Max Ernst (1891-1976) is a among the most interesting artists of the 20th century. Active as a poet, graphic artist and sculptor, he is primarily known for his paintings. Self-taught, Ernst was a remarkable innovator. His use (and invention) of techniques such frottage (the use of pencil rubbings as sources) and grattage (the scraping of paint across a painted canvas) anticipated widely used techniques employed in contemporary software programs such as Corel Draw, Illustrator and Photoshop.
In terms of his work as a graphic artist, nowhere does Ernst’s work stand out as much as with the collage books/graphic novels he created during the late 1920s and early 1930s. These include: La femme 100 têtes (1929); Rêve d’une petite fille qui voulut entrer au carmel (1930), Une Semaine de Bonté (1934, graphic novel).