Iceflower Shawl and Gulf Stream (Le Châle à fleurs givre) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle)

Iceflower Shawl and Gulf Stream (Le Châle à fleurs givre) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle) by Max Ernst is a seminal French print dating from c. 1925 and published in 1926. This artwork is one of thirty-four collotypes created after the artist's pioneering experiments with frottage.

Ernst invented frottage (rubbing) in 1925 as an automatic technique crucial to the emerging Surrealist movement. By placing paper over textured surfaces-such as wooden floorboards, leaves, or woven fabric-and rubbing it with a pencil or crayon, the artist generated unexpected, organic patterns. This process allowed him to bypass conscious control, facilitating the creation of forms that suggested subterranean worlds or dramatically transformed natural elements. In this specific piece, the highly textured rubbing mimics the complex, crystalline structure of an iceflower and the fluid, energetic currents of the Gulf Stream, merging the microscopic with the geographic and the elemental.

The resulting portfolio, Histoire naturelle, compiled these startling impressions, presenting them as quasi-scientific observations of a fabricated, internal ecology. The decision to reproduce the original rubbings as collotype prints allowed Ernst to distribute these challenging works widely, cementing his reputation as a master of Surrealist automatism. The subtle tonal shifts inherent in the collotype medium enhance the phantom-like quality of the image.

This particular work demonstrates Ernst’s profound ability to find figurative forms within purely abstract patterns, transforming the random mechanics of the rubbing technique into landscapes that feel both familiar and deeply alien. This significant piece is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Scholars and the public can view this historically important example of early Surrealist prints, which continues to influence artists today.