Max Ernst

Do you have a piece by Max Ernst in your possession and would like to know its value? Our Experts will carry out a free appraisal of your piece, provide you with an estimate of the market price, and then help you to sell at the best possible price.

Quote, estimate and price of the artist Max Ernst

Price of a painting: 8,000 – 8 800,000 €.

Estimation of a drawing: 800 – 450,000 €

Estimation of a print: 25 – 1,800 €.

Price of a photograph: 80 – 35,000 €.

Estimation of a sculpture: 2,400 – 12,000,000 €.

Estimate of a tapestry: 800 – 23,000 €.

If you would like to have a work by Max Ernst appraised, our experts will take care of everything.

Dadaism and Max Ernst

Max Ernst was born on 2 February 1891 in Brühl, Germany and died on 1 April 1976 in Paris. His work was linked to the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. He produced paintings, collages and sculptures. He began to study philosophy at the University of Bonn, but he abandoned his studies to devote himself to art. In 1911, he met members of the Blaue Reiter, Apollinaire, and Delaunay.

The surrealist years

During WWI, Ernst served the German artillery on the Russian front. Once back in Germany, he went to Cologne where he studied the Dada works. His art was influenced by Paul Klee and Marcel Duchamp. Ernst worked on dream painting. In 1920, he exhibited collective collages with Hans Arp, they named them “Fatagaga”. In the same year he organised the International Dada Fair in Berlin. In 1925, he practiced the technique of frottage, which allowed more or less imaginary forms to appear. He went on to collaborate with Joan Miro on the set of a Diaghilev show, and they created works together using the grattage technique.

He tried his hand at sculpture in the 1930s while spending time with Giacometti. In 1938, Peggy Guggenheim’s heiress bought a number of works. During WWII, he went into exile in New York where he worked with Chagall and Duchamp. They contributed to the rise of Abstract Expressionism. Ernst himself used the dripping technique like Jackson Pollock.

An international career

Max Ernst returned to France in 1953. The following year he received the prize of the Venice Biennale, which meant he was excluded from the surrealist group. In the 1960s, he moved to Tourennes, which inspired him in his creations. He redid a certain number of collages with wallpaper and etchings. In 1975, a major retrospective exhibition dedicated to him was held in New York.

Recognising Max Ernst’s signature

Like many artists, Max Ernst did not sign all of his works. However, you will find below an example of the signatures to give you an idea. Variations of these signatures do exist, do not hesitate to contact one of our experts to formally authenticate a signature.

Appraising and selling a piece by Max Ernst

If you own a piece by Max Ernst or any other object, ask for a free estimate via our online form.

You will then be contacted by a member of our team of experts and auctioneers to give you an independent view of the market price of your piece. In the context of a possible sale, our specialists will also advise you on the different options available to sell your work at the best price.