Nu Bleuté by Man Ray, 1890-1976

Man Ray, 1890-1976
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Nu Bleuté

Half-tone process print from silver gelatin photograph (raypograph) printed in black ink. 1948. Signed in pencil. Inscribed as 'épreuve d'artiste - artist's proof' in pencil. Proof before the original edition of 100. Issued by the Copley Gallery, Beverly Hills 1948. Rare.
Note: Another version of this composition, but in reverse, was issued by Georges Visat in Paris in 1970.

Excellent impression. On pale cream wove slightly textured paper. Excellent original unrestored condition. Full (?) margins. Sheet: 12 x 8 7/8ins. Plate: 9 1/4 x 5 3/8ins.
(233x137mm)

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In this fascinating work dating from 1948 Man Ray?s interests in hand-worked photographic negatives (which created the famous rayographs), photography and direct plate-printing are brought together. The original rayograph was on a silver gelatin print, this was then photographed, transferred to a light sensitised copper plate and the edition printed from that plate. Man Ray, like for instance Duchamp and many of the Surrealists, considered all forms of printmaking a valid creative exercise, and this combination of production techniques is typical.

Man Ray started his experiments in photography in 1915, the year that he met Marcel Duchamp. He became in the development of Dada art, and in 1921, when he went to Paris became a central figure of that group, and subsequently amongst the Surrealists. Besides photography he worked on paintings, using invented techniques such as the spray gun, and on numerous literary projects. In 1940 he fled from Paris and went eventually to Hollywood where he became a central figure in both artistic and film-making circles. The mixed-media print above was issued in Beverley-Hills in 1948, when he was at the height of his fame there.

Prints by Man Ray in any medium from his early and just post-war period are very uncommon.