Man Ray

Succession de l'artiste
Juliet Man Ray, Paris
Vente : Sotheby's, Londres, Man Ray, Paintings, Objects, Photographs, Property from the Estate of Juliet Man Ray, the Man Ray Trust and the Family of Juliet Man Ray, 23 mars 1995, lot 409
Acquis lors de cette vente par le propriétaire actuel

Tours, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Trois peintres Américains, deux Tourangeaux, un Parisien, Max Ernst, Man Ray, Dorothea Tanning, 1955-56, no. 18
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Man Ray, 1966, no. 96
Paris, Galerie 1900-2000, Man Ray, Peintures et dessins provenant de l'atelier, 1988, no. 11, reproduit p. 25

The canvas is not lined. There is no evidence of retouching under UV light. This work is in very good original 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

signed and dated '52' (lower right); signed, titled and dated '1952' (on the stretcher); oil on canvas. Painted in 1952.

Peint en 1952 peu après le retour de Man Ray et sa femme Juliette à Paris après une dizaine d’années à Hollywood, ce chatoyant portrait représente une femme moderne et élégante à la mode d’alors avec sa délicate tenue et ses cheveux roux relevés. Le modèle, difficilement identifiable en raison du traitement géométrique de son visage par Man Ray, serait une jeune femme appelée Henriette, amie proche du couple selon certaines sources. Man Ray représente Henriette de manière majestueuse, grandeur nature, sur un lumineux fond d’un jaune éclatant, évoquant deux portraits de Juliette peints par l’artiste cinq ans plus tôt à Hollywood, dont l’un représente celle-ci dansant sur le même arrière-plan radieux.

Painted in 1952 shortly following the return of Man Ray and his wife Juliet to Paris after spending a decade in Hollywood, this striking and colourful life-size portrait depicts a modern stylish woman of the period, sporting a fashionable outfit with her red hair in a pony-tail. Man Ray’s geometrical rendering of the sitter’s face makes her identity uncertain, however she is believed to be a young lady called Henriette, reportedly a close friend of both Man Ray and Juliet. Man Ray depicts Henriette majestically life-size, on a bright yellow background in a striking pose, reminiscent of two portraits Man Ray painted of Juliet five years earlier in Hollywood, one of which depicts Juliet as a dancer on the same bright yellow background.