Max Ernst: Surrealism, Art and Cinema

From 5 December to 4 May 2025, the Sala Goya room in the Círculo de Bellas Artes will be hosting an exhibition focused on renowned artist Max Ernst. It takes a special look at the life and work of the artist, bringing together pieces in different formats such as paintings, sculptures, collages, frottages, picture books, photographs, all chosen for their close relationship with the world of cinema.

This exhibition offers a unique and revolutionary vision of the work of the famous German surrealist artist, highlighting his connection to cinema throughout his career. Max Ernst was a painter, sculptor, illustrator, poet and graphic artist, among other things, and his legacy is profoundly varied and unique. Through detailed research, this exhibition reveals how cinema was constantly present throughout his life and career.

The artist has been described as a “magician of infinite possibilities” capable of projecting a “captivating film” before the eyes of the spectator, and his work has been defined as capable of overcoming the limits of traditional media, such as painting and drawing, frozen in time. Throughout his life, Ernst was a great inspiration for surrealist cinema, and he also contributed as an actor, film judge and award designer, while his life has been the subject of numerous films and documentaries.

The exhibition uses fragments of films and immersive projections that interact constantly with his works, creating a dynamic and immersive experience. This exhibition design allows the visitor to delve into the complex and unique life of Ernst, which spanned much of the twentieth century and addressed topics such as exile, transculturalism and environmental problems, reflecting the artist’s progressive vision.

In total, more than 300  carefully selected pieces are featured in the exhibition, including oil paintings, sculptures, collages, frottages, picture books, films and original photographs. Prestigious works such as the paintings The Temptation of St. Anthony (Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg) or Lot’s Daughters (Pietzsch Collection, Berlin), and sculptures such as Homme (Max Ernst Museum, Brühl).

Image credits:

• Max Ernst, The Temptation of St. Anthony, 1945, Oil on canvas, 108 x 128 cm, Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
• Max Ernst. Aux antipodes du paysage (Antipodes of Landscape), 1936, oil on canvas; private collection, Stuttgart
• Max Ernst, L’habillement de l’épousée (The Robing of the Bride), 1973–75, colour silkscreen in oil on canvas, Max Ernst Museum, Brühl
• Max Ernst, Jardin peuplé de chimères (Garden, populated with chimeras), 1936, oil on canvas, private collection
• Claude W. Huston, Max Ernst in front of his painting; The Temptation of St. Antony, New York 1946, private collection