Self Portrait in Vine Street studio with reflector, 1948
Silver gelatin print
7w x 9 1/2h inches

Estimate: €12,000 - 18,000

West Palm Beach, 1994-95, p. 57
Madrid, Paris & Berlin, 2007-10, p. 179
Tokyo, 2010, no. 189

Self Portrait, 1988, p. 268
Deauville, 1993, p. 35
Washington, D.C., 2015, p. 213 (to be published)

This print is in excellent general condition. The four corners are slightly worn and with a light handling mark in the upper area away from the image visible in raking light only.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present work shows Man Ray in his Hollywood studio at 1245 Vine Street where he lived with Juliet from 1941, before returning to Paris a decade later. To make this image, Man Ray returns to the technique he used on occasion during the 1930s and 1940s (see fig. 1 and lot 7). Employing a highly polished reflective surface, Man Ray creates a composed view of his Hollywood universe: dispersed around the Spanish colonial architecture of his home and studio are works dating from the early American years of his career, including Tapestry Painting from 1911 (Centre Pompidou, Paris), hung high on the back wall to the left, a new version of Revolving Doors (see lot 269), as well as some of his most recent paintings, such as Hamlet, visible to the right of the easel, one of series of 1948 compositions named after plays by Shakespeare (see lot 25). The effect is akin to the one produced by a fisheye lens, displaying a wide field of vision while at the same time distorting and flipping the composition. The use of a mask during printing to remove every detail except what is visible in the reflection serves to intensify the image and focus the viewer's gaze on the artist and his creative environment.

Fig. 1: Man Ray, Laboratory of the Future, 1935, silv🦩er print, Museum of Modern Art, New York