peintre ? Réponse : Première chose : le matin, il perce un trou dans la croûte céleste qui donne sur le néant. Après, il égorge un sapin et manque sa carrière. [...] Il peint une serrure sur le mur et, à travers le trou, découvre les faibles flammes de la lumière. [...] Il salue quelques dieux obscurs et la nymphe Echo. Une empreinte de pied à côté du tombeau ouvert lui indique que la journée sera belle, que la colline sera inspirée et que les hommes n’en sauront rien."

Max Ernst, La nudité de la femme est plus sage que l’enseignement du philosophe, 1959