Max Ernst (1891-1976) was born near Cologne, Germany. He studied philosophy and art at the University of Bonn and served in the German Army during First World War. Ernst joined the Dada movement in Cologne and in 1919 he began to work on collages and books composed of irrational images and fantastic landscapes. In 1922, Ernst moved to Paris where he became a central figure in the Surrealist Movement. In 1949 he was arrested in France as an enemy alien and escaped to New York where he was welcomed by the New York art world and made fantastical paintings that reflected his sadness and horror.
