The artwork titled “Illustration to ‘A Week of Kindness'” is a collage on paper created by Max Ernst in 1934 in Paris, France. As part of the Surrealist movement, this piece measures 18 x 13 cm and belongs to the genre of illustration. It is part of the series “A Week of Kindness” and is currently housed in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany.
In the artwork, a surreal scene unfolds within an interior setting. Multiple figures are present, each engaged in peculiar and enigmatic activities. To the left, a woman wearing a dark dress kneels on the floor, seemingly absorbed in her thoughts while attended by two small dragon-like creatures at her feet. Behind her, a large painting on the wall depicts a man with his head resting in his arms, adding a layer of melancholy to the scene. To the right, a group of men dressed in 19th-century attire stand in a line, each bent over as if in a gesture of reverence or exhaustion. The central figure appears to be deeply engrossed in his actions by a mantelpiece. The distinct illustrative style, coupled with the surreal elements, evokes a dream-like atmosphere, characteristic of Ernst’s work within the Surrealist movement.
