Provenance
The artist [1891-1976]; by inheritance to his wife, Dorothea Tanning Ernst; gift 1982 to NGA.
Accession Number
1982.34.1
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 169.8 x 325 cm (66 7/8 x 127 15/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Gift of Dorothea Tanning Ernst
Tags
Painting Early Modern (1901–1950) Oil Painting Canvas German Color: Gray Color: Black
Background & Context
Background Story
Max Ernst (1891-1976) was a German artist who was a founding member of both the Dada and Surrealist movements and developed numerous experimental techniques including frottage, grattage, and decalcomania. A Moment of Calm from 1939 depicts a surreal landscape with the dreamlike imagery and experimental technique that distinguish Ernst's best work. The 1939 date places this in Ernst's late Surrealist period, when he was producing the dreamlike landscapes that combine his experimental techniques with the mysterious atmosphere that defines Surrealism at its most poetic.
Cultural Impact
A Moment of Calm is important in Ernst's oeuvre because it demonstrates the combination of experimental technique and dreamlike imagery that defines his Surrealist painting. The 1939 title 'A Moment of Calm' suggests the temporary nature of the peace it depicts—a momentary calm within the Surrealist landscape that is always on the verge of transformation, reflecting the broader context of 1939 Europe on the eve of World War II.
Why It Matters
A Moment of Calm is Ernst's Surrealist landscape at its most poetic: a dreamlike landscape rendered with the experimental techniques and mysterious atmosphere that define his best Surrealist painting. The 1939 title suggests a temporary peace within the Surrealist landscape, created on the eve of World War II—an ironic calm before the storm.
