- 132
Man Ray
Estimate
18,000 - 25,000 EUR
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Description
- Man Ray
- The Lovers (Mon Rêve-My Dream)
- incised with the signature man Ray, the title THE LOVERS, the dated 1973 and numbered IV/VIII (on a metal plaque affixed to the reverse)
- lead, white paint and rope
- lead plate: 50.2 x 18.2 cm; 19 3/4 x 7 1/8 in.
Provenance
Sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, June 22, 1999, lot 232
Acquired at the above sale by Dr. Arthur Brandt
Acquired at the above sale by Dr. Arthur Brandt
Exhibited
Boone, Turchin Center for the Arts, The Omnipotent Dream: Man Ray, Confluences and Influences, 2003, illustrated in the catalogue p. 13, listed p. 36
Ithaca, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, A Private Eye: Dada, Surrealism and More from the Brandt Collection, 2006, illustrated in the catalogue p. 102
Ithaca, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, A Private Eye: Dada, Surrealism and More from the Brandt Collection, 2006, illustrated in the catalogue p. 102
Literature
Cahiers d'Art, 1935, no. 5-6, p. 126, illustration of the original object
Man Ray, Oggetti d'affezione, Turin, 1970, no. 34, illustration of the original object
Arturo Schwarz, Man Ray, The Rigour of Imagination, London 1977, no. 284, p. 169, illustration of the original object
Jean-Hubert Martin, Rosalind Krauss, Brigitte Hermann, Man Ray: Objets de mon affection, Sculptures, Objets, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1983, no. 46, p. 56, illustration of the original object
Man Ray, Oggetti d'affezione, Turin, 1970, no. 34, illustration of the original object
Arturo Schwarz, Man Ray, The Rigour of Imagination, London 1977, no. 284, p. 169, illustration of the original object
Jean-Hubert Martin, Rosalind Krauss, Brigitte Hermann, Man Ray: Objets de mon affection, Sculptures, Objets, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1983, no. 46, p. 56, illustration of the original object
Condition
Painted lead and rope assemblage. All elements are present and intact. There are scattered scratches and scuffs across the surface particularly to the underside. There is some loss to the surface where the rope has been in contact with the lead. There is some dust accross the surface and this work could benefit from a light clean. This work is in overall good 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
The theme of lips and lovers are pertinent to Man Ray's life and art in 1934 when the original object (now lost and nearly identical to the present later edition) was conceived. When Man Ray's three year's relationship with Lee Miller came to an abrupt end in 1932, the artist was devastated. He set about painting arguably his most iconic painting A l'Heure de l'observatoire – les amoureux (1932-34, private collection), depicting a pair of lips, those of Lee Miller's, representing two lovers. In 1933, he also made a unique objet "the lovers, my dream" depicting the same lips, incised and painted on a folded piece of lead, its heavy weight alluding to the weight of his devastation and the rope indicative of the loss of his muse and perhaps of thoughts of suicide. Man Ray later described the theme of lips in the painting as "half a dream and half a sort of conscious representation of the whole idea of love".