The artwork titled “Illustration to ‘A Week of Kindness'” was created by Max Ernst in 1934 in Paris, France. This collage piece, made on paper and measuring 18 x 13 cm, is part of the Surrealism art movement and belongs to the illustration genre. It is part of the series “A Week of Kindness” and is currently housed in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, in Stuttgart, Germany.
The artwork presents a meticulously detailed scene set in an interior space. Dominating the foreground are figures dressed in 19th-century attire, engaged in a mysterious activity. One man appears to be bending over a mantel, while a woman kneels on the floor near some curious small dragon-like creatures. Strikingly, a framed painting within the artwork shows another figure in profile, with a contemplative expression. The atmosphere is one of intrigue and surrealism, characteristic of Max Ernst’s work, inviting the viewer to ponder the interplay between ordinary domesticity and fantastical elements.
