MAN RAY (1890-1976)
MAN RAY (1890-1976)
MAN RAY (1890-1976)
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This lot has been imported from outside of the UK … Read more PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTION
MAN RAY (1890-1976)

Femme aux yeux baissés

Details
MAN RAY (1890-1976)
Femme aux yeux baissés
signed and dated 'Man Ray oct 1937' (lower right)
pen and India ink on paper
12 1/8 x 9 1/8 in. (30.8 x 23.2 cm.)
Executed in October 1937
Provenance
Mira Jacob (Le Bateau Lavoir), Paris, and thence by descent. 
Literature
Special Notice
This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.
Further Details

Andrew Strauss and Timothy Baum of the Man Ray Expertise Committee have confirmed the authenticity of this work and that it will be included in the Catalogue Works on Paper of Man Ray, currently in preparation.

Brought to you by

Olivier Camu
Olivier Camu Deputy Chairman, Senior International Director

Lot Essay


Created in October 1937, Femme aux yeux baissés illustrates Man Ray’s ongoing interest in pen and ink drawing during this period, its bold, flowing lines showcasing his deep understanding of the medium. The artist had recently spent several months creating illustrations for the captivating Surrealist publication Les Mains libres, a collaborative project he had embarked upon with his close friend, the poet Paul Éluard, in 1936. In Femme aux yeux baissés, Man Ray steps away from the sinister, hybrid forms which had populated many of the Les Mains libres drawings, and instead focuses his eye on a beautiful young woman in profile, her head bent as she looks down at the strange box in front of her, which resembles a wireless radio. While not a direct portrait, her delicate features, particularly the gentle curve of her slender nose, elegant eyebrows and tapered chin, recall the heart-shaped face of Nusch, Éluard’s wife, whom Man Ray had photographed on multiple occasions during these years. Through the minimalist compositional arrangement, Man Ray focuses on the connection between the woman and the box, infusing the scene with an intense, mysterious undertone, as we are left to wonder what has left her so captivated.

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