Oedipus I
Artist
Max Ernst
(German, 1891-1976)
CultureGerman
Date1934
MediumBronze
DimensionsOverall: 24 1/4 in. (61.6 cm)
InscribedSigned & numbered "I/VI".
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.1093
Collections
Not on view
DescriptionThis is a small abstract bronze sculpture with a black patina. The mold was made from a plaster cast of found objects. The found objects appear to be flower pots stacked on each other. The artist then added features of a face mouth, nose and eyes, so that what began as flowerpots became a bronze statue with two faces. The viewer will be quick to see what is most familiar, faces first, then the flowerpots.Label TextMax Ernst German, 1891–1976 Oedipus I, 1934 Bronze Some of the sculptors in this room take a rational, analytical approach to their subjects. Others—including Oedipus—are more subjective, drawing inspiration from myths, dreams, and the subconscious. In Max Ernst’s work, the figure’s head is disconcertingly large and seems tenuously attached to the body. A helmet-like form sinisterly obscures the figure’s features, while the body and arms are strangely truncated. Like the tragic character in the Greek play that inspired the artist, Oedipus is fragmented—his mind, body, and spirit are violently at odds with each other. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.1093
