Eve, the Only One Left to Us (Éve la seule qui nous reste) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle)

Eve, the Only One Left to Us (Éve la seule qui nous reste) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle) is a seminal work created by Max Ernst in c. 1925 and published in 1926. This print is one of thirty-four collotypes that reproduce the imagery developed through Ernst’s innovative frottage technique. Frottage, derived from the French verb meaning 'to rub,' is a Surrealist method wherein the artist places paper over textured objects and rubs the surface with a pencil or charcoal, transferring the texture into a drawing. By employing this process, Ernst sought to circumvent conscious control, allowing unexpected forms and irrational images to emerge from the mechanical rubbing, thereby tapping directly into the subconscious mind.

The portfolio, Histoire naturelle, stands as one of the defining achievements of early Surrealist graphics within the French artistic environment. The composition of this particular piece, like others in the series, transforms mundane, almost geological textures into unsettling, biomorphic structures. The finished result suggests a desolate landscape or a strange, fossilized entity that exists outside conventional biological classification. This approach reflects the Surrealists' fascination with the uncanny and the profound mystery inherent in the natural world.

Ernst’s command over the frottage method successfully generates depth and detail, which were then faithfully translated into the final collotype prints, ensuring the stark contrast and textural complexity of the original rubbings were preserved. The work, created during a pivotal moment for the Dada and Surrealist movements, challenged traditional notions of artistic authorship and image creation. This important example of Surrealist printmaking resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.