The artwork titled “Illustration to ‘A Week of Kindness,'” created by Max Ernst in 1934, is a surreal collage placed on paper. This illustration belongs to the Surrealism art movement and has dimensions of 18 x 13 cm. It is part of a series named “A Week of Kindness” and is currently housed in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, located in Stuttgart, Germany.
In this detailed collage, Ernst utilizes a monochromatic palette to construct a surreal and somewhat unsettling scene. The artwork portrays a domestic setting with Victorian-style furnishings, where peculiar events unfold. A woman is seen kneeling on the floor beside a pair of small, fantastical creatures resembling dragons. In the nearby corner, a man appears in a contemplative stance, his back turned to the viewer, creating a somber mood. Other figures, dressed in elegant 19th-century attire, are gathered or departing in the background. Notably, a framed image within the artwork reveals a man sorrowfully bowing his head, blending seamlessly into the scene and contributing to an enigmatic narrative characteristic of Ernst’s surrealist oeuvre. The overall composition evokes curiosity and introspection, encouraging viewers to ponder the deeper symbolic context behind the everyday yet bizarre tableau presented.
