Max Ernst loved the free play of hallucination, association, analogy and interpretation. Thus, in numerous unique creative methods, also developed by him, he explored how to activate and control pictorial, often surreal ideas. His field of experimentation for this was, among other things, the landscape painting enlivened by fantastic flora and fauna, which he interpreted in such a completely new way. In 1927, Max Ernst created the painting "The Great Forest". It shows a gloomy, petrifiedlooking structure, the forest, behind which rises a pale circular shape, probably to be read as a sun disk or in view of the colouring rather as a moon disk. Even at first glance, the motif that Max Ernst presents to the viewer is anything but an inviting or natural forest landscape; rather, the picture shows a surreallooking scene that cannot be immediately deciphered.

00:00 Introduction
00:49 Opening credits
01:03 Life and Work: 18911918
02:15 Dada and Surrealism: 19191938
03:10 The discovery of frottage
04:20 The Discovery of Grattage
05:10 Exile France and the USA: 19381948
05:58 Viewing the work: "The Great Forest" (1927)
10:30 The forest as a motif in Max Ernst's work
11:59 War motifs in Max Ernst and others
12:46 Parallels to Paul Nash
13:05 Interpretation: "The Great Forest" (1927)
13:49 Credits

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