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That's so interesting that the Fireside Angel's expression is described as being in pain. I thought it looked joyful and jubilant, as if it took great glee in stomping around causing chaos with its form and erratic movement. Even after it flattens everything in its path and there is nothing left, it continues to stomp across the land, its form ever-changing. The beast cares nothing about what it destroys, it only cares that it is the one who does it.

You also have to admit it's a damn good creature design.

also note how the "angel" is actually posing and shaped as a whole Hakenkreuz. It is literally representing the rise of fascism and it's just overall an incredible work of art. I highly suggest looking into Max Ernst's vast variety of works, he was truly an incredible artist

To me the failure of Surrealism to stop fascism boils down to the limitations of art as a medium. It brings to mind Woody Guthrie's "this machine kills fascists" (written on his guitar). Art can inspire people to fight fascism, but at the end of the day its people who take risks and and engage in direct action, and in some cases throw themselves into the horrors of war. It doesn't happen in a safe and comfy (and probably upper-class) studio. Maybe I'm jaded but the best that art can achieve in a revolutionary sense is to be propaganda (ie inspire people to revolutionary action).

Every video you make is like a mini Art Appreciation class. I absolutely love your stuff. Thank you so much for sharing your passion and knowledge.

The ideology of surrealism may have died, but it's artistic influence was great and can be seen today in modern art as well as advertising.

I've also heard the title translated as The Angel of Hearth and Home -- one of the roots of Fascism. Ernst said that an inspiration for his art was creatures he saw in wood grain -- e.g. in the headboard of his bed when he was a child. That inspiration is clear in the angel.

At a time when fascism is rising in full force in my country India, this video essay kind of echoes the lessons I learnt in school about fascism and its features.

I love this painting so much. I remember at the 2019 Biennale of Venice there was an artist who did a version of this painting on a led fan (if i remember correctly), that thanks to the rotation reproduced the creature actually moving and dancing, like it was animated. I didn't knew the original painting back then, and when I searched more about it I understood the new version more: history is cyclic, it moves circularly just like the fan, and the same feelings and fears that Ernst tried to represent with his original painting are now returning, especially in Europe. Thank you very much for this video!

As a mass of orbs with various lizard claws protruding from my main section, I deeply appreciate you taking the time to talk about absurdism.

Stunning... but I cannot look at this without seeing a joyful, triumphant evil, disorganized, disheveled, but treacherously bounding, narcissistically, dancing over the landscape, entitled and completely ecstatic... that lack of awareness will be its downfall...all things unknowingly seeking balance there is some hope. Stay well, mon ami.

So wish there are more art channels like this. A lot of art stuff out there have been hijacked by Jordan Peterson, who has a lot of fans of mostly "classical realist" artists; and various illustrators. There's this realist artist who drew a very flattering portrait of Peterson on his channel.

I'm not surprised you and friend both independently chose this Ernst painting. _The Triumph of Surrealism_ might just be one of my favourite paintings of his. Being both obsessed with monsters and weird creature as long as I can remember, and having spent all my teen and adult life enamoured with contemporary artists, this picture is a pretty stellar candidate for everything that encapsulates what it is I love about art. As much as respect and owe a vast debt to art criticism and theory, my real passion is envisioning every art exhibition or gallery I go to as a kind of three dimensional bestiary. Perhaps even some imaginary ecosystem for life beyond the norms of reality. On a more sober note, it's absolutely appalling to realize just how relevant the paintings themes remain. Lately it feels like we're on the cusp on unleashing another imbecilic monster of collective bigotry and fascism upon ourselves.

hearing about the political implications and it’s failures of surrealism is fascinating. you usually only hear about the movement’s connection to Freud’s psychoanalysis and the subconscious. but learning about its intended resistance to fascism add another layer of depth to an already rich art movement.

If it was a failure, What was the promise of surrealism?

This also looks biblical. The colors and the flowing robe like fabric seeming. It reminds me of renaissance art depicting senes from that old book. It also reminds me of Goya. Saturn devouring his son.😊

To me the painting is obviously a figure lashing out in anger at it's loss. It's the literal figure of surrealism, throwing a tantrum at it's failure. I don't believe it to be a depiction of fascism, coursing across the land destroying everything, it feels both ironic and heartfelt in it's despair, to me it's Ernst' reaction, his anger against surrealisms inability to change anything.

Ive always loved Ernst's work so Im really glad you made this, fantastic as always!

I had never seen this before! Thank you so much for bringing it to light! Absolutely stunning

I'm going to repeat myself, but thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. As a tech, I don't really have any skills on art, except the little I got on my own. Your videos are slowly filling that gap for me. Un grand merci à vous deux pour ce super boulot.

It's just incredible how you can tell from the very first glance that the "Angel" represents some form of authoritarian rule. For me, it made me think of the leviathan, this disgraceful beast draconically ruling over a multitude of people, shapes and voices, morphing them into something just as monstrous as itself. Absolutely bone-chilling.

The Fireside Angel looks like Godrick the Grafted about to do his stomp in Elden Ring.

Beautifully executed. This one brought a tear to my eye.

Amazing video, I learned a lot. Love learning about art history and this is one of the best channels for it!

Excellent video! I just wanted to add that the creature is a representation of Loplop, the alter ego of Max Ernest. What could be depicted here is the artist himself and the pain he experience at the realization that the surrealist project had failed. That's just my interpretation though.

As an art student, your channel feeds my brain with the right information. Thank you for your effort, looking forward to the next video, as always.

Nice piece, but...the photo of Max and the lady is in fact, Dorothea Tanning, not Peggy Guggenheim.

I adore your videos, I've noticed you are posting more lately. Congratulations keep going!

We have little to fear from art being banned or confiscated, because the machine is much more likely to neutralise it through commoditsation.

I saw Ernst’s ‘The Entire City’ at the Tate Modern in August 2022. Incredible effect on me … (And, incidentally, I would love to see a video on that particular piece of art).

You're my favorite art channel btw, way to get me thinking about....like stuff outside the box and into....the absurd ❤

Does anyone know the music that is being played? I would love to hear more like it!

The evil angel is happy, not in pain. For it, chaos and destruction is beautiful.

Brilliantly done, and the parallels between the perils of Ernst's time, and our own, were deftly drawn.

Your captivating voice beautifully enhances the art.

Failure of surrealism? Our world seems to be getting more surrealistic, every day.

Love this channel. Max Ernst is one of my all time favs. Another great Ernst is Europe after the Rain II (made half in Europe, half after having fled to USA) 🎨👨🏻‍🎨

So fascinating! I always saw the angel as dancing or blowing in the wind, and it's face as happy or sad.

always a treat. I'm dreaming of a residency with you. What a perfect space and setting. This year after 59 years of living a life of fear and doubt I simply don't care anymore what people think (probably a lie). I am an artist in spite of the lack of formal training. I don't have a library full of paintings. or even an organized photo album. I do have passion that seems unmatched. Every surface of my home has been touched by my hand - changed fixed manipulated made better. My shop is full of unrelated mostly unfinished paintings and sculptures. I work with any medium. I hate buying materials when the world is full of them for free. I've been trying to break through the fear and imposter syndrome forever. This is the year. In my creative world there is a population of 1. I'm the only creative I know. It would be horrifying to spend time with artists and their culture from my position. I'm willing to walk through that fire like never before. Thats where the joy is. The title of my autobiography will be "I want to paint a red stripe on a white wall" a reference to that one bold single stroke that makes the painting. I'm tired of trying to paint a straight line. The dollars and cents of it all may leave this in a wish column as I'm in life transition. Sometimes money rains from above - if so I'll be seeing you soon. Cheers and thank you.

Really amazing commentary - thank you so much for contextualising. I find the process of titling (or leaving untitled) works of art. My thoughts about that ironic triumph of surrealism were around a sense of delving into the unconscious having unleashed a rough beast of hatred and destruction on the world. The Fireside Angel feels like it's a warning about the seeds of fascism - traditional comforts that we consider harmless, but allow an unimaginable montstrosity onto the world. Thank you for providing my art fix from home!!!

It looks like he picked up all his clothes off the floor and draped them over a tree to paint this, more reminiscent of a boogyman in the closet... but also kind of a joyous vibe of Native North American dancers.

The woman in the picture at 9’ is not Peggy Guggenheim, it’s Dorothea Tanning.

Hey mate! I really like your videos (and actually use some of the paintings i learn about from you in my classes) and would really really really appreciate a video in the Kitchen sink painters!! I think they relate very well with your video on the Clif dwellers

Great work man thanks very much❤

That was an amazing video and the music gave it a great tone.

The interesting part to me is the weird little drab critter on the left, who seems to be conjuring and controlling the monster

Love polyblank. Great to see some more collabs going on.

I adore this painting, the colours, the stance

Max Ernst is one my favorite artists.

I have a beautiful original Max Ernst lithograph, which I bought for less than a dollar when I was about 12, in the early seventies. I asked my father if he could help me to get it framed. He took it and had it sealed and mounted on styrofoam, which at the time broke my heart. But at least the image has been beautifully preserved - I don't know if it can be restored. Copies of this lithograph have sold at auction, it doesn't appear to be tremendously valuable, but I still love it.

The interesting thing about Ernst's work, and that of later more abstract expressionists, is that it has no definite meaning. You can project what you want onto it. Personally i interpret this as having a different tone. For me it is an ecstatic dance of creative chaos, hinting at the artistic possibilities to come later in the century.

Please do Jacob Jordaens "The Triumph of Frederik Hendrik" 1651 …really underrated artist 👨‍🎨 👍🏽

There is no such thing as failure, Art is perpetual and Surrealism exists within our daily lives whether it is by your meaning or your other meaning, We can see it by our eyes but we don't pay attention to it.

I found the video to be quite good! If I were to add something I'd like to say that, the first time you showed it on screen, it greatly reminded me of a kind of jester-like figure that taunts. It feels like it plays into that ironic title. Awesome painting.

Andre Breton was such a cool dude. I never really tire of surrealist literature, I think it's almost more unprecedented than the visual side of the movement, given how outside the common functions of language it is.

So love these essays

It's why it's important to remember when looking at Dali art.....and he said it all the time " Quit taking me so seriously all the time" I think that's what the meaning behind his moustache....to remind people that sometimes he's just being absurd for the sake of being absurd and that perhaps dear sir, a little more absurdly is needed to suffer ones current reality, because rarely are they ever within our own control, circumstances being what they often really are, out of our control....and the mind being the one thing that actually is within that control. The two are rarely ever the same. For by embracing the absurd, the insanity of the world outside of ourselves be better persevered and channeled thus more profoundly with less pretense so it's still funny AF 6:39

It honestly reminds me a bit of The Torment of Saint Anthony in the framing of the scene

Looks like a child who has made his monster beautiful.

It's a shame I haven't been in any exhibition for years now, even though it's right around me and often free. You made me realize what a fool I am. Thanks and greetings from Berlin, Germany.

Lovely way to start the morning

After the first few sentences talking about how Surrealism was about revolution, I felt weird, because I never see anything about a revolution in Salvador Dali's or MC Escher paintings/murals. I just thought they were very peaceful and somewhat lonely. I felt a sort of tranquility and solitude in them. For me it succeeded in evoking something beautiful, and surreal. Now I know why, Escher was never part of the Surrealist movement, and neither was Dali.

Hmm... You can't judge the failure or the success of an entire international movement from one painting, nor even of a major historical event that the movement survives. Surrealism still exists and has done so consistently ever since the Manifesto (100 years ago next year). Surrealism can't be said to have failed until surrealism gives up, and it has been a consistent voice of opposition to totalitarianism through nazism and through Stalinism too. (I suggest you look at Svankmajer's The Death of Stalinism in Bohemia. If Ernst thought surrealism had failed in 1938, why did he remain in the movement until 1954 and even after that express solidarity with its aims? Perhaps it wasn't surrealism that failed, but the world? Maybe if, instead of just looking at surrealist painting, the world took surrealist ideas more seriously, we'd see something remarkable...

That's an Elder Ring boss if I've ever seen one

thank you, for, at the end, slipping out of past tense and into present

Could someone tell me the name of this music piece please? It is beautiful.

The Spanish civil war lasted until the 39, the defeat of the Republican army happened that year, not on the 37. I assume that the quote he did was from after the war (probably from after the WWII) and he mixed the dates. Hence, he maybe was thinking on the civil war itself and the fear of fascism when he painted this painting, and not about a defeat that did not happened yet

Yo! I hope you read this, I was hoping you could put music that you used in descriptions. They’re all really great pieces.

This is my first time seeing this particular piece of art. One of the first things I noticed is how much the angles of the limbs resemble a swastika. Coincidence?

Sigh, I admit that the other painting I thought of when I saw this was Dali's Premonition of Civil War. This is positively glowing with cosmic irony.

Right on dude.

Unfortunately, the monstrous forces it represents have never disappeared in our world.

I just can say respect man respect

Hi! where can I download an HD version of this painting? must be nice to be a wallpaper

The Renaissance's paintings want us back, and ceilings long for murals on their brow. Our ears would hear, eyes saw, and lungs would gasp; the human face where Life’s enjoyment’s found. I doubt the angels trail those private jets, but bow beside the modest soul who cries. A comfort frail and like the spider’s web- the twist is that it’s art which wet the eye! A painter’s wrist is touched by blest applause. An empty theater- that is boredom’s stare; the curse upon employees dreaming off. They’re oddly stringed without a puppeteer. And what if bored employees scanned this proof? instead of items factories produced.

Could be inspiration for this bit of standup: ukposts.info/have/v-deo/h6WeqW58e3t5yGw.html At the end of that show he recreates "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog" from DVD's

I shall let Rimbaud, even still, rest his works within me and my heart

When I heard fireside I thought that it alluded to firebrand, and fascists rhetoric that fails to see the systemic issues in society and instead blames it on scapegoats, Hence the closed eye, screaming mouth and stomping foot

Wow! Outstanding.

I’ll say it tho’, I thought he looked happy, taking an almost joyous delight in the destruction. My first impression was that he was happily dancing

dawg can u please make a video about Mashina Tetsuya. Idk nothing about him but i would be happy if someone like you breakdown his paintings

I think about that episode of Dali all the time....because it makes one reflect on one's own current beliefs...do we really believe what we say we believe, or are we just saying we believe what's easiest to believe at that moment in time on circumstances out of our control? What would we really believe if allowed to believe whatever we wanted? Rarely are the two ever the same.

It is such a brave thing by Ernst, that can also be the reason it is painted a big giant animal??

"The avalanche has already started. It is too late for painters to vote" Ambassador Kosh

How can an art movement fail? It had it's time. It was significant enough for us to learn about in history books. Many people appreciate it's products. Many (if not all) art movements get entangled in to politics. And art holds no magical power over economy and politics. Political connotations can work in favor or against movements in art. In countries of the USSR, works of Pablo Picasso were recognized. Even though his art style worked against ideals in art, established by the communists.

The painting depicts horror. It was an expression of the artist’s soul - his sense of life. He was a sick man.

Judging art by its politics is like judging an engine by how much smoke comes out the exhaust

The Angel of the House is Dickens reference to mothers . 😊

This is the best video ever

i really thought the picture was about how our mind sees pareidolia in this hodge-podge of blankets and interprets it as an entity, which is kind of deliriously dancing in its triumph of breaking your mind

It worked. Just took longer than expected.

Max Ernst: familiar with the name, not familiar with his work. Thanks for the introduction

Surrealism did not fail. Especially if we are still discussing it

whats the violin song name? could you link them in comments in the future? :v

Amazing video ❤

love this painting

2:39 Polyblank!! it’s nice to see this collab

It looks like one of my favorite words made image: Tatterdemalion.

Who cares if surrealism failed because non of the artists mentioned here failed.