Punching Ball or the Immortality of Buonarroti
c. 1920
About this artwork
This artwork is a collage featuring a man in a tuxedo and bow tie, overlaid with a diagrammatic head showing internal anatomical structures. Text elements like "dadamax" and "caesar buonarroti" are integrated into the composition.
Did you know?
Max Ernst was a foundational figure in both the Dada and Surrealist movements, known for his innovative use of collage and frottage to create dreamlike and often unsettling compositions. This piece, with its juxtaposition of a conventional portrait and medical illustration alongside Dadaist text, embodies the movement's playful yet critical approach to art and reality. The reference to Michelangelo, "Buonarroti," hints at a subversive dialogue with classical art history, recontextualizing revered figures within a new, fragmented aesthetic.
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Punching Ball or the Immortality of Buonarroti
Max Ernst, c. 1920
