“The Entire City,” an evocative work of art by Max Ernst, was created around 1935. Ernst, a master of the surreal, employed oil on canvas to convey his vision. The artwork is a fine example of Surrealism, an art movement known for its dreamlike imagery and unexpected juxtapositions. This cityscape measures 97 by 145 centimeters. Although the artwork’s current home is a private collection, it was conceived within the imaginative realm of Paris, France.
The artwork portrays an expansive urban expanse, which seems to merge architectural forms with geological strata. The city itself is depicted as a monolithic entity, with its layered structures resembling an archaeological cross-section. There’s a sense of stillness and desolation as the city stretches across the canvas, devoid of any visible human presence. The city appears to be an organic part of the landscape, its rigid lines contrasting with the softer, more chaotic forms of the natural overgrowth at the foreground of the work. The use of dark, muted tones with highlights contributes to the dream-like and other-worldly atmosphere that is characteristic of Ernst’s oeuvre.
