Max Ernst draws on an unprecedented collection of source material, much of it published here for the first time, to present a compelling portrait of the artist's life and an intellectual portrait of an entire period. These letters and notes by friends and contemporaries provide insight into the reception of his oeuvre, illustrate Ernst's own texts and shed light on his biography, and are interspersed with numerous reproductions of his work, all of which recall the variety and richness of the artist's discoveries and innovations.