The artwork entitled “Some animals are illiterate” was created by Max Ernst in 1973 in Paris, France. It is a symbolic painting falling within the Surrealism movement.
The artwork features a dark, almost black background, from which emerge various abstract figures resembling animals. At the center of the composition is a large, circular form filled with intricate, scratch-like patterns and textures. Within this circle, two bird-like figures stand prominently. Other abstract animal shapes appear in different orientations throughout the piece, including an abstract bird on the left, an owl-like figure at the top right, and a more pronounced animal-like figure on the right. The piece embodies the surrealist tendency to merge the fantastical and the real, using symbolic imagery that invites contemplation beyond the literal, provoking thoughts about literacy and comprehension in a metaphorical context.
