“Illustration to “A Week of Kindness”” by Max Ernst, created in 1934 in Paris, France, is a surrealist collage on paper measuring 18 by 13 centimeters. Part of the “A Week of Kindness” series, this illustration is housed in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany.
The artwork presents a surreal, unsettling scene constructed through collage techniques. In the composition, a woman kneels on the floor next to an arrangement of miniature, fantastical creatures. A man in traditional clothing appears to be examining something near a hearth, his back turned towards the viewer. In the background, two other men engage in a mysterious interaction. The walls of the room are adorned with an enigmatic painting of a man resting his head on his hand, seemingly immersed in deep contemplation or sorrow. The juxtaposition of these disparate elements creates a haunting and thought-provoking narrative, characteristic of the surrealist movement.
