Rating and value of works, paintings, sculptures by Max Ernst

If you own a work of art by or after Max Ernst, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its current market value. Then, if you wish to sell your work, we'll guide you towards the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and value of the artist Max Ernst

The artist Max Ernst left behind a classic body of work, consisting mainly of Surrealist paintings. Now, prices for his works are skyrocketing under auctioneers' gavels. His paintings are highly prized, especially by English and American buyers. The price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €5 to €20,942,145, a very substantial difference, but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Max Ernst's works. In 2022, his surrealist bronze sculpture Le roi jouant avec la reine sold for €20,942,145, whereas its estimate was between €8,000,000 and €12,000,000. His value has been at its highest in recent years.  

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique of the artist Max Ernst

Max Ernst produced mainly prints, but also sculptures and paintings. He was part of the Surrealist movement and was influenced by the Dada group. Throughout his career, he lived in several countries and met many different artists, multiplying his sources of inspiration.

Max Ernst, international figure of surrealism

Max Ernst (real name Maximilian Maria Ernst), a German, French and American artist, was born in 1891 in the Rhineland province of the German Empire. His father, Philippe Ernst, was a painter. He studied philosophy in Bonn, but soon realized that his vocation was pictorial and sculptural art. He exhibited with the Cavalier Bleu group in Berlin in 1911, then rubbed shoulders with Robert Delaunay and Guillaume Appolinaire, and moved to Paris. He was mobilized during the First World War, and married Luise Strauss.

After fighting at the front, he stayed in Cologne, where he rubbed shoulders with members of the Dada movement. He became friends with Paul Klee and experimented with collage, as did Picasso and Braque at the same time. He exhibited some of his collages with the Dada group. The exhibition is closed for disturbing the peace, under the same conditions as that of Georg Baselitz. He becomes friends with Tristan Tzara and Sophie Tauber. He returns to Paris for further successful exhibitions. He collaborates with Joan Miro to decorate shows. He leaves the group of Surrealist intellectuals because Paul Éluard wants to convert him to Trotzkyism a few years later.

In 1939, he was one of the artists who took refuge in Marseille and Aix-en-Provence with Chagall, who were in the sights of the Nazis. The United States granted him a visa for exile in New York, thanks to Varian Fry and the American Relief Committee for Artists. He left with Peggy Guiggenheim, his partner at the time. There, his painting was influenced by abstract expressionism. He worked with André Breton and Marcel Duchamp. He then moved to Arizona, where he married again, and returned to France. He spent the rest of his life between his home in Touraine and Paris, where he died in 1976. 

Max Ernst's imprint on his period 

Max Ernst marked his time with his provocative spirit and constant artistic renewal. He played a major role in the evolution of the 20th-century French Surrealist group, and experimented with new artistic techniques throughout his life. Today, his work is highly prized at auction, and collectors play a major role in preserving his work, even if some of it is exhibited in museums.  

Recognizing the artist's signature

Not all Max Ernst works are signed. They may be at the bottom of the painting, but if you think you own one, it's best to have it appraised to be sure of its originality.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by or after Max Ernst, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using the form on our website. A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it. If you wish to sell your work of art, our specialists will also be on hand to offer you alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends.