ABOUT THE WORK

In the summer of 1934, during a stay with Alberto Giacometti in Maloja, Switzerland, Max Ernst began his earliest exploration of sculpture. Together, the two artists collected granite stones from a nearby riverbed on the moraines of the Forno Glacier. Worn smooth by time, ice, and weather, the stones’ forms inspired Ernst to work in the round. Rather than significantly reshape them, Ernst preserved their natural shape. In some cases, he carved shallow reliefs, in others, he limited his artistry to painted decoration and markings.

Until this point, Ernst’s engagement with sculpture had been limited to a few isolated found objects rather than a sustained body of work. The Maloja stones marked a turning point. This example features black and red painted shapes that leave areas of natural stone exposed. The result balances natural formation with artistic intervention and stands as an early and important extension of Ernst’s practice into sculpture.