Skip to main content

La Galerie d Art Moderne à Southampton Figurative Photography

to
41
37
5
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
42
1
5
12
24
18
12
12
42
33
19
14
12
11
9
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
25
11
6
6
42
Alfred Stieglitz, Portrait, John Marin, 1947 (after)
By Alfred Stieglitz
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite halftone print after Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946), titled Portrait, John Marin, originates from the 1947 folio Stieglitz Memorial Portfolio, 1864–1946. Published by Tw...
Category

1940s American Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Alfred Stieglitz, The Steerage, 1947 (after)
By Alfred Stieglitz
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite halftone print after Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946), titled The Steerage, originates from the 1947 folio Stieglitz Memorial Portfolio, 1864–1946. Published by Twice a Ye...
Category

1940s American Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Alfred Stieglitz, The Terminal, 1947 (after)
By Alfred Stieglitz
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite halftone print after Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946), titled The Terminal, originates from the 1947 folio Stieglitz Memorial Portfolio, 1864–1946. Published by Twice a Ye...
Category

1940s American Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Alfred Stieglitz, Sunlight and Shadows, Paula, 1947 (after)
By Alfred Stieglitz
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite halftone print after Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946), titled Sunlight and Shadows, Paula, originates from the 1947 folio Stieglitz Memorial Portfolio, 1864–1946. Publishe...
Category

1940s American Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Alfred Stieglitz, Venetian Boy, 1947 (after)
By Alfred Stieglitz
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite halftone print after Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946), titled Venetian Boy, originates from the 1947 folio Stieglitz Memorial Portfolio, 1864–1946. Published by Twice a Ye...
Category

1940s American Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Diane Arbus, A Castle in Disneyland, Cal., 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled A Castle in Disneyland, Cal., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by t...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, Cover Project for the Album, Photographs 1920–1934, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Cover Project for the Album, Photographs 1920–1934, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. ...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, Illustration for the Novel, Aurelien, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Illustration for the Novel, Aurelien, by Louis Aragon, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolio...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Erwin Blumenfeld, The Model Lisa Fonssagrives, Electa Editrice, 1981 (after)
By Erwin Blumenfeld
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Erwin Blumenfeld (1897–1969), titled The Model Lisa Fonssagrives Posing on the Eiffel Tower in a Dress by Lelong, Paris, originates from the 1981 fo...
Category

1980s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Diane Arbus, A Young Brooklyn Family Going for a Sunday Outing, 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
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...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Erwin Blumenfeld, A Skull Superimposed, Electa Editrice, 1981 (after)
By Erwin Blumenfeld
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Erwin Blumenfeld (1897–1969), titled A Skull Superimposed, Amsterdam, originates from the 1981 folio Erwin Blumenfeld, Electa Editrice Portfolios. P...
Category

1980s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Robert Mapplethorpe, Gun Blast, from A Season in Hell, 1986 (after)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite photogravure after Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989), titled Gun Blast, from the folio A Season in Hell, originates from the 1986 edition published by The Limited Editio...
Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photogravure

Robert Mapplethorpe, Hand in Fire, from A Season in Hell, 1986 (after)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite photogravure after Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989), titled Hand in Fire, from the folio A Season in Hell, originates from the 1986 edition published by The Limited Edi...
Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photogravure

Robert Mapplethorpe, Vibert s Back, from A Season in Hell, 1986 (after)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite photogravure after Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989), titled Vibert's Back, from the folio A Season in Hell, originates from the 1986 edition published by The Limited Ed...
Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photogravure

Robert Mapplethorpe, Back View of Male Nude, from A Season in Hell, 1986 (after)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite photogravure after Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989), titled Back View of Male Nude, from the folio A Season in Hell, originates from the 1986 edition published by The L...
Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photogravure

Robert Mapplethorpe, Javier, from A Season in Hell, 1986 (after)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite photogravure after Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989), titled Javier, from the folio A Season in Hell, originates from the 1986 edition published by The Limited Editions ...
Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photogravure

Robert Mapplethorpe, Self-Portrait, from A Season in Hell, 1986 (after)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite photogravure after Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989), titled Self-Portrait, from the folio A Season in Hell, originates from the 1986 edition published by The Limited Ed...
Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photogravure

Man Ray, Illustration for the Novel, Aurelien, Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Illustration for the Novel, Aurelien, by Louis Aragon, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolio...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, Pablo Picasso, Picasso 1930-1935, Cahiers d Art (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin paper. Stamp-signed and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the album, Picasso 1930-1935, 1936. Published and printed by Éditions des Cahiers d'Art...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Erwin Blumenfeld, Wall Street, New York, Electa Editrice, 1981 (after)
By Erwin Blumenfeld
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Erwin Blumenfeld (1897–1969), titled Wall Street, New York, originates from the 1981 folio Erwin Blumenfeld, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published b...
Category

1980s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Erwin Blumenfeld, Can-can Dancer, New York Electa Editrice, 1981 (after)
By Erwin Blumenfeld
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Erwin Blumenfeld (1897–1969), titled Can-can Dancer, New York, originates from the 1981 folio Erwin Blumenfeld, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Publishe...
Category

1980s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Erwin Blumenfeld, Juliette Greco, Electa Editrice, 1981 (after)
By Erwin Blumenfeld
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Erwin Blumenfeld (1897–1969), titled Juliette Greco, originates from the 1981 folio Erwin Blumenfeld, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Grupp...
Category

1980s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Erwin Blumenfeld, Solarized Hands, Electa Editrice, 1981 (after)
By Erwin Blumenfeld
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Erwin Blumenfeld (1897–1969), titled Solarized Hands, originates from the 1981 folio Erwin Blumenfeld, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Grup...
Category

1980s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Offset

Diane Arbus, Child with a Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
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...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Diane Arbus, Tattooed Man at a Carnival, M.D., 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled Tattooed Man at a Carnival, M.D., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published ...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Diane Arbus, A Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents in the Bronx, 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
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...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Diane Arbus, Untitled (7), 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled Untitled (7), originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by the United Nation...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Diane Arbus, A Family and Their Car in a Nudist Camp in P.A., 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
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...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Diane Arbus, The Backwards Man in His Hotel Room, 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled The Backwards Man in His Hotel Room, N.Y.C., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editrice Portfolios....
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Diane Arbus, A Young Man and His Girlfriend with Hot Dogs, 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled A Young Man and His Girlfriend with Hot Dogs in the Park, N.Y.C., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Diane Arbus, Lady at a Masked Ball with Two Roses on Her Dress, 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled Lady at a Masked Ball with Two Roses on Her Dress, N.Y.C., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editri...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Diane Arbus, Man at a Parade on Fifth Avenue, 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled Man at a Parade on Fifth Avenue, N.Y.C., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Pub...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Diane Arbus, The Junior Interstate Ballroom Dance Champions, 1979 (after)
By Diane Arbus
Located in Southampton, NY
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...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, The Studio on 8th Street, New York, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled The Studio on 8th Street, New York, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gru...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, Untitled, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
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...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, Rayograph, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
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...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, Preeminence of Matter Over Thought, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
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...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, Solarized Portrait of Georges Braque, Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Solarized Portrait of Georges Braque, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by G...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, Joan Miro, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Joan Miro, originates from the 1980 folio Man Ray, Electa Editrice Portfolios. Published by Gruppo Editoriale Electra, M...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

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

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, Rayograph, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
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...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Man Ray, Rayograph to the Skein of Wool, from Electa Editrice, 1980 (after)
By Man Ray
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite heliogravure after Man Ray (1890–1976), titled Rayograph to the Skein of Wool, 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 work exemplifies Man Ray’s invention of the “rayograph,” a cameraless photographic technique in which objects are placed directly on light-sensitive paper and exposed to light. The resulting image, both abstract and tangible, transforms a simple skein of wool into a mysterious interplay of light, form, and shadow. The composition captures the poetic essence of Man Ray’s Surrealist experimentation—an alchemy of chance and precision that fuses everyday materials with pure visual abstraction. 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 to the Skein of Wool 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...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Still Thinking About These?

All Recently Viewed