Man Ray

photogram, a unique object, signed and dated in pencil on the image, annotated 'Original Rayograph' and numbered '32' in pencil and with the photographer's '31 bis, Rue Campagne Première' studio and copyright stamps (Manford M6 and M14) on the reverse, 1924

Private collection

By descent to the present owners

Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Man Ray: Exposition de l'Oeuvre Photographique, May - July 1962

This impressive early Rayograph is on double-weight paper with a velvety matte surface. It is signed and dated by Man Ray in pencil in the lower right corner. It possesses all of the depth and visual dynamism expected from the best of Man Ray's work from this period, including an exceptional level of detail at the wispy edges of the feather. This unique print is in essentially very good to excellent condition. A fine patina of age-appropriate silvering along the edges of the print is primarily visible in raking light. Three small crescent-shaped creases (two in the feather area and one in the right portion of the ball bearing) are visible only upon very close examination. Although these creases appear to break the emulsion, they do not detract in any way from the impressive visual impact of this photogram. In raking light, rubbing and a few glossy deposits are visible overall. There is occasional minor edge chipping. A few very minor losses of emulsion along the edges and at the tips of the corners appear to have been skillfully retouched. Radiating from the lower right edge is a small (approximately one-inch) crease that appears to break the emulsion. There is a one-inch vertical crease along the upper edge, which appears to have been skillfully retouched as well as reinforced on the reverse. The lower left corner is sharply creased, although this is barely visible when viewing the print in its framed presentation. Yellowed adhesive remains on the reverse of the print suggest that it was at one time affixed to a mount.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This early Rayograph was made in 1924, just two years after Man Ray first began creating photograms.  Composed in his darkroom, without the use of a camera, Man Ray’s deliberate placement of a ball bearing, match, and feather element—which would have been placed on, or held just above, the photographic paper during exposure—has resulted here in a supremely graphic composition. 

The most prominent element in this Rayograph is the glowing circular form of a metal ball bearing.  The sturdiness of this industrial object – with its uniform repetition and clean curves of the inner and outer bearing race – is juxtaposed with the ethereal quality of the wispy feather placed just below.  While seemingly an unconventional prop selected at random, the ball bearing is an object that appears in several of Man Ray’s photographs.  At least two other Rayographs display its distinctive circular outline.  The first, a Rayograph dated ‘1923,’ featuring a feather, ball bearing, egg, spring, and matches and matchbox, is now in the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery (L’Ecotais 90).  The second, a similar composition from 1924, with ball bearing, matches, and another unidentified object, is in the collection of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen (L’Ecotais 105).    

From the beginning, Man Ray’s photograms were celebrated by many of his fellow artists.  His Rayographs appealed to Dadaists, who loved the quality of chance involved in their production, and to Surrealists, who found them equally compelling for their enigmatic dreamlike quality. The allure and ingenuity of Man Ray’s photograms, however, was appreciated well beyond the art world.  In an article entitled Some Photographs Made Without a Camera: Man Ray’s Masterpieces in Velvet Black and Grey in the Early March 1925 issue of Vogue, several Rayographs were illustrated, including the example now in the Glyptotek collection. 

The Rayograph offered here remained in Man Ray’s collection until at least 1962, when it was included in his highly important photographs retrospective at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.  This exhibition featured a significant survey of Man Ray’s Rayographs (exhibition catalogue, checklist 5-9), which were drawn from the artist’s own collection.    

Sotheby’s thanks Man Ray research scholar Steven Manford for his assistance in researching this photograph.  The present photograph will be included in his forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné of Man Ray Rayographs.