“The Antipope” is an oil painting on canvas created by the artist Max Ernst in 1942 while he was in the United States. The artwork, which measures 160.8 x 127.1 cm, is a symbolic painting associated with the Surrealism art movement. It is housed at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy.
The artwork presents a surreal and vivid tableau featuring human-like figures adorned in extravagant and fantastical garments. The central figure, draped in a vibrant red attire and embodying a grotesque anatomical distortion, appears to dominate the composition. To the right, arranged in a complex interplay, stand two other figures with one donning delicate, pale clothing and the other exhibiting a more statuesque stance. The background is a blend of intricate, dream-like elements, enriching the painting’s enigmatic and symbolic narrative. The coupling of these surreal elements articulates Ernst’s captivating and unsettling vision, characteristic of his contributions to the Surrealist movement.
