Le Violon d'Ingres, 1924

The present lot is a rare variation of Man Ray’s Le Violon d'Ingres with strings applied directly to the photographic surface. The work comes from an edition that the artist limited to only three, c. 1965. On offer here from an esteemed, anonymous private collection, it was previously owned by Rosalind Gersten Jacobs and Melvin Jacobs, the collection comprised of some of the most important Man Ray photographs including, notably, the oversized, original Le Violon d'Ingres.

Le Violon d'Ingres endures as the ultimate expression of Man Ray’s deft manipulation of the photographic image while emblemizing the Surrealist sensibility, and wit, in a single iconic image. First created in 1924, the image transforms the back of his model and muse, Kiki de Montparnasse, into the body of a stringed instrument through the addition of violin f-holes, creating a playful yet provocative meditation on desire and transformation. Rich in layered associations, the title operates as a sophisticated double entendre, referring simultaneously to Ingres's celebrated depictions of the female nude and to the French idiom violon d'Ingres, meaning a personal passion or interest.

By introducing tangible strings for this rare edition, Man Ray accentuates the tension between reality and illusion that lies at the heart of Surrealism and the image becomes a hybrid object situated between photograph, collage, and sculpture. The work embodies all of the brilliance of Le Violon d'Ingres while integrating Man Ray's lifelong resistance to static media and his fascination with transformation.