x, 144 p. :　ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / When André Breton released his Manifesto of Surrealism in 1924, he established the pursuit of psychic automatism as Surrealism's principle objective, and a debate concerning the legitimacy or possibility of Surrealist visual art ensued. In response to this skepticism, Max Ernst embraced automatism and developed a new technique, which he called frottage , in an attempt to satisfy Breton's call for automatic activity, and in 1926, a collection of thirty-four frottages was published under the title Histoire Naturelle. This thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of Histoire Naturelle by situating it in the theoretical context of Surrealist automatism and addresses the means by which Ernst incorporated found objects from the natural world into the semi-automatic production of his frottages. All previous scholarship on the subject is consolidated and critically examined, and the development of frottage is traced from its earliest manifestations to its long-lasting influences. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Sherwin Simmons, Chair; Dr. Joyce Cheng; Dr. Charles Lachman