Graphite on paper
France, 20th century
Man Ray (1890-1976) – American photographer and painter influential to the Dada and Surrealist movements
‘Figures in Abstract’
Signed in pencil with artist’s initials lower right ‘MR’
Framed and matted
Sheet dimensions: 11 ? x 9 in. (29.5 x 22.9 cm.)
Overall dimensions: 17 x 14 x 1 ½ in. (43.2 x 35.6 x 3.8 cm.)
Good condition

A man stretches upwards, his body dissecting the page on a diagonal as he reaches towards the top corner, military jacket flapping open. Two shorter figures flank his right and left sides – soldiers or guardsmen – each holding a large vertical object. In the background, the outline of a castle can be seen. This drawing by Man Ray is loose and emphatic – by placing more pressure on the pencil outlining the main figure, emphasis is placed on his unknowable struggle.

Executed in the twentieth century, this graphite on paper work by Man Ray is signed with the artist’s initials. Framed and matted, the work measures 11 ? x 9 inches. The work is hinged to mat in upper left and right corners, slight toning at extreme edges, otherwise appears in basic good condition.

Man Ray (American, 1890-1976)

Born Emmanuel Radnitzky in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Man Ray and his family moved to New York in 1912. Ray began his art studies in high school while educating himself at museums and galleries, with particularly reference to Alfred Stieglitz. After graduating in 1909, he worked as a commercial artist and technical illustrator until he enrolled in the formative Ferrer School in 1912. Ray was particularly inspired at the 1913 Armory Show and demonstrated a Cubist style in his early works. He had his first solo exhibition in 1915 while part of an art colony in Ridgefield, New Jersey. He then stylistically transitioned to the Dada movement, making mechanically produced images and “readymades” in the manner of his friend, Marcel Duchamp. In 1921, Ray moved to the renowned Montparnasse quarter of Paris and became a notable photographer. He exhibited with the first Surrealist show at the Galerie Pierre in 1925. Importantly, Ray experimented with solarization and created photograms, which he named “rayographs.” After directing several avant-garde films, Ray relocated to Los Angeles from 1940 to 1951 due to the Second World War and exhibited worldwide in his final years. His works can be found in institutions like the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the J. Paul Getty Museum.