Fields of Honor, Flood, Seismic Plants (Les Champs d'honneur, les inondations, les plantes sismiques) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle)

Fields of Honor, Flood, Seismic Plants (Les Champs d'honneur, les inondations, les plantes sismiques) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle) is a foundational print by Max Ernst, created in 1925 and published as one of thirty-four collotypes in the portfolio in 1926. This pivotal work utilizes frottage, a technique Ernst developed in 1925 involving rubbing materials, such as wood grain or leaves, onto paper to generate unplanned, tactile imagery. This process, central to the rise of Surrealism, allowed Ernst to explore automatic creation and tap into subconscious forms, transforming everyday textures into evocative, dream-like compositions. The resulting images derived from the rubbing sheets were then mechanically reproduced as collotypes for the final printed edition.

The visual elements in this piece seamlessly merge botanical documentation with abstract chaos. Although the subtitle mentions "seismic plants" and "flood," the viewer encounters a dense, quasi-organic landscape characterized by intense cross-hatching and deep textures derived directly from the initial frottage. Ernst’s methodology allowed him to create forms that resemble both ancient fossil records and ravaged territories, linking directly to the "Fields of Honor" mentioned in the title- a phrase that often references battlegrounds. This innovative French work exemplifies the Surrealist dedication to non-rational image creation and the establishment of new printmaking methods during the c. 1925 period.

The Histoire naturelle series remains one of Ernst’s most influential artistic achievements, demonstrating how mechanical reproduction could be employed to disseminate profoundly personal, non-rational visions globally. As a defining print from this portfolio, the piece solidified frottage as a legitimate artistic method. This impression of Fields of Honor, Flood, Seismic Plants is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, where it contributes to their comprehensive holdings of graphic works and early Surrealist prints.