Over his career, Max Ernst worked on illustrations for over two dozen books including his own remarkable series of collage books. In 1927 the French writer René Crevel published his novel “Babylone”, a landmark of Surrealist literature and an enduring achievement of one of its leading figures. In 1930 The Black Sun Press commissioned Kay Boyle to create an English translation of the first chapter of “Babylone” and published it under the title “Mr Knife Miss Fork”. Ernst created the illustrations, producing nineteen photograms, each based on a quote from the book.
These were produced using Ernst's “frottage” technique, created by rubbing translucent paper on top of a textured surface – like children creating “rubbings” with pencils and thin paper from gravestones. Using this "impression" on the special paper, Ernst then collaborated with Man Ray to creating a type of photographic negative (known as “cliché-verre”) by shooting light through the thin paper onto photosensitive paper underneath. These were then reproduced in the form of negative photograms. The resulting white lines and white designs set off against the pitch-black background set the perfect surrealist stage for Ernst's powerful and unsettling imagery.
The book is recognized as one of the greatest photography books of all time and Ernst even collaborated with the bookbinder, A.J. Gonon, to produce the stunning gold tooling on black binding on the 250 copies of the published book.
This is an original photogram on photographic paper, created and printed by Max Ernst and Man Ray in 1931 as one of the nineteen illustrations. This example was created to demonstrate the process to others in the book industry and is mounted on it’s original pale lilac laid paper watermarked “Montgolfier France” (yes, those Mongolfiers!).
The 7” x 5” image is on a 9” x 7” piece, professionally matted to 10”x8” and set in a monumental 15” x 13” x 2” wooden frame with walnut veneer.
Included is a framed print of Anna Riwkin-Brick's fantastic 1933 photo of the Surrealist Group. Featuring Tristan Tzara, Paul Éluard, André Breton, Jean Arp, Salvador Dalí, Yves Tanguy and, remarkably, with Max Ernst, René Crevel and Man Ray all sitting together - the genius triumvirate behind this remarkable creation.