“Illustration to ‘A Week of Kindness'”, created in 1934 by Max Ernst, is a collage artwork on paper, reflecting the Surrealism movement. It measures 18 x 13 cm and is part of the series “A Week of Kindness”. The artwork is housed at the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany.
The artwork depicts a surreal and unsettling scene within an indoor setting. To the left, a woman kneels on the floor, possibly performing some form of ritual or engagement with small, almost mythical animals near her. Behind her stands a bearded man, leaning slightly with his back to the viewer and facing what appears to be a mantle or fireplace. To the right, three men, smartly dressed, appear engaged in activity or are in the process of movement, creating a sense of narrative or ceremony. The background features a painting within the artwork, showing a figure in a similar melancholic posture, amplifying the artwork’s layered complexity. The overall atmosphere is one of mystery and the bizarre, characteristic of the Surrealist genre.
