The Rendezvous of Friends (The Friends Become Flowers, Snakes and Frogs) is painting by Max Ernst, in 1928. Max Ernst (1981-1976) in Brühl, Germany. As as young man, Ernst served four years in World War I. After his return, Ernst’s past experiences began to shape his art. Ernst was a pioneer to both the Dada and Surrealism movements in Europe during the 1910s and 1920s. Surrealism is part of literary and artistic movement focused on the unconscious, a style of art that needs no order or reason. Ernst is known to have a reoccurring theme of using frottage and a collage technique he referred to as “the culture of systematic displacement” through out his works. These techniques became very common through many artist’s surrealist works, during the 20^th century.

When I first entered the exhibit the painting that quickly caught my attention was To The Rendezvous of Friends (The Friends Became Flowers, Snakes and Frogs) painted by max Ernst using oil pants. Originally this painting stuck out to me because of the dark red and black colors in it, something about the contrast colors and patterns was very intriguing to me. When I looked more carefully, I noticed the morphed images of humans and animals mixed among these dark colors and this furthered my interest in the piece.

Upon more research of Ernst’s works, I learned that there is also a preceding painting to this one, Au Rendezvous des amis, or a reunion of friends. The painting depicts a group of mainly men, sitting around in strange positions. Having knowledge of this painting gave a better insight into the original painting that caught my interest. Ernst was fascinated by the idea of metamorphosis, a theme common in much of modernist art, that can also be seen in the painting To The Rendezvous of Friends (The Friends Became Flowers, Snakes and Frogs). This painting shows yet another reunion of what I would assume are these same friends from the first painting however, now they have become flowers, snakes, and frogs. Ernst created morphed images of reptiles and humans, with in a black and red back drop, while white flowers with dark vines weave around this morphed figures, an empty yellow background covers the upper half of the painting. Much of this piece can be left up to the interpretation of the person viewing it, the meaning behind this painting will not be easily captured without interpretation, which again aligns with the ideas of the modernist movement.

One question I still have about this piece of work is what the yellow is meant to represent? I know it is showing a separation but I’m unsure of what that separation is supposed to be, or represent.

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79082

https://www.moma.org/artists/1752

Giorgio De Chirico (1888-1978) is surrealist born in Greece and moved to Italy to perform most of his artwork. The artwork that interested me is “The Evil Genius of a King” (1914-1915). His artwork carries a Geometric theme that attests to its modernistic era. As opposed to another artist within the same era, Giorgio De Chirico painting are not abstract but rather straightforward. He created paintings adding depth of dimension and allowing the artist to add more structures with full a wide range of vibrant colors.

What makes this art part of the Surrealism genre is how these objects do not tend to hold a truth in reality. Surrealism movement can be found predominantly in France and Italy.  As we see in the picture above, the sphere is not rolling down the ramp. The laws of physics do not apply and that in itself shows a rejection of the world and its “laws” but somehow manifest itself in rather strange ways. Even if we can quantify what we see there is still much we do not understand and that is what Giorgio De Chirico intends to explain.

The paintings on display at the MOMA for Giorgio De Chirico attracted me because the object is definitive, organized, and colors do not overlap. There is this understanding of geometric angles and to a certain extent involving math. Being a Baruch undergrad who enjoys participating in mathematical situations, these painting offered a painter who recognized that the world is composed of definitive shapes. Compared to other paintings, Giorgio emphasizes on shadows of objects caused by a strong light source.

Giorgio De Chirico’s artwork has a room for itself on the 5^th floor that blends in with all the different subcategories of Modernism. The most artwork has a strong geometric them that is vibrant when the lights hit it intended subject. His artwork can be stumbled upon next to the paintings of Picasso, Van Gogh, and Henri Rousseau. It seems to me that Giorgio De Chirico put clues in there and may carry certain significance. If so, where they to be interpreted and by who?

René Magritte was a Belgian Modernist and Surrealist painter who lived from 1898-1967. Widely known for his concealed/obstructed faces, a Freudian psychoanalysis done on Magritte’s artwork suggests that Magritte’s motifs of repetition were a sign of trauma from his early childhood. At age fourteen, Magritte witnessed his mother’s suicide. His mother’s body was retrieved from the water, where they found her nightgown wrapped around her face. Some suggest that witnessing his mother drowning inspired Rene to conceal his subject’s face throughout his paintings.

The MoMa displays the first of four variations of The Lovers that Magritte painted in 1928. In The Lovers, one can see two concealed faces attempting to embrace one another. The cloth wrapped around their faces obstructs a kiss between the two lovers, where one can feel and see the isolation and frustration behind the desires of two people. This piece reminds me of T.S. Eliot’s, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The ambiguity found in Magritte’s artwork help us to illustrate T.S. Eliot’s words. Like the choice of colors used in Magritte’s piece, The Lovers, the words in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” sets a somber mood where one can feel the characters emptiness and insecurities. As we read, J. Alfred Prufrock struggles with continuous thoughts of “should I” and “what if’s,” making it almost impossible for him to involve himself in any intimate relationship with women. He fears that time and his appearance are growing thin, pulling him back from approaching and conversing with cultured, sophisticated women. The clothed faces on the two lovers can be easily compared to the mental struggles found in that of T.S. Eliot’s poem, that ultimately hold Prufrock back from acting on his initial intentions. The inability to fully “unmask” the desire and passion of the two lovers can also be interpreted as a struggle to show the true nature of oneself to their most intimate partner.  Magritte’s The Lovers evokes frustrated desires which can be found throughout his works.

Surrealism is a very strong and important category in modernism. It stimulates one to think deeply even through its simplistic details.  A fan of surrealism, and having done a lot of surreal art myself, I embrace the idea of creating art that allows different interpretations through minimalist techniques. I believe that there is a complex psychology that exists behind surrealist painters that allows them to create masterpieces derived from the “superior reality” of the subconscious mind. Rene Magritte has been an idol and inspiration throughout my artistic years where, I too, sketched and painted with blank faces. Like Rene, I feel that it is up to the viewer to form a face, choosing how the subject of the piece would look. When I stumbled upon Magritte’s, The Lovers, I was immediately drawn in. Surrealism explores beyond or beneath what is known. It evokes mystery which Magritte encouraged through his paintings. Rene Magritte’s artwork creates a paradox, paintings that are composed with clarity and simplicity that stimulate unsettling thoughts. While surreal paintings may seem to hide no mystery, they in fact, arouse bewilderment and ambiguity.  Magritte’s The Lovers evokes “frustrated desires” which can be interpreted in various ways.

“My painting is visible images which conceal nothing, they evoke mystery and, indeed, when one sees one of my pictures, one asks himself this simple question, ‘What does it mean?’ It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable.” – René Magritte

Sources:

http://www.theartstory.org/artist-magritte-rene.htm

https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/rene-magritte-the-lovers-le-perreux-sur-marne-1928

https://www.renemagritte.org/the-lovers-2.jsp

Max Ernst was a German artist that was born in Bruhl, Germany. He was the third of nine children of a middle class Catholic family. Ernst studied philosophy, art, history, literature, psychology and psychiatry in the University of Bonn. However, he abandoned his studies at his University to pursue his dream of painting. During the events of World War II, Max Ernst served in the German army. After serving the German army in the war, Ernst was converted to Dada, a nihilistic art movement, which is an influence to his paintings.

According to the description label, Ernst painted this piece in 1923. After moving to Paris, he modified the elements of the picture. Woman, Old man and Flower is an original surrealist identity. As Ernst series of painting developed, this piece became submerged  in overtones. In the painting, you can clearly see the vast ocean, the woman and old man. However the flower seems to be missing. It could be that the flower is the woman herself. As stated from the description label that Ernst modified the painting, you can see a part of the modification on the woman’s arms. It is just an outline of her arms instead of a full drawing of it.

This work reflects the aesthetic preferences associated with Modernism because, Ernst worked on over painting strategies. This strategy can be seen on the arms of the woman where it was added over the painting. On the top of the painting, there is a form of a color fade going on in the sky. But on the bottom where the ocean meets the ground, it looks like a solid color of pink, green, and white.

This piece caught my attention because it can be depicted in many ways. I see that the old man is greeting the woman. Or, it could be the old man is showing respect towards a deity since the so called “woman” is half transparent from the top up. Like I said before, I couldn’t find the flower when the title is “Woman, Old man and Flower”. One thought that occurred to me is that the flower could be the woman, or it could be the head piece.

Some questions I would like to ask about the work is, why did Max Ernst chose to subsequently modify the painting? Why is the woman partially transparent especially on her arms and her torso? Also what happened to the old man’s feet?

My grandparents, my parents, and I, is painting by Frida Kahlo, a Mexican, self-taught painter. Kahlo was a child of an interracial marriage; her mother being Mexican and her father Jewish-German. She was a painter who represented surrealism and magic realism. Kahlo was best known for her self-portraits and her unique style. Inspired by her Mexican heritage, she was very interested in race, gender and class in the Mexican community. Even though her work was usually overshadowed by her husband’s art, Andre Breton (who was at the time considered the founder of Surrealism), became really interested in her work and helped her open her first solo exhibition.

My Grandparents, My Parents, and I (Family Tree) was painted by Kahlo in 1936. It is an oil and tempera painting made on zinc since Kahlo was a collector of Mexican retablos. She created this painting as a response to the Nuremburg Laws that were against interracial marriages. Kahlo portrayed herself as the little girl in the bottom of the painting and also the fetus inside her mother’s womb. As the little girl, she is holding the red ribbon which represents the bloodline of her family tree. On the left side we can see her mother and her maternal grandparents standing on the top of the Mexican landscape, while on the right side we see her father and her paternal grandparents standing on top of the water. The water below the right corner represents her European heritage because her grandparents were Jewish-German. Below her parents, Kahlo is standing in Casa Azul, the house in which she was born.

This painting is part of Modernism, because it is an amazing representation of surrealism. Surrealism was developed by Andre Breton who was deeply interested in Kahlo’s art. Its views are mainly political, based strongly in the feelings of each and every artist. Surrealism explored in depth what was considered as illogical, raising questions about the concept of the word “real”. In Kahlo’s painting My Grandparents, My Parents, and I, we can clearly see and comprehend all her surreal details starting from her political inspiration to surreal photographic expression. Her painting is not only surreal, but it also leaves a taste of magic and surprise inside (both parts of surrealism).

I have been a huge fan of Kahlo’s work since I discovered her art in middle school. When I went to the museum, even though I took a close look to all the interesting paintings of Modernism, I knew exactly which one I wanted to photograph. Seeing the painting live for the first time, it gave me the feeling of family, unity and greatness. Knowing the story behind it, it was amazing to see how sharp and beautiful her family’s faces were. It made me understand better where she got her strong, amazing personality from.

There are a lot of questions that I would consider asking about the painting, but one stayed on my mind throughout the day. In the painting, Kahlo positioned herself right below her father, separating herself from her mother. Was that placement intentional? Did that mean that she was closer to her father?

          Surrealist, Rene Magritte was born in Belgium in 1898. Although he enjoyed creating art for most of his life, he did not reach fame until his 50’s. He attended the Academie des Beaux-Art and later dropped out because he thought that it was not benefitting him in any way. Magritte went on to acquire many small jobs, painting for a wallpaper company and working on art during his free time. One of his first paintings called The Menaced Assassin, was exhibited in his first gallery in 1927. However, his gallery did not do as well as he had hoped. Magritte became depressed because of negative reviews from critics, and he decided to move to Paris. Like many great artists, he did not let this stop him. Magritte used Freud as an inspiration for art and eventually started receiving the credit that he deserved.

The Menaced Assassin, one of Rene Magritte’s first paintings that was shown in his gallery in 1927, is displayed at the Museum ofModern Art. This piece is famous for its mysterious nature. According to the label information, Magritte was inspired by a pre-World War I crime fiction series. For example, the detectives standing on each side of the door frame, are inspired by Le Mort qui tue or The Murderous Corpse (1913), which was a film that was created based on the series. Magritte’s goal was to create a mysterious or fantastical painting that could be open to interpretation by the viewer.

Surrealists were determined to go beyond what they saw in the outside world. Artists like Magritte wanted to capture what was hidden in our minds. Neurologist Sigmund Freud had a huge impact on artists during this time. He is the founder of Psychoanalysis which is his theory of having a subconscious, as we discussed in class. Other examples of topics which Freud studied would be violence and sexuality which are both being portrayed in The Menaced Assassin. We see that the woman lying dead on the chair is bleeding from her mouth, a violent aspect. Her corpse is also unclothed, an aspect that expresses sexuality and nakedness.

One of the reasons I decided to further analyze this painting is because I knew it would tell a story. It had a theatrical feel to it that I was initially interested in learning more about.  It was also the first painting to capture my attention because of its large scale. The painting is much bigger than the other paintings in the room, which drew me into the painting, essentially feeling like I was a part of it. I think that The Menaced Assassin is a great example of Modernism because although the story behind the painting is unknown, the viewer is able to interpret it any way they’d like. Surrealism, along with other strands of Modernism is about expressing our thoughts and our imagination. This specific painting that I chose evokes a sense of horror and mystery. It makes the viewer question, what violent act occurred to result in the death of the woman? Who are the three men on the balcony? Or why isn’t the woman wearing clothes?

Sources: 

https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2013/11/21/magrittes-the-menaced-assassin-1927-treatment-and-research-2/

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-surrealism.htm

https://www.renemagritte.org

https://www.biography.com/people/sigmund-freud-9302400

The Nymph Echo is an oil on canvas painted by Max Ernst, who was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist and poet. He was a a pioneer of the Dada movement and Surrealism. He invented surrealist art techniques such as frottage and grattage. He also had a fascination with birds and it shows a lot in his work. His alter ego named Loplop, was actually an extension from himself stemming from an early confusion of birds and humans.” He was arrested during World War 2 and managed to escape and fled to the United States in 1941. He lived in New York City and helped inspire the development for Abstract Expressionism. Ernst died at the age of 84 on April 1, 1976 in Paris.

Ernst painted The Nymph Echo in 1936 using oil paint as his medium. On the upper right if you look closely you can see a naked women. She is supposed to be Echo, a mountain nymph of Greek Mythology. The huge flower or plant represents Narcissus. Echo fell in love with Narcissus, but it is said that he fell in love with his own reflection and wasted away from unsatisfied desire and eventually turned into a flower. This painting is supposed to demonstrate that moment of metamorphosis. It’s a very bright painting consisting of greens, magentas, pinks and blues. If you really take time and concentrate on the painting you can actually see a large bird with human hands, which goes back to his fascination with birds and his alter ego Loplop.

This painting reflects modernism because it is a surrealist piece of art. The Surrealism Movement was found by poet Andre breton in 1924 and it sought unlock the power of the imagination. Surrealist painters created strange creatures out of everyday objects and created techniques that allowed the unconscious to express itself. These paintings are not supposed to make sense. They are made to allow you to explore your imagination and for everyone to have their own interpretation of it. In The Nymph Echo you can see that a creature was created out of flowers and leaves. There is a lot going on like the birds with human hands and the small naked female on the upper right side. When you first look at this painting a lot goes on in your mind and you start to create your own interpretation of what it could be or mean.

As soon as I walked into Max Ernst Gallery I was drawn to his colorful work. I love flowers and color so I was instantly drawn to this painting because of that. As I got closer I started to try and figure out what it was, it just looked really beautiful. It reminded me of a painting my grandma had in her house. After, I read the description next to it I became even more intrigued by it. I love Greek Mythology so to know that this painting had something to do with it made me like it even more.

One question that I still have about this painting is why add the bird with the human hands? I know it’s his alter ego but what does it have to do with this painting? Is there a deeper meaning to it being there ?

— What did you learn from this story that you did not previously know about life in Nazi concentration camps?

–This story can be described as a kind of “initiation story” for the narrator.  How is he changed or transformed by the events of the narrative?

–A tall, grey-haired woman who has just arrived on the “transport” whispers, “My poor boy,” to our narrator.  What does she mean?

–“Are we good people?” asks our narrator.  What is this exchange about? What do you think?

–Explain the significance of the story’s title, “This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen.”  What seems strange about it?

This is the first image of Rene Magritte four variations of The Lovers.  Rene Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist who painted this image in 1928. He was born in Hainaut, Belgium on November 21, 1898. Magritte was the oldest son of Leopold Magritte, a tailor and textile merchant and Regina. He began his drawing lessons in 1910, when he was only 12 years old. When he was 13, his mother committed suicide. Magritte started his paintings in 1915 and after that, he became known for challenging those who sees them and their view on reality. Rene Magritte died of Pancreatic cancer on August 15, 1967.

This image is about a man and a woman kissing, without seeing each other because they have cloths covering their faces. According to the description of the painting, “The device of using draped cloth or veil to conceal a figure’s identity corresponds to a larger Surrealist interest in masks, disguises, and what lies beyond or beneath visible surfaces.” In other words, this painting demonstrate that there is more than what you can see physically.

The Lovers reflects modernism because it is part of Surrealism. Surrealism is an artistic movement that was led by Andre Breton, a French Poet. Surrealism simply means the superior reality of subconscious. The Lovers represent surrealism because the image is left for others to interpret what is the actual meaning of this painting and not just what they can say about what they see in front of them. This image shows a blind kiss but it is more than just two people kissing while having their face covered. It is about finding the purpose of eliminating what the conscious mind can see and focusing on what the inside of these two individual is like without them using what they can physically see.

As I entered the room full of Surrealistic paintings, The Lovers caught my attention first because it gave me a better understanding of what surrealism is in the first place. I was able to understand that surrealism is finding the deeper meaning of something besides the obvious, which is what you’re seeing. The deeper meaning of this painting is two people kissing without caring about their physical features, instead, they are attracted to each other because of how they feel, and what is inside their persona. The obvious of this image is just two people kissing while being blinded. I personally love this painting because so many people interpret it in many different ways but for me, it means true love. The kind of love that does not care about the outside and only cares about what’s inside and how they feel.

Fernand Léger lived from Feb 4,1881 to Aug 17, 1955. Léger was born in Normandy into a poor family. By 1900, he traveled to Paris to work as an architectural draftsman. In Paris, he rented a small studio with various other artists. During this time, his artwork was heavily influenced by Cubism and through this, he created his own form of art, “machine art”. This was an art form used geometric shapes to express figures. When World War I started, he served as a military engineer. During his service, he was concerned with making art available for the working class.

I chose Three Women which is an oil artwork on canvas. In this artwork, there are three females that are drawn in a geometric way. He uses minimal curves, which eliminates the feel of the women being real. Another interesting aspect to the painting is that the females portrayed in the painting are dismembered. The two grey colored women look discombobulated. The black cat in the back is the only realistic figure that closely resembles real life in the painting. The colors that he uses are also nude except for the yellow cushion, red table and green floor. In the background, it looks like the women are inside but it’s unclear as to what the different objects in the back are.

This canvas reflects several characteristics on Modernism. First, the women are dismembered, which added an abstract feature to the painting. This evokes an uncomfortable feeling in the audience. Léger was heavily influenced by Cubism and we can tell from the painting. The females are not drawn with realistic curvy lines but in strong, solid geometric shapes. An example would be the necks of the females. The necks are drawn in a cylinder form. The knee cap of the tan colored female in a circle. Another aspect of Modernism is being abstract. In a sense, the background of the painting is abstract. It looks like the artist put different rectangular sizes together.

When I entered this specific room, I saw two of Picasso’s work, Three Musicians and Three Women at the Spring. But what made Léger’s work stand out was the use of geometric shapes. Léger’s work is next to Picasso’s, but the difference is that I find Léger’s work more interesting to look at. Both artists were exploring the topic of nudity. However, the way Léger portrayed it left more room for audience interpretation. I think a huge part of art is being able to interpret what you see. When you visit an art gallery with a friend, your different opinions are going to spark a conversation and for me, listening to other people’s interpretations adds more value to the art.