The Angel of the House Extrait de Parfum
The Angel of the House is a fragrance that embodies the uncanny, otherworldly beauty of Max Ernst's painting of the same name, also known as The Triumph of Surrealism. This scent is an olfactory exploration of the surreal—a disorienting blend of the familiar and the extraordinary, where raw, earthy elements meet smoky, animalic depths. Like the painting, the fragrance challenges perception and invites the wearer into a dreamscape where the ordinary dissolves into the fantastical.
The opening is sharp and luminous, with bergamot cutting through the composition like the first surreal stroke of color in a vivid, uncanny scene. Its citrus brightness is fleeting, a spark of clarity that begins to distort as the deeper, shadowed notes emerge. This initial brightness draws the wearer in, offering a momentary sense of recognition before the surreal depths take hold.
At the heart of the fragrance lies a beguiling interplay of patchouli, guaiac wood, and Malaysian oud. The patchouli is rich and earthy, grounding the composition in something primal and organic, yet its intensity feels slightly askew, like a reality refracted through a surreal lens. Guaiac wood adds a smoky, resinous warmth, while the oud introduces an animalic, almost unplaceable mystery, evoking the eerie allure of Ernst’s spectral angel. Together, they create a dense, textured core that feels both grounded and unworldly, a representation of surrealism’s paradoxical nature.
As the scent deepens, leather and deer musk emerge, their animalic qualities lending a sense of raw, corporeal presence. The leather is dark and supple, evoking a tactile richness, while the deer musk brings a wild, feral edge, like a creature from the subconscious breaking free into the waking world. This duality mirrors the tension in Ernst’s work, where the human and the dreamlike coexist in unsettling harmony.
The base is anchored by labdanum and gurjun balsam, their resinous warmth providing a smoky, balsamic undertone that lingers like the strange, lingering impact of surreal imagery. Labdanum, with its ambery richness, suggests a timeless sensuality, while gurjun balsam adds a woody, resinous depth, grounding the ethereal elements in a foundation that feels ancient and enduring.
The Angel of the House is a fragrance that challenges and captivates, much like the painting it draws from. It is a scent of contradictions—light and shadow, the familiar and the surreal, the real and the imagined. Wear it as an invitation to embrace the dreamlike, to traverse the boundaries of perception, and to revel in the triumph of the extraordinary.
The Angel of the House is a fragrance that embodies the uncanny, otherworldly beauty of Max Ernst's painting of the same name, also known as The Triumph of Surrealism. This scent is an olfactory exploration of the surreal—a disorienting blend of the familiar and the extraordinary, where raw, earthy elements meet smoky, animalic depths. Like the painting, the fragrance challenges perception and invites the wearer into a dreamscape where the ordinary dissolves into the fantastical.
The opening is sharp and luminous, with bergamot cutting through the composition like the first surreal stroke of color in a vivid, uncanny scene. Its citrus brightness is fleeting, a spark of clarity that begins to distort as the deeper, shadowed notes emerge. This initial brightness draws the wearer in, offering a momentary sense of recognition before the surreal depths take hold.
At the heart of the fragrance lies a beguiling interplay of patchouli, guaiac wood, and Malaysian oud. The patchouli is rich and earthy, grounding the composition in something primal and organic, yet its intensity feels slightly askew, like a reality refracted through a surreal lens. Guaiac wood adds a smoky, resinous warmth, while the oud introduces an animalic, almost unplaceable mystery, evoking the eerie allure of Ernst’s spectral angel. Together, they create a dense, textured core that feels both grounded and unworldly, a representation of surrealism’s paradoxical nature.
As the scent deepens, leather and deer musk emerge, their animalic qualities lending a sense of raw, corporeal presence. The leather is dark and supple, evoking a tactile richness, while the deer musk brings a wild, feral edge, like a creature from the subconscious breaking free into the waking world. This duality mirrors the tension in Ernst’s work, where the human and the dreamlike coexist in unsettling harmony.
The base is anchored by labdanum and gurjun balsam, their resinous warmth providing a smoky, balsamic undertone that lingers like the strange, lingering impact of surreal imagery. Labdanum, with its ambery richness, suggests a timeless sensuality, while gurjun balsam adds a woody, resinous depth, grounding the ethereal elements in a foundation that feels ancient and enduring.
The Angel of the House is a fragrance that challenges and captivates, much like the painting it draws from. It is a scent of contradictions—light and shadow, the familiar and the surreal, the real and the imagined. Wear it as an invitation to embrace the dreamlike, to traverse the boundaries of perception, and to revel in the triumph of the extraordinary.