The Vaccinated Bread (Le Pain vacciné) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle)

The Vaccinated Bread (Le Pain vacciné) from Natural History (Histoire naturelle) by Max Ernst is a seminal example of the artist's inventive printmaking techniques developed during the height of the Surrealist movement. Created around c. 1925 and published in 1926, this piece is one of 34 collotypes included in the influential portfolio Histoire naturelle. Ernst was a key French figure in Surrealism who pioneered frottage (rubbing) as a method of automated drawing. This technique involved placing paper over textured materials, such as wood grain or leaves, and rubbing graphite across the surface to capture the underlying pattern.

The adoption of frottage was critical for the Surrealists, as it allowed Ernst to bypass conscious control and draw directly from subconscious material, generating imagery derived from accidental patterns found in the physical world. The resulting texture in The Vaccinated Bread evokes a bizarre, fossil-like configuration, suggesting a loaf of bread that has undergone a strange, petrified transformation. Ernst used this process to explore themes of metamorphosis, hybridization, and the intersection of the organic and the inanimate.

As a print medium, the collotype effectively preserved the subtle tonal gradations and intricate detail of the original frottage drawing, allowing the artist to reproduce the portfolio widely. This publication quickly became a cornerstone of modern graphic arts, defining how chance operations could be employed in artistic creation. The powerful imagery of this early work by Ernst underscores the importance of the French Surrealist movement in redefining artistic production during the 1920s. This print resides in the distinguished collection of the Museum of Modern Art.