Lithograph Figurative Photography

Vintage poster for the 1982 Summer Festival season of the San Francisco Opera. David Hockney designed the whimsical sets and costumes for the San Francisco Opera's production of Igor...

This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Preeminence of Matter Over Thought, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gru...

This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Rayograph, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano, and printed by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano, 1980. This image exemplifies Man Ray’s pioneering “rayograph” technique—a cameraless photographic process in which objects were placed directly onto photosensitive paper and exposed to light, creating luminous abstract compositions that fused chance, intuition, and surrealist invention. Through this groundbreaking process, Man Ray transformed photography into pure visual poetry, redefining its potential as a form of modern art. Executed as a heliogravure on velin paper, this work measures 15.75 x 11.75 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano. Artwork Details: Artist: After Man Ray (1890–1976) Title: Rayograph Medium: Heliogravure on velin paper Dimensions: 15.75 x 11.75 inches (40.01 x 29.84 cm) Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued Date: 1980 Publisher: Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano Printer: Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios, published and printed by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano, 1980 Notes: Excerpted from the folio (translated from Italian), Limited edition of M examples, drawn in heliogravure on special paper, designed specifically for the Portfolios Electa. Gruppo Editoriale Electra/Milan. Printed in Italy. About the Publication: The Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolio (1980) was published by Gruppo Editoriale Electra in Milan as part of the distinguished Electa Portfolios series, which celebrated the masters of 20th-century photography through the artisanal process of heliogravure printing. This edition was dedicated to Man Ray’s seminal body of photographic work from 1920 to 1934—an era in which he redefined modern image-making through technical invention, surrealist experimentation, and intellectual daring. Produced in collaboration with leading photographic historians and Italian master printers, the portfolio was printed on specially manufactured velin paper designed exclusively for the Electa Portfolios, ensuring tonal precision and textural depth true to the artist’s originals. The publication represents one of the most refined posthumous tributes to Man Ray’s legacy, combining Italian craftsmanship with avant-garde vision to preserve the luminous complexity of his photographs. Created with the same devotion to innovation and elegance that characterized Man Ray’s own practice, this edition remains an important intersection of fine art publishing and modernist history. About the Artist: Man Ray (1890–1976) was an American-born painter, sculptor, photographer, filmmaker, and conceptual visionary whose radical imagination and technical innovation transformed modern art and established him as one of the leading figures of the 20th century. Born Emmanuel Radnitzky in Philadelphia, he became a central force in both the Dada and Surrealist movements, defying artistic boundaries and redefining the relationship between art, technology, and the unconscious. After early involvement in New York’s avant-garde with Francis Picabia and Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray moved to Paris in 1921, where he joined a revolutionary circle of artists including Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, and Marcel Duchamp. There, he pioneered the “rayograph,” or photogram—a cameraless photographic technique that used light and shadow to create ethereal abstract compositions—and produced some of the most iconic images in art history, including Le Violon d’Ingres (1924) and Noire et Blanche (1926). His photography, distinguished by its fusion of elegance, surrealism, and psychological depth, captured the essence of modernist Paris and immortalized creative icons such as Kiki de Montparnasse, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce. At the same time, Man Ray’s experimental films, including Le Retour a la Raison (1923) and L’Etoile de mer (1928), and his sculptural works like The Gift (1921) and Object to Be Destroyed (1923), expanded the possibilities of art itself, transforming ordinary objects into symbols of mystery and desire. His conceptual approach—viewing art as an idea rather than an object—anticipated later movements such as Pop Art, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art, profoundly influencing artists like Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Joseph Beuys, as well as photographers Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, Cindy Sherman, and Richard Avedon. Even in exile during World War II, while working in Los Angeles, he continued to innovate, blending Surrealist fantasy with the luminosity of the California landscape before returning to Paris, where he spent his final decades refining his poetic, intellectual, and sensuous vision. Exhibited in major institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate Modern, and the Centre Pompidou, Man Ray’s work remains foundational to modern art history—bridging painting, photography, film, and sculpture in a body of work that continues to shape the language of visual culture. Standing alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, and Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray endures as one of the most original and influential artists of the modern era. His highest auction record was achieved by Noire et Blanche (1926), which sold for 3.13 million USD at Christie’s, Paris, on November 9, 2017, confirming his status as a timeless innovator whose genius continues to inspire artists, collectors, and dreamers worldwide. Man Ray Rayograph...

This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Rayograph, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano, and printed by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano, 1980. This image exemplifies Man Ray’s pioneering “rayograph” technique—a cameraless photographic process in which objects were placed directly onto photosensitive paper and exposed to light, creating luminous abstract compositions that fused chance, intuition, and surrealist invention. Through this groundbreaking process, Man Ray transformed photography into pure visual poetry, redefining its potential as a form of modern art. Executed as a heliogravure on velin paper, this work measures 15.75 x 11.75 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano. Artwork Details: Artist: After Man Ray (1890–1976) Title: Rayograph Medium: Heliogravure on velin paper Dimensions: 15.75 x 11.75 inches (40.01 x 29.84 cm) Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued Date: 1980 Publisher: Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano Printer: Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios, published and printed by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Milano, 1980 Notes: Excerpted from the folio (translated from Italian), Limited edition of M examples, drawn in heliogravure on special paper, designed specifically for the Portfolios Electa. Gruppo Editoriale Electra/Milan. Printed in Italy. About the Publication: The Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolio (1980) was published by Gruppo Editoriale Electra in Milan as part of the distinguished Electa Portfolios series, which celebrated the masters of 20th-century photography through the artisanal process of heliogravure printing. This edition was dedicated to Man Ray’s seminal body of photographic work from 1920 to 1934—an era in which he redefined modern image-making through technical invention, surrealist experimentation, and intellectual daring. Produced in collaboration with leading photographic historians and Italian master printers, the portfolio was printed on specially manufactured velin paper designed exclusively for the Electa Portfolios, ensuring tonal precision and textural depth true to the artist’s originals. The publication represents one of the most refined posthumous tributes to Man Ray’s legacy, combining Italian craftsmanship with avant-garde vision to preserve the luminous complexity of his photographs. Created with the same devotion to innovation and elegance that characterized Man Ray’s own practice, this edition remains an important intersection of fine art publishing and modernist history. About the Artist: Man Ray (1890–1976) was an American-born painter, sculptor, photographer, filmmaker, and conceptual visionary whose radical imagination and technical innovation transformed modern art and established him as one of the leading figures of the 20th century. Born Emmanuel Radnitzky in Philadelphia, he became a central force in both the Dada and Surrealist movements, defying artistic boundaries and redefining the relationship between art, technology, and the unconscious. After early involvement in New York’s avant-garde with Francis Picabia and Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray moved to Paris in 1921, where he joined a revolutionary circle of artists including Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, and Marcel Duchamp. There, he pioneered the “rayograph,” or photogram—a cameraless photographic technique that used light and shadow to create ethereal abstract compositions—and produced some of the most iconic images in art history, including Le Violon d’Ingres (1924) and Noire et Blanche (1926). His photography, distinguished by its fusion of elegance, surrealism, and psychological depth, captured the essence of modernist Paris and immortalized creative icons such as Kiki de Montparnasse, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce. At the same time, Man Ray’s experimental films, including Le Retour a la Raison (1923) and L’Etoile de mer (1928), and his sculptural works like The Gift (1921) and Object to Be Destroyed (1923), expanded the possibilities of art itself, transforming ordinary objects into symbols of mystery and desire. His conceptual approach—viewing art as an idea rather than an object—anticipated later movements such as Pop Art, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art, profoundly influencing artists like Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Joseph Beuys, as well as photographers Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, Cindy Sherman, and Richard Avedon. Even in exile during World War II, while working in Los Angeles, he continued to innovate, blending Surrealist fantasy with the luminosity of the California landscape before returning to Paris, where he spent his final decades refining his poetic, intellectual, and sensuous vision. Exhibited in major institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate Modern, and the Centre Pompidou, Man Ray’s work remains foundational to modern art history—bridging painting, photography, film, and sculpture in a body of work that continues to shape the language of visual culture. Standing alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, and Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray endures as one of the most original and influential artists of the modern era. His highest auction record was achieved by Noire et Blanche (1926), which sold for 3.13 million USD at Christie’s, Paris, on November 9, 2017, confirming his status as a timeless innovator whose genius continues to inspire artists, collectors, and dreamers worldwide. Man Ray Rayograph...

This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Untitled, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, Mi...

This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Fashion Photography, Partial Solarization, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published...

This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled A Young Brooklyn Family Going for a Sunday Outing, N.Y.C., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editri...

This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled Child with a Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editrice P...

"Labor in a Diesel Plant" Machine Age American Scene Industrial Mid 20th Century Letterio Calapai (American 1902-1993) ''Labor in A Diesel Plant'' Wood engraving, 1940 17 x 10 1/2...

This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled The Junior Interstate Ballroom Dance Champions, Yonkers, N.Y., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Ed...

This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled A Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents in the Bronx, N.Y., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editr...

This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled A Family and Their Car in a Nudist Camp in P.A., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editrice Portfol...