Max Ernst (1891–1976) ranks among the most inspiring and influential artists of the 20th century. His oeuvre’s charismatic appeal has lasted well beyond his own era. Parts of his biographical notes are fictitious, and he always remained ironically detached from his own works and techniques. His pictures feature figurative elements as well as imaginary forms, and his works have been created from mixed media. Max Ernst was a crossover artist and a master of the realm of »in-between-ness«. Like his life, his oeuvre is characterised by disjunctions and thematic changes, both of which combine to express his visionary, sceptical concept of the world.

In the Würth Collection, Max Ernst occupies a central artistic position. A unique collection of books and graphics constitutes the core of the Max Ernst section, making this surrealist’s almost unsurpassably diverse, seemingly boundless visual universe experientially accessible, starting from his very first creations all the way through to his fantastic later works. The exhibition’s focus was on a selection from this collection, complemented by several of the artist’s sculptures, as well as by pieces from the Jewellery Museum’s collection – displayed alongside the graphics, and entering into dialog with them. Max Ernst accepted things as they appeared, and took a very associative, unconfined approach, something that opens up numerous possibilities for interplay between his works and jewellery.

About the Würth Collection
The Würth Collection comprises more than 18,000 works of art from the 16^th century to the modern and contemporary eras – mainly paintings and sculptures. It ranks among the most renowned private art collections in Europe. The artworks are on display in Europe, admission free, in 15 museums, as well as in subsidiaries of the Würth Group. The costs of the activities related to the Würth Collection are borne by the respective international companies of the Würth Group.