The artwork titled “Illustration to ‘A Week of Kindness'” was created by surrealistic artist Max Ernst in Paris, France, in 1934. This piece is part of a series with the same name and is styled as a collage made from paper. Its dimensions are compact at 18 x 13 cm and it fits into the genre of an illustration. As a noted example of the Surrealism movement, the artwork is located at the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany, where it remains as a testament to Ernst’s vision and creativity.
This particular collage presents a scene with a group of figures in a room, rendered in a grayscale that suggests it may have been sourced from older prints or Victorian-era illustrations. Central to the composition is a woman seated on the floor interacting with two small birds, possibly feeding them, while being watched over by a larger, bird-like creature. The strangeness of the situation is heightened by the presence of men in bourgeois attire, creating a jarring and dissonant context. This surreal juxtaposition is characteristic of Ernst’s work, which often combines elements from various sources to challenge perceptions and evoke diverse interpretations.
