Man Ray (1890-1976)
Lot 434

Man Ray (1890-1976)

Objet mathématique, 'Surfaces algébriques du IVe degré', 1934-1936

Closed11 April 2024

Price Realised

EUR 22,680

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Man Ray (1890-1976)
Man Ray
Objet mathématique, 'Surfaces algébriques du IVe degré', 1934-1936
tirage argentique, monté sur support cartonné
cachet du photographe 'Man Ray - 8 rue du Val-de-Grâce - Paris 5e - France. Danton 92-25' (verso); cachet du photographe 'Photograph by Man Ray' et annoté à l'encre 'Surfaces algébriques du IVe degré' (montage, verso)
image/feuille : 23.4 x 29.4 cm.
montage : 49.8 x 38 cm.

gelatin silver print, mounted on board
stamped photographer's credit 'Man Ray - 8 rue du Val-de-Grâce - Paris 5e - France. Danton 92-25' (verso); stamped photographer's credit 'Photograph by Man Ray' and annotated in ink 'Surfaces algébriques du IVe degré' (mount, verso)
image/sheet : 9 ²/₈ x 11 5/8 in.
mount : 19 5/8 x 15 in.

Atelier de l’artisteJuliet Man Ray (par succession)
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 120.
Collection Marion Meyer, Paris.

Specialist note

The stamps on the verso of this photograph have been identified as M9 and M22 in Steven Manford’s book, Behind the photo: the stamps of Man Ray (2009). According to Manford M9 is a lifetime Val de Grâce stamp used from 1935 to 1937 (p. 21) and M22 is a lifetime stamp used from 1940 to 1951 (p. 27).


En 1934, Max Ernst suggère à Man Ray de visiter la collection des modèles mathématiques de l'Institut Henri Poincaré. Il y réalisa notamment cette photographie de deux modèles conçus par Joseph Caron, qui parue en 1936 dans la célèbre revue Cahiers d’art. Man Ray attribua des noms shakespeariens aux objets et regroupa sa série de peintures sous le titre Équations Shakespeariennes.
Cette photographie servi d’ailleurs de modèle à l'huile sur toile All's well that ends well (lot 436) que Man Ray réalisa en 1948.

In 1934, Max Ernst suggested Man Ray visit the mathematical models collection of the Henri Poincaré Institute. Notably, he photographed two models designed by Joseph Caron there, which appeared in the famous Cahiers d'art magazine in 1936. Man Ray assigned Shakespearean names to the objects and grouped his series of paintings under the title "Shakespearean Equations".
This photograph also served as a model for the oil on canvas All's Well That Ends Well, which Man Ray executed in 1948.