Max Ernst: The Antipope

In 1941, Max Ernst relocated to New York after fleeing Europe with the assistance of Peggy Guggenheim. That same year, he created a small oil painting on cardboard (now housed in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection), which would later serve as the basis for his larger work, *The Antipope*. When Guggenheim first saw the smaller version, she interpreted a delicate horse-human figure on the right as Ernst himself, being caressed by a woman she identified as her own likeness. She noted that Ernst agreed a third figure, seen from the back, represented her daughter, Pegeen. However, she did not attempt to explain another female figure with a horse head on the left.

• Artist: Max Ernst, b. 1891, Brühl, Germany; d. 1976, Paris
• Title: The Antipope
• Date: December 1941–March 1942
• Medium: Oil on canvas
• Dimensions: 63 1/4 x 50 inches (160.8 x 127.1 cm)

When Ernst began working on the larger version from December to March, he made significant changes. The figure representing Guggenheim was transformed into a greenish column, and the affectionate gesture was transferred to a new character, now depicted in a more naturalistic manner, dressed in a pink tunic. The central "Pegeen" figure appeared to possess two faces—one of a skinned horse looking towards the horse-woman on the left, and the other, showing only part of a cheek and jaw, gazing outwards over a somber lagoon, resembling a melancholic figure reminiscent of Caspar David Friedrich's subjects.

This period of personal turmoil in Ernst's life invites a biographical reading of the painting. Despite being married to Guggenheim, Ernst was deeply involved with Leonora Carrington, with whom he frequently spent time riding horses. Just as Ernst had a fascination with birds, Carrington had an affinity for horses. Her connection to horses is evident in her collection of stories, *La Dame ovale* (1939), which includes seven illustrations by Ernst, two of which depict horse-like creatures. It’s plausible that the alienated horse-woman in *The Antipope*, who glances furtively at the other horse figure, represents Guggenheim. Like the triumphant bride in Ernst’s *Attirement of the Bride*, she wears an owl headdress, while her separation from her companion is symbolized by the spear diagonally dividing the canvas. The green totemic figure bears a resemblance to Carrington, whose relationship with Ernst would soon end when she moved to Mexico with her husband.