PARIS.- Today,
Sothebys Paris Man Ray sale realised 2,716,075 ($3,734,413) and concluded a series of two photography sales which brought a combined total of 4.8 million ($6.3 million). Todays auction which encompasses more than 50 years of Man Rays artistic output was the most comprehensive ensemble of works by the artist to come to the market in nearly 20 years, since the legendary sale held by Sothebys in 1995. Coming directly from the Man Ray estate, the offering included works in all media (photography, painting, Surrealist objects, chess sets and experimental films), capturing the full range of the artists career.
Todays star lot, Much Ado about Nothing, a 1949 Surrealist painting from Man Rays Shakespearean Equations series, soared above estimate and achieved 187,500 ($257,799) (lot 25, est. 60,000-80,000 / $81,500-109,000).
Yesterday, Sothebys Paris Photography sale was led by Andreas Gurskys 2006 Untitled which fetched 409,500 ($511,619), the highest price for a photography sold at auction in Paris this year.
Following todays sale, Andrew Strauss*, Vice-president of Sothebys France and leading authority on Man Ray, said: Todays results pay tribute to Man Rays creative genius. The great diversity of his oeuvre attracted international collectors of many horizons who seize this unique opportunity to acquire works coming directly from his estate.
PAINTINGS
Paintings were highly sought after today. In addition to the top lot, an arresting portrait of Man Rays wife Juliet, Purple Mask (1948) brought 115,500 ($158,804), three times the pre-sale estimate (lot 5, est. 30,000-40,000 / $40,600-54,500).
SURREALIST OBJECTS & JEWELLERY
The sale was also highlighted by a group of fascinating Surrealist objects. Testament to Man Rays ingenuity and extraordinary provocative sense of humour, the cover lot, Ce que manque à nous tous, featuring a clay pipe with a glass bubble, realised 133,500 ($183,553), over five times the low estimate (lot 99, est. 25,000-35,000 / $33,800-47,300).
Man Rays iconic pendants in the form of unravelled lampshades found a buyer for 103,500 ($142,305), again well above pre-sale expectation (lot 185, est. 15,000-20,000 / $20,300-27,100). These earrings were identical to those worn by Catherine Deneuve in Man Rays photograph for a cover of The Observer Magazine in 1975. A version of this photograph featured in the sale and achieved 37,500 ($51,560) (lot 184, est. 7,000-10,000 / $9,500-13,600).
Man Ray frequently worked with the Italian jeweller Giancarlo Montebello. In 1972 he designed a prototype for a pair of eyeglasses, Optic-Topic which today sold for 67,500 ($92,808), more than 30 times the low estimate (lot 192, est. 2,000-3,000 / $2,750-4,100).
VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHS
At the core of the sale was also a group of vintage photographs ranging from portraiture and fashion photography, including solarisation and gauze effects, to Surrealist compositions and iconic self-portraits.
From 1930-31, a stunning portrait of Man Rays muse and accomplished photographer Lee Miller surpassed the pre-sale expectation and fetched 79,500 ($109,307) (lot 29, est. 40,000-60,000 / $54,500-81,500).
Depicting the lips of Lee Miller, Man Ray's monumental painting, A l'Heure de l'Observatoire Les Amoureux (Observatory Time the Lovers, 1932-34) is arguably one the most celebrated images of 20th century art. The sale included a 1934 black-and-white photograph of the work which sold for 51,900 ($71,359) (lot 224, est. 15,000-20,000 / $20,300-27,100).
A 1936 photogram by Max Ernst, made in collaboration with Man Ray to illustrate André Bretons Château étoilé, realised 37,500 ($51,560), double the pre-sale estimate (lot 132, est. 10,000-15,000 / $13,600-20,300).
* Andrew Strauss is co-author of the catalogue raisonné of the Man Rays paintings and leading authority on the artist