Dailyist: Saturday

We know it seems like Houstonist talks about the Menil an awful lot, but the plain truth is that we're damn proud to have a jewel like this in our city and you should be, too.

One of the museum's current exhibitions is also one of its finest in recent memory: a Max Ernst retrospective. The Surrealist painter's work is in fine company at the Menil, whose permanent collection is comprised primarily of important Surrealist and Dadaist pieces. But the retrospective is poignant for other reasons as well:

Considered to be the most significant collection of work by Ernst in the country, the Menil Collection is a fitting host for this exhibition. The same year Ernst completed the mural, the artist met John and Dominique de Menil in Paris. Beginning a close friendship that lasted through the artist’s lifetime, the couple went on to host his first museum exhibition in the United States at the Contemporary Art Association, Houston in 1952, and a 1971 retrospective exhibition in Paris.

As with all exhibits at the Menil, the Max Ernst exhibit is free, but it only runs through February 15, 2009. So why not enjoy this lovely Saturday after Christmas out at the Menil, decompressing from the holidays and appreciating some of the finest art Houston has to offer.

Max Ernst Retrospective
Admission: Free!
Date and Time: Wednesday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Location: The Menil Collection, 1515 Sul Ross Street

---

Photo courtesy of Flickr user groovehouse.