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Lot Essay
Bébé Marie is a very rare example of a photographic work by the celebrated American surrealist, Joseph Cornell. The subject of this image was borrowed from Ethel Storms of Nyack, New York, Cornell's second cousin and photographed by James Ogle. Cornell then reworked the doll's eye with collaged elements, paint and ink. The doll, in a Box, is now included in the permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
In the same year as its creation, Bébé Marie was reproduced in Harper's Bazaar preceeding an article on women's fashion. The essay accompanying the image is a subtle tongue and cheek juxtaposition. "A woman's eyes see everything. They make fashion, really. They see and judge and choose and reject, and what was yesterday only a flicker of quick imagery becomes by their intent glance the lively, mobile thing of the moment...They see everything, anything, anywhere in the world, even the new way to serve brown bread and butter." This photograph was given by Cornell to Mary Faulconer, an Art Director at Harper's Bazaar, who worked under Alexi Brodovitch, "as a token of appreciation and friendship". Faulconer helped to support Cornell early in his career, acting as his agent with various publications. A letter of provenance from Mary Faulconer accompanies this lot.
For a surrealist portrait of Joseph Cornell by Lee Miller accompanied by a letter by Julien Levy see the following day sale, 13 October 2000, lot 219.
In the same year as its creation, Bébé Marie was reproduced in Harper's Bazaar preceeding an article on women's fashion. The essay accompanying the image is a subtle tongue and cheek juxtaposition. "A woman's eyes see everything. They make fashion, really. They see and judge and choose and reject, and what was yesterday only a flicker of quick imagery becomes by their intent glance the lively, mobile thing of the moment...They see everything, anything, anywhere in the world, even the new way to serve brown bread and butter." This photograph was given by Cornell to Mary Faulconer, an Art Director at Harper's Bazaar, who worked under Alexi Brodovitch, "as a token of appreciation and friendship". Faulconer helped to support Cornell early in his career, acting as his agent with various publications. A letter of provenance from Mary Faulconer accompanies this lot.
For a surrealist portrait of Joseph Cornell by Lee Miller accompanied by a letter by Julien Levy see the following day sale, 13 October 2000, lot 219.