3449 - ERNST, MAX (Brühl 1891 – 1976 Paris): “Mon ami Pierrot”

ERNST, MAX (Brühl 1891 – 1976 Paris): “Mon ami Pierrot” Bronze, with a black-green patina, signed on the reverse, numbered VI/VIII, and bearing the foundry name “Susse Fondeur Paris” H: 54 cm The work was installed outdoors. Provenance: Sotheby’s, London, June 26, 1994, Lot No. 276; private collection, Switzerland. Bibliography: Jürgen Pech, Max Ernst. Sculptures, Cologne 2005, pp. 212ff. The figure of Pierrot, the melancholic yet comical protagonist of the Commedia dell’Arte, occupied Max Ernst for several decades. As early as the 1950s and 1960s, the artist incorporated this motif into his paintings. In 1973–74, he created a painting of the same name alongside this sculpture. Through the playful combination of familiar objects—such as a shell-shaped sand mold, as well as plate- and funnel-like forms—an amusing yet enigmatic artistic figure emerged. This transformation and reinterpretation of everyday forms was one of the characteristic techniques in Max Ernst’s sculptural work. Through their unusual arrangement, these additive composite figures take on a new, anthropomorphic meaning. The way Pierrot is presented—on a circular platform tilted slightly forward, hovering above the ground like a small stage—is also part of his impact as a performer. Pierrot thus appears as a whimsical character who embodies a humorous view of life. Auction date: November 6, 2026, 2:30 p.m.