Skip to Content

Mr. Knife, Miss Fork

A work made of illustrated book on bristol paper with 19 gelatin silver photograms protected by printed tissue guards; black cloth cover stamped in gilt.

Image actions

  • A work made of illustrated book on bristol paper with 19 gelatin silver photograms protected by printed tissue guards; black cloth cover stamped in gilt.

Date:

1931

Artist:

Max Ernst (American and French, born Germany, 1891–1976)
Written by René Crevel (French, 1900-1935)

About this artwork

Mr. Knife, Miss Fork is a petite, embellished book that includes writing by René Crevel and 19 photograms by Max Ernst. To make the photograms, Ernst first employed frottage, a technique that involves rubbing graphite on a piece of translucent paper (or tissue) placed upon a textured material. He then laid the tissue paper over a photosensitive paper to create a reverse image––effectively turning the rubbing into a photographic negative. This technique was significant to the Surrealist movement; it allowed artists to draw images from the subconscious and create unusual juxtaposition through chance. The book’s text is a translation of the first chapter of René Crevel’s 1927 novel Babylone, a landmark of Surrealist literature that embraced themes of revolt and fear.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Ryerson and Burnham Libraries Special Collections

Artist

Max Ernst

Title

Mr. Knife, Miss Fork

Place

Germany (Object Possibly made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1931

Medium

Illustrated book on Bristol paper with 19 gelatin silver photograms protected by printed tissue guards; black cloth cover stamped in gilt

Edition

Edition of 255

Dimensions

18.5 × 12.5 × 1.8 cm (7 5/16 × 4 15/16 × 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Joseph Randall Shapiro; Mary Reynolds Collection

Reference Number

2023.3230

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share