The artwork titled “Family Excursions” by Max Ernst dates from around 1919 and was created in Cologne, Germany. It is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 36 x 26 cm. Emblematic of the Surrealist movement, the genre painting delves into the realm of the subconscious by presenting visual narratives that defy conventional logic and standards of realism.
In the artwork, Ernst depicts a scene comprised of figures and forms that suggest both the familiar and the fantastic. The color palette is predominantly dark, with stark contrasts that emphasize the unsettling nature of the composition. At the forefront, we see a figure in a white dress seated beside a more ominous, mask-like face, invoking a sense of dual identity. These figures are juxtaposed against a backdrop featuring architectural structures and a creature that resembles a bull interacting with a humanoid shape atop a hill-like form. The peculiarity of the interactions among the characters, the distorted perspective, and the dream-like quality of the scene are characteristic of Surrealist endeavor to explore the unconscious mind and challenge the viewer’s perceptions of reality.
