The Origin of the Clock (L'Origine de la pendule) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle)

The Origin of the Clock (L'Origine de la pendule) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle) by Max Ernst is a foundational work of Surrealism, created circa 1925 and published as one of 34 plates in his 1926 portfolio. This pivotal piece showcases the artist’s revolutionary adoption of frottage, or rubbing, a technique central to the development of automatic drawing. Ernst adapted this practice by placing paper over textured objects, such as wood grain or netting, and then rubbing with a pencil or charcoal, allowing the resulting textures to guide the creation of subconscious images.

The portfolio Histoire naturelle (Natural History) explores the intersection of the natural world and the irrational mechanics of the unconscious, reflecting the core tenets of the French artistic movement during the mid-1920s. The final images, including this work, were transferred and published as collotypes, ensuring high-quality prints that captured the delicate, ambiguous tonality of the original rubbings.

Ernst utilized frottage to generate biomorphic and geological forms that defy literal interpretation. In The Origin of the Clock, the composition suggests a nascent, partially mechanized object emerging from dense, organic matter. The textures evoke sedimentary layers or petrified organisms, lending a primeval quality to the concept of timekeeping. Ernst sought to illustrate a history derived not from scientific observation, but from the accidental revelations of texture and chance.

This print, documenting the artist’s mastery of inventive printmaking techniques, remains essential to the study of early Surrealism. The work is classified as a significant example of French cultural innovation during the period c. 1925, published 1926, and is housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).