Sotheby’s follows up its various owner sale with a single artist auction of the work of Man Ray, drawn directly from the estate of the artist. It’s an expansive collection of generally secondary and lesser known material, full primarily of portraits and self-portraits. For those filling out a Man Ray collection, there are few icons (and no rayographs) here, but there are still many surprising gems worth a review, including photograms made with Max Ernst, and images of African masks, chessboards, and mathematical objects. Overall, there are a total of 194 lots of photography on offer in this sale (selected drawings, paintings and sculptures are also available), with a Total High Estimate of €2109500.
Here’s the statistical breakdown:
| Preview Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including €7500) | 80 |
| Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of low lots) | €489500 |
| Total Mid Lots (high estimate between €7500 and €35000) | 112 |
| Total Mid Estimate | €1520000 |
| Total High Lots (high estimate above €35000) | 2 |
| Total High Estimate | €100000 |
The top lot by High estimate is lot 29, Man Ray, Lee Miller au collier d’éponges, Juan-les-pins, Hiver, 1930-1931, estimated at €40000-60000 (image above, left, via Sotheby’s).
Other lots of interest include lot 13, Man Ray, Magnolia, 1926, estimated at €30000-40000 (image above, middle, via Sotheby’s), and lot 7, Man Ray, Auto Portrait, Rue Campagne Premiere, 1933, estimated at €15000-20000 (image above, right, via Sotheby’s).
The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.
