Max Ernst

The portfolio comprising eight lithographs, 1919, one of only a few known examples of this rare portfolio, seven sheets monogrammed 'mE' in pencil on the versos, also signed in ink on the blue title label, on wove paper (8 prints)

Exhibited:
Ferrara, Italy, Palazzo dei Diamanti, De Chirico a Ferrara: Metafisica e avanguardie, 2015-2016
Stuttgart, Germany, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Giorgio de Chirico: Magie der Moderne, 2016

The prints are in generally good condition apart from some occasional small losses, tears and slight creases in the corners and sheet edges. Lacking the title page. Each with minuscule pin holes in the upper corners and with either two small hinge remnants or two small spots of minor skinning in the upper corners on the versos. Plate I with a reinforced 145 mm diagonal broken-through crease in the lower left corner and very slight discoloration in the upper half of the sheet. Plate II with faint uneven discoloration overall and a 60 mm repaired vertical tear in the upper margin. Plate VI on a different type of wove paper, with faint damp-staining near the sheet edges and a small repaired hole in the image at upper right. The red paper cover unevenly attenuated, with creases and wear at the edges, splitting slightly along the fold. The text and signature on the blue label are faded and the edges of the label are slightly worn. Contained in cloth-covered boards and slipcase.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A masterpiece of Dadaist prints, Fiat modes pereat ars is Max Ernst’s first lithographic work and the first Dada artwork to be commissioned by a civil authority. This example is one of the two proof sets that were in the collection of the artist. The work exemplifies the Dada mission to reject logic and reason in favor of nonsense and irrationality, forcing the viewer to confront one’s conditioned response to reality.The title, “Let there be fashion, down with art” inverts the Latin phrase, “Let there be art, down with fashion,” thereby indicating the end of traditional art. Comprising eight images featuring mannequin-like figures, illogical diagrams and measuring implements accompanied by impossible equations and plays on words, the prints present an upended vision of society that defies any chronological or reasoned reading.

Although intended to be issued in an edition of sixty, the explicitly anti-bourgeois portfolio did not find many buyers among contemporary print collectors and according to Spies and Leppien, Ernst destroyed the majority of the edition. This example is one of extremely few known sets.