Man Ray

titled in pencil and with the photographer's '31 bis, Rue Campagne Première Paris XIV' studio stamp (Manford M28) on the reverse, framed, 1929

Knoedler Kasmin, Ltd., London

Private Collection

Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York

Private Collection 

Acquired from the above

London, Knoedler Kasmin, Ltd., Man Ray: The Artist as Photographer (and Warrior, as well), December 1981

London, Serpentine Gallery, Man Ray, January-March 1995

Man Ray (London: Serpentine Gallery, 1995), unpaginated (this print)

Man Ray Photographies 1920-1934 Paris (James Thrall Soby, 1934), pl. 37

A. D. Coleman, ed., Man Ray: Photographs 1920-34 (New York, 1975), pl. 37 (New Edition of the 1934 book)

Janus, Man Ray: The Photographic Image (New York, 1980), pl. 95

Willis Hartshorn and Merry Foresta, Man Ray in Fashion (New York: International Center of Photography, 1990), p. 68

Emmanuelle de l'Ecotais and Alain Sayag, eds., Man Ray: Photography and Its Double (Paris: Centre Georges Pompidou - Musée National d'Art Moderne, 1998), p. 158

Marina Vanci-Perahim, Great Modern Masters: Man Ray (New York, 1998), pl. 49

Man Ray: Paris Photographs 1920-34 (New York, 2000), pl. 37 (New Edition of the 1934 book)

Emmanuelle de l'Ecotais and Katherine Ware, Man Ray. 1890-1976 (Cologne, 2000), p. 58

Photographies de Man Ray (Tokyo, 2002), pl. 137

This rare and early print, trimmed to the image and on double-weight paper with a faint surface sheen, is in generally very good to excellent condition. It possesses all of the nuance expected from the best of Man Ray's work from this period, including an exceptional level of detail, from the folds of the lamé dress to the shadows of the sitter's silhouette. A fine patina of faint age-appropriate silvering is visible in raking light in the darkest areas of the image, primarily along the upper and lower edges. There are a few deposits of original retouching, notably in two areas: a one-inch deposit along the sitter's thigh over a flaw in the negative; and a 4-1/2-inch linear deposit near the right edge. Upon close inspection, a few tiny matte areas, possibly foxing, are visible at the upper and lower edges. This does not detract in any way from the fine appearance of this rare, early print. There are 4 hinge remnants on the reverse and the number '42' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil. When examined under ultraviolet light, this print does not appear to fluoresce.
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 1934, Man Ray selected Torso (Lama [sic] Sheath) for inclusion in Man Ray Photographies 1920-1934 Paris, a survey of his most important images from those prolific years.  Published by James Thrall Soby, an American critic, collector, and close friend, Man Ray Photographies 1920-1934 Paris was Man Ray's first monograph.  More than 100 photographs and Rayographs were illustrated with complimentary poetry and essays by leading figures of the Dada and Surrealist movements, including André Breton, Tristan Tzara, and Marcel Duchamp, contributing in the guise of his alter-ego Rrose Selavy. 

As with Solarized Male Nude (Lot 99), the present image is the result of deliberate cropping of a larger negative.  The head and legs, both visible in the original negative, are here edited out, leaving only the sculpted form of a body sheathed in lamé fabric.  The eroticization and fetishization of the deconstructed body explored here by Man Ray was a topic common among the Surrealists, who often 'removed' parts of the body to decontextualize the female form.

The present image is one of 18 photographs in ‘Anatomies,’ the second chapter of the 1934 monograph, which explores fragmentation of the female form.  Although Torso (Lama [sic] Sheath) is the only photograph in the chapter featuring a 'clothed' female figure, it is no less provocative and masterfully composed than the first image in the chapter, a highly abstract and sensual view of Lee Miller’s neck and chin.

Prints of the present image are exceedingly rare. At the time of this writing, only one other early print has been located: the print used for reproduction in Man Ray Photographies 1920-1934 Paris, now in the collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.  A slight variant cropping, it is there titled ‘Anatomie’ and dated ‘1929.’  The negative, titled ‘Étude pour Anatomies’ and dated circa 1930, is in the photographer’s archive at the Centre Pompidou.  The presence of the Manford M28 posthumous stamp on the reverse suggests that the present print was in Man Ray's possession until his death.