Few bodies of work represent the splintering of the twentieth-century Western psyche like the collages of Max Ernst. Striking and playful, the German surrealist’s clipped-together creations, produced throughout his life, attest to a roving eye for materials and a deep curiosity about harmony and dissonance. The art historian Werner Spies has said that “collage is the thread that runs through all of his works; it is the foundation on which his lifework is built.” A new exhibition of Ernst’s collages (on view at Paul Kasmin’s 297 Tenth Avenue location through February 29, 2020) presents approximately forty of them, some of which are being displayed for the first time. A selection of images from the show appears below.

Max Ernst, Deux jeunes Dames, 1972, gouache, pencil, ink, and collage on paperboard, 9″ x 11 3/4″ x 1 1/2″, framed. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.

Max Ernst, Lettrine A, 1958, pen, ink, and collage on paper, 10″ x 11 1/8″ x 1 1/4″, framed. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.

Max Ernst, Clôture, 1967/1975, collage and gouache on paper, mounted on paperboard, 10 1/4″ x 6 3/4″. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.

Max Ernst, Lettrine D, 1974, collage on paper, 5 3/4″ x 4 3/8″. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.

Max Ernst, … ou en bas, cette indécente amazone dans son petit desert privé … , 1929/30, collage on paper, 8 7/8″ x 8 1/2″. Private collection. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.

Max Ernst, Lettrine D, 1948, ink and collage on paper, 10 3/8″ x 8 7/8″ x 1 1/4″, framed. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.

Max Ernst, Les Filles, La Mort, Le Diable, 1970, gouache, watercolor, pencil, and paper collage on paper, 12 1/2″ x 9 1/4″. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.

Max Ernst, Lettrine U, 1958, pen, ink, and collage on paper, 9 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ x 1 1/4″, framed. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.

Max Ernst, Le plus beau mur de mon royaume, 1968, collage, gouache, and pencil on cardboard, 17″ x 13 1/4″. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.

Max Ernst, Singe, 1970, gouache, ink, and collage on paper, 7 1/4″ x 6″. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.

“Collages” will be on view at Paul Kasmin’s 297 Tenth Avenue location through February 29, 2020.