- 107
Man Ray
Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- Man Ray
- LES MAINS LIBRESPORTRAIT IMAGINAIRE DU MARQUIS DE SADE (I)AUTOPORTRAIT(II)SOLITAIRE (III)LE PONT BRISÉ (IV)LA FEMME ET SON POISSON (V)NARCISSE (VI)POWER (VII)NU (VIII)HAND AND FRUIT (IX)BELLE MAIN (X)
- Each: Inscribed MR and numbered 0/8
- Bronze
- Height: (I) 16 in., 41 cm; (II) 11 3/4 in., 29.5 cm; (III) 15 in., 38.1 cm; (IV) 16 in., 41 cm; (V) 16 in., 41 cm; (VI) 15 in., 38.1 cm; (VII) 16 in., 41 cm; (VIII) 16 in., 41 cm; (IX) 10 in., 25.4 cm; (X) 14 3/4 in., 37.5 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Italy (acquired from the artist in 1971 and sold: Sotheby's, Paris, July 3, 2008, lot 143)
Acquired at the above sale
Acquired at the above sale
Literature
Man Ray, mains libres (exhibition catalogue), Galleria Il Fauno, Turin, 1972, illustrations of other casts
Janus, Man Ray, Milan, 1973, no. 143-148, illustrations of other casts
Janus, Man Ray, Tutti gli Scritti, Milan, 1981, illustrations of other casts pp. 221, 401, 412-13 & 454
Jean-Hubert Martin, Brigitte Hermann & Rosalind Krauss, Man Ray, Objets de mon affection, Sculptures et objets, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1983, p. 165
Man Ray (exhibition catalogue), The Bunkamura Museum of Art, Tokyo, 1991-92, nos. 147-56, illustrations of other casts pp. 90-92
Janus, Man Ray, Milan, 1973, no. 143-148, illustrations of other casts
Janus, Man Ray, Tutti gli Scritti, Milan, 1981, illustrations of other casts pp. 221, 401, 412-13 & 454
Jean-Hubert Martin, Brigitte Hermann & Rosalind Krauss, Man Ray, Objets de mon affection, Sculptures et objets, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1983, p. 165
Man Ray (exhibition catalogue), The Bunkamura Museum of Art, Tokyo, 1991-92, nos. 147-56, illustrations of other casts pp. 90-92
Condition
Each piece has a golden brown patina and most are screwed or mounted on clear plexiglass bases. Apart from a few extremely minor nicks and scratches, mostly on the bases, the works are all in excellent condition.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
Les Mains libres is a series of bronzes derived from a collection of Man Ray’s earlier drawings. In creating these drawings, Man Ray collaborated with his good friend and French Surrealist poet, Paul Éluard. Éluard wrote poems based on Man Ray’s dreamlike drawings, thus reversing the normal order of artists illustrating text. Their collaboration culminated in a book, Les Mains libres, Man Ray drawings illustrated by poems of Paul Éluard, published in 1937.
Man Ray commented on the series, stating, “I always have by my bed a notebook with a pen and ink. Even when I travel. At night, before falling asleep, if an idea occurs to me I immediately make a drawing. And in the morning when I wake up, if I have dreamed I sketch my dream immediately. Many of the Mains libres drawings are drawings of dreams” (Arturo Schwarz, Man Ray, the Rigour of Imagination, New York, 1977, p.62).