Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbre (1944)

Ernst, Max (1891-1976)

Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbre (Lunch on the Grass)
1944
Oil on canvas, 68 x 150 cm
Cleveland Museum of ArtCleveland

Scientific analysis of this painting shows that the black background was added last.

A frightening fish isn’t the only strange thing about this scene; it’s also painted in an unusual way. To create more abstract areas in the center of the painting, Ernst lifted paint from the surface using perhaps a cloth or sheet of paper, allowing abstract patterns to form in the process. Called decalcomania, this method blots paint in ways that resemble plants and minerals. Elsewhere in the work, smoothly painted fish scales seem almost traditional by comparison. (CMA)

See also:

Manet, Édouard (1832-1883)
Le déjeuner sur l’herbe
1863
Musée d’OrsayParis