The Fascinating Cypress (Le Fascinant cyprès) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle)

The Fascinating Cypress (Le Fascinant cyprès) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle) is a foundational work by Max Ernst, created circa 1925 and published as one of 34 prints in the landmark 1926 portfolio Histoire naturelle. This pivotal piece demonstrates Ernst's revolutionary use of frottage, a technique he invented that year. Frottage, derived from the French word for "to rub," involves placing paper over a textured surface-such as wood grain, leaves, or netting-and rubbing it with graphite or another medium to create automatic, quasi-photographic patterns. The resulting intricate texture in this print suggests an organic, swirling form, reinterpreting the natural subject matter of the cypress tree through the lens of Surrealist automatic processes.

Though the original transfer drawings were executed using frottage, this final edition is presented as a collotype print. Collotype, a high-quality photochemical process, allowed Ernst to reproduce the subtle, intricate tonal gradations inherent in the rubbings for commercial distribution. The finished appearance of The Fascinating Cypress exemplifies the Surrealist engagement with the subconscious and the transformation of the familiar world into something unsettling or fantastic. As a key output of French cultural production during the height of the movement, the series marked a crucial development in Ernst’s career and profoundly influenced the visual vocabulary of later abstract and Surrealist artists.

These prints, published in 1926, solidified the importance of non-traditional media in early modernist art. The works within Histoire naturelle are often studied for their capacity to blend mechanical reproduction with hand-generated texture, blurring the lines between drawing and photography. This singular sheet is preserved within the esteemed print collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Researchers and institutions seeking access to this significant work from the period c. 1925 may find that high-resolution images and documentation are often available, sometimes entering the sphere of public domain availability, reinforcing the lasting legacy of Ernst’s innovative approach to image-making.