Plate VI from Let There Be Fashion, Down With Art (Fiat modes pereat ars)

Plate VI from Let There Be Fashion, Down With Art (Fiat modes pereat ars) by Max Ernst is one from a portfolio of eight lithographs produced in 1920. Classified simply as a print, this work exemplifies the experimental and deeply critical nature of the Dada movement immediately following World War I. Ernst, a central figure in both the Cologne and early Parisian Dada groups, utilized the graphic, reproducible medium of lithography to circulate his subversive visual commentary widely.

The portfolio's provocative title, which translates roughly to "Let Fashion Triumph, Let Art Perish," signals Ernst's sharp skepticism toward the commercialization of art and the perceived cultural stagnation of the time. The visual language of this piece typically involves jarring juxtaposition and fragmented mechanical forms, reflecting the chaos and psychological dislocation of the post-war era. As a pivotal figure of the French avant-garde in the 1920s, Ernst employed Dadaist principles to dismantle conventional painting and illustration, moving art toward collage and conceptual assembly.

This particular lithograph is essential for understanding the transition from Dada cynicism toward the burgeoning principles of Surrealism, which Ernst helped to define later in the decade. The technique used ensures high contrast and clarity, emphasizing the absurd and often unsettling iconography. Such Dada prints were crucial to establishing the artist’s international reputation. Reflecting significant French culture from the 1920 period, this piece is housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, serving as a primary example of Ernst’s revolutionary approach to the graphic arts. Scholars routinely examine Plate VI from Let There Be Fashion, Down With Art as a landmark work in the history of conceptual printmaking.