The artwork titled “Illustration to ‘A Week of Kindness'” was created by Max Ernst in 1934 in Paris, France. This piece, rendered in collage on paper, belongs to the Surrealism art movement. It measures 18 x 13 centimeters and is classified as an illustration from the series “A Week of Kindness”. Currently, the artwork is housed at the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany.
The artwork features a scene with Victorian-era setting, juxtaposed with surreal elements. Dominating the foreground is a woman in traditional attire, kneeling and seemingly engaging with small, dragon-like creatures on the floor. Her posture and the presence of these fantastic creatures introduce a surreal tension into the otherwise ordinary scene. A man, dressed in uniform-like clothing, appears to be engrossed in a task, his back towards the viewer, while another man navigates the space in the background with a somewhat distanced demeanor. The room is adorned with period-specific furniture, and on the wall hangs a framed picture of a person resting their head on their arms, adding to the overall enigmatic atmosphere. This visual dissonance between the realistic and fantastical elements serves to emphasize the surreal nature of the artwork.
