Man Ray

inscribed 'L'etoile de mer (film de Man Ray), Collection Romi' and with reduction notations in unidentified hands in ink and red crayon on the reverse, matted, 1928

Alain Paviot, Paris

Acquired by One Bond, Inc., New York, from the above, 1995

Acquired by the present owner from the above

Other prints of this image:

Arturo Schwarz, Man Ray: The Rigour of Imagination (New York, 1977), p. 280

Man Ray: L'occhio e il suo doppio (Rome, 1975), pl. 85

Man Ray, Self Portrait (Boston, 1963), p. 224 (variant)

This diminutive print is on heavy single-weight paper with a slightly glossy surface. It is in essentially excellent condition. When examined closely in raking light, several deposits of an indeterminate nature can be seen on the surface: in the upper portion of the image, and adjacent to the lower right corner. There is some minor chipping of the emulsion on the lower portion of the print's right edge. There are two faint creases that do not break the emulsion in the lower right corner. None of these issues is immediately apparent, and they do not detract from the overwhelmingly fine appearance of this charming early print. The reverse of the print is somewhat soiled, but this does not affect the image.
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.

Man Ray was among a group of artists who, in the 1920s, saw the creative possibilities inherent in the relatively new medium of cinema.  Man Ray produced a number of short films, all characterized by his innovative visual style and spiked with his own brand of Surrealist humor.  L'etoile de mer (which translates as both 'starfish' and 'star of the sea') was completed in 1928 and consists of a series of vignettes—some sexually-charged, others enigmatic—that were inspired by a poem by the Surrealist Robert Desnos.  The starfish is a recurring visual motif throughout the film. The image offered here is perhaps the most published of Man Ray's film stills. 

The 'Collection Romi' notation on the reverse of this print refers to the collector, art histrorian, and gallerist known simply as 'Romi.'  It was from within Romi's antique shop that French photographer Robert Doisneau took his celebrated series of photographs of window-shoppers reacting to the risqué painting of a nude woman in 1948 (see Lot 148).  This series, of which Un Regard Oblique is the best-known image, is frequently titled La Vitrine de Romi.