In 1925, Surrealist artist Max Ernst developed an artistic technique called 'frottage' after being inspired by the textured p

The world of Max Ernst

Chapter 1

Dada, collage, and the scars of war

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Chapter 2

Inventing new ways to paint

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Chapter 3

Loplop and the world of birds

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Chapter 4

Escape, Sedona, and final years

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YOUR GOAL

Master of The world of Max Ernst

Ch 2 · Inventing new ways to paint

Glossary

histoire naturelle (noun)
A groundbreaking 1926 art portfolio by Max Ernst that used textured rubbings of floorboards to create a make-believe catalog of surreal plants and animals. By presenting these dreamlike creatures as if they were real scientific discoveries, Ernst showed how a simple, everyday texture can spark an entire imaginary ecosystem.

Quiz

In 1925, Surrealist artist Max Ernst developed an artistic technique called 'frottage' after being inspired by the textured patterns of wooden floorboards. If you wanted to create a frottage artwork yourself, which action would you perform?

schopenhauer Max Ernst's painting techniques

Rub the floorboards, scrape the canvas, watch the dreams appear!

schopenhauer Oscillation and the dripping paint can

Decalcomania and the magic of liquid paint

schopenhauer Using decalcomania, Max Ernst pressed wet paint between surfaces to create organic, sponge-like textures of ruined worlds.

Fun Fact

Floorboard inspiration: Ernst invented frottage after staring at a hotel room floor and realizing how the wood grain looked like strange creatures.

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Grattage and scraping away paint layers

schopenhauer Ernst adapted his rubbing technique into grattage, a method of scraping wet paint off a canvas to uncover hidden textures.

Glossary

frottage (noun)
An artistic technique of taking a rubbing from an uneven surface to form the basis of a work of art. Max Ernst pioneered this technique in 1925 after being inspired by worn wooden floorboards.

Quiz

What is the title of Max Ernst's famous 1926 portfolio of frottage drawings?

Gossip

Which artistic technique sounds the most fun to try?

Inventing new ways to paint

schopenhauer Drag textures onto the canvas to discover how Max Ernst invented new ways to paint.

schopenhauer Grattage and scraping away paint layers

Quiz

What texture-rubbing technique did Max Ernst invent in a hotel room in 1925?

Quiz

What did Max Ernst use to rub over textured floorboards to create his first frottage drawings?

Quiz

Which technique involves pressing paint between canvas and glass to create organic, moss-like textures?

Quiz

Which famous American abstract expressionist was inspired by Max Ernst's dripping paint technique?

Quiz

What physical object did Max Ernst swing on a string to invent the 'oscillation' paint-dripping technique?

Quiz

What did Max Ernst place under his canvases during his grattage scraping process to create patterns?

Quiz

In the technique of grattage, what action does Max Ernst perform on the painted canvas?