© Adagp, Paris
"Even though surrealism is marvellously monotonous and superficial, it is great because it is marvellous."
The Belgian poet and painter Henri Michaux is one of the most important figures of Surrealism. He embarked upon a spiritual journey in poetry and art comparable to a mystical awakening. Under the influence of Paul Klee, Max Ernst, and then Giorgio De Chirico, his paintings prefigure Tachism in France and feature anthropomorphic sketches or ghostly figures. Whether expressing feelings of anguish and revolt, recounting dreams, imagining fantastic stories, or reporting psychological experiences, Michaux commands an instantly recognizable style, at once dry, edgy, and jerky, which conveys both emotion and humor.