- 163
Man Ray, 1890-1976
bidding is closed
Description
- Man Ray
- PORTRAIT
signed with the initials and dated 52; signed, titled and dated 1952 on the reverse
- oil on board
- 27 by 22cm.; 10 5/8 by 8 5/8 in.
- Painted in 1952.
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner in 1968
Catalogue Note
Painting a face as in the present work instead of photographing it supports the apprehension that Man Ray was more interested in the intrinsic value of a work of art than in its pure representational side. In his own words, he always chose the medium which was “best suited to express that idea”[1], and in this case, painting proved for him more powerful than photography. Versatile and skilled in all the media he used, he explored the idea behind the work rather than its aesthetic perfection.
[1] Arturo Schwarz, Man Ray: The Rigour of Imagination, London, 1977