- 347
Man Ray
Estimate
30,000 - 40,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Man Ray
- Pandora
- Signed Man Ray, titled and dated Hollywood 1950 (lower right)
- Pen and ink and pencil on paper
- 16 by 11 5/8 in.
- 40.7 by 30.3 cm
Provenance
Lucia & Gérard Bouchetal, Paris
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
Paris, Trianon de Bagatelle, Man Ray 360° de libertés, 1989, n.n.
Nice, Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain, Rétrospective Man Ray 1912-1976, 1997, n.n.
Nice, Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain, Rétrospective Man Ray 1912-1976, 1997, n.n.
Condition
The work is in excellent condition. Executed on cream-colored laid paper. The sheet is adhered to a window mat along the outer perimeter of its verso. There is a minor nick the extreme upper right corner. The pigment is strong and presents well. A pindot stain is visible within the upper center of the composition. A faint mat stain from a previous mounting is visible along the lower edge.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Executed in Hollywood in 1950, Pandora is a study for Man Ray’s portrait of Ava Gardner. Initially, Man Ray experimented with rendering Gardner’s face abstracted and masked. The painting reveals her realistic portrait and features in one of the scenes in Al Lewin’s film Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, released in 1951, along with a chess set by the artist. Man Ray and Al Lewin became close friends in the 1940s and Lewin was one of the personalities in the Hollywood movie business assembling an impressive collection of works by Man Ray (many of which were sold at Parke-Bernet in 1968 in a single-owner sale).
The star cast of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman featured Garner and James Mason with a plot combining two mythologies: the Flying Dutchman being a ghost ship that fails to make port and Pandora, the first human woman created by the gods in Greek mythology, who opened the 🥃jar which released the evils of humanity.