Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Paper size: 21.875 x 15 inches. Excellent condition. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Notes: From the folio, La Ballade du Soldat, 34 Lithographies Originales de Max Ernst, 1972. Published by manus presse, Stuttgart; printed by Pierre Chave, Vence, June 15, 1972. Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), This unpublished text by Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes is illustrated with 34 lithographs and two original vignettes of Max Ernst. It was printed on vélin d'arches, 98 tête examples, including XIX hors commerce, all accompanied by a suite of 34 lithographs on Japon nacré, all signed and numbered by the artist, justified from 1 to 79 and H.C. from I to XIX and 217 examples on même vélin sans suite numérotés from 1 to 199 and H.C. I to XVIII. In addition, two versions, German and English, of 217 examples each were made on vélin, without follow-up, XVIII H.C. All colophons are signed by the author and the artist. L'Imprimerie de la Magistrature in Nice has produced the typography in Baskerville corps 18 for the French version. The model, the printing of the lithographs and the edition were designed and shot by Pierre Chave who completed the realization on his lithographic presses on June 15, 1972. Pierre Chave, Rue de la Fontaine vieille in Vence. MAX ERNST (1891-1976) was a German (naturalised American in 1948 and French in 1958) painter, sculptor, printmaker, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was a primary pioneer of the Dada movement and Surrealism in Europe. He had no formal artistic training, but his experimental attitude toward the making of art resulted in his invention of frottage—a technique that uses pencil rubbings of textured objects and relief surfaces to create images—and grattage, an analogous technique in which paint is scraped across canvas to reveal the imprints of the objects placed beneath. Ernst is noted for his unconventional drawing methods as well as for creating novels and pamphlets using the method of collages. He served as a soldier for four years during World War I, and this experience left him shocked, traumatised and critical of the modern world. During World War II he was designated an "undesirable foreigner" while living in France. Ernst was in the milieu of Picasso, Dali, and Miro.