10 works, The Art Of The Nude, MAN RAY's Kiki of Montparnasse, with footnotes #217

MAN RAY (1890-1976)
Portrait de Kiki, c. 1923
Oil on canvas
24 1/8 x 18 in. (61.3 x 45.6 cm.)
Private collection

Sold for USD 1,623,000 in May 2023

"I paint what cannot be photographed and I photograph what I do not wish to paint. " Man Ray

Although celebrated for his photographic practice, it was in fact painting that first engaged Man Ray, né Emmanuel Radnitsky, a visionary par excellence. 

Soon after Man Ray arrived in Paris, in July of 1921, he met Kiki, then about twenty years of age. Kiki de Montparnasse (1901–1953) over that decade was a singer (recorded and published), a successful self-taught artist, an author, and a celebrated artists' model. She was, in the 1920s, the queen of the Paris left bank, at least to the avant-garde. Born Alice Prin, she has been made legend through the photographs Man Ray made of her, such as the iconic Le Violon d'Ingres, 1924 (see below), and Noire et blanche, 1925–1926 (see below). He also made a handful of Rayographs of her, indeed they made some together in their hotel room on the Rue Delambre, in the early months of 1922. More on Man Ray and Kiki

MAN RAY (1890-1976)
Untitled (Solarized Nude, Paris), c. 1929
Gelatin silver print
11 1/4 x 8 7/8 in. (28.5 x 22.5 cm.)
Private collection

Sold for USD 630,000 in May 2023

The present dramatic subject – the back of a voluptuous half-figure nude, her head turned to her left – calls to mind Man Ray’s celebrated Violon d’Ingres of 1924 (see below). Solarized Nude, notwithstanding its own distinct characteristics, might justifiably be considered a deliberate and playful echo of the Violon d’Ingres, itself a willful echo of Ingres’s celebrated odalisque. Man Ray’s luminous nude from 1929 takes its place among the emblematic nudes that constitute such an important aspect of the artist’s oeuvre. As his friend Roland Penrose reminds us, when reflecting on the media and themes that inspired Man Ray, ‘…the sources most rich in poetic stimulus, direct or indirect, were the women he loved. …the grace, purity and compelling magic of the female presence is made vivid and permanent by his skill.’ (Man Ray, London, 1971, p. 99) His muses were central to his creativity. More on this photograph

Man Ray
Le Violon d'Ingres, c. 1924, printed 1950s
Gelatin silver print
5 ¾ x 4 ¼ in. 14.6 x 10.8 cm. 5 ¾ x 4 3/8 in. 14.6 x 11.1 cm.
Private collection

The photograph was inspired by Valpinçon Bather (1808), a painting by the French neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste- Dominique Ingres. Its title came from a popular French expression, which means “a hobby,” in reference to the fact that Ingres used to play violin as a pastime when he wasn't painting. More on this photograph

Man Ray
Noire Et Blanche, 1926
Gelatin silver print
26 x 31 inches
Private collection

Estimate for  €1,000,000-1,500,000 in April 2017

Noire et Blanche, was first published in the Parisian edition of Vogue in May 1926. This quiet, elegant and dreamy study naturally appealed to Jacques Doucet, the great French fashion icon and designer. His own vision, which combined the ancient and primitive arts with his graceful and modern taste, is complimented by Man Ray’s vision of a surreal twist of tonality. More on this photograph

Ray, Man
At the Hour of the Observatory, the Lovers, kiki of montparnasse, c. 1932
Duotone Photo Litho,
7.6x6.1"
Private collection

One of Man Ray’s most memorable paintings, Observatory Time, is featured in this black-and-white photograph, along with a nude. It includes a depiction of the lips of his departed lover, Lee Miller, floating in the sky above the Paris Observatory. In the photograph, the nude is lying on her side on a sofa underneath the painting, with a chessboard at her feet. Observatory Time hints at what the woman might be dreaming: a nightmare or an erotic fantasy. The lips in the picture were an inspiration for the logo of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and many other pop culture iconic images. The chessboard appears in many of the artist’s works—Duchamp, Picabia and Man Ray all loved playing chess. And Man Ray considered a grid of squares, “the basis for all art... it helps you to understand the structure, to master a sense of order.” He also made chess set designs and photographs of chessboards, pieces and players. More on this photograph

MAN RAY (1890-1976)
Kiki, 1922
Sheet-fed gravure
10 1/4" x 8 1/8"
Private collection

MAN RAY (1890-1976)
 Kiki De Montparnasse, c.1922
Photogravure/Heliogravure.
7.5 x 6 inches
Private collection

MAN RAY (1890-1976)
 Kiki De Montparnasse, c.1922
Photogravure/Heliogravure.
7.5 x 6 inches
Private collection

Kiki, and often known as Kiki de Montparnasse, was a French artist's model, literary muse, nightclub singer, actress, memoirist, and painter. She flourished in, and helped define, the liberated culture of Paris in the 1920s.

An illegitimate child, she was raised in abject poverty by her grandmother. At age twelve, she was sent to live with her mother in Paris in order to find work. She first worked in shops and bakeries, but by the age of fourteen, she was posing nude for sculptors, which created discord with her mother.

Adopting a single name, "Kiki", she became a fixture in the Montparnasse social scene and a popular artist's model, posing for dozens of artists. Her companion for most of the 1920s was Man Ray, who made hundreds of portraits of her. She can be considered his muse at this time. 

A painter in her own right, in 1927 Prin had a sold-out exhibition of her paintings at the Galerie au Sacre du Printemps in Paris. Her drawings and paintings comprise portraits, self-portraits, social activities, fanciful animals, and dreamy landscapes composed in a light, slightly uneven, expressionist style that is a reflection of her easy-going manner and boundless optimism. More on Kiki of Montparnasse

Man Ray (American, 1890–1976)
Kiki with Pearl Bracelet, c. 1921
Gelatin silver print, printed c. 1921
11.5 x 8.5 in. (29.2 x 21.6 cm.)
Private collection

MAN RAY (1890-1976)
Kiki de Montparnasse in Man Ray's Voisin C7 Automobile
Gelatin silver print
8 3/8 × 11 1/16 in. (21.27 × 28.1 cm)
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

This portrait of Kiki de Montparnasse (1901–1953) in the passenger seat of Man Ray’s Voisin C7 dates to the summer of 1926, when the American artist was making his experimental film Emak Bakia, in which Kiki was the undeniable star. Emak Bakia was filmed at the summer villa of Arthur and Rose Wheeler near Biarritz, and this photograph may have been taken on the road trip from Paris to the fashionable sea resort. This shared private moment, when Man Ray had stopped by the side of the country road to take Kiki’s portrait, reflects the personal happiness of the early years of their romance, as well as their shared excitement about the movie they were about to make together. More on this photograph

Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in France. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal. He produced major works in a variety of media but considered himself a painter above all. He was best known for his photography, and he was a renowned fashion and portrait photographer. Man Ray is also noted for his work with photograms, which he called "rayographs" in reference to himself. More on Man Ray




Please visit my other blogs: Art CollectorMythologyMarine ArtPortrait of a Lady, The OrientalistArt of the Nude and The Canals of VeniceMiddle East Artists365 Saints365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.


01 work, The Art Of The Nude, Maurice Brianchon'd NU AUX BAS ROUGES, with footnotes #218

Maurice Brianchon, 1899 - 1979
NU AUX BAS ROUGES/ NUDE WITH RED STOCKINGS, c. 1958
Oil on canvas
25⅞ by 58⅞ in. (65.7 by 149.5 cm.)
Private collection

Estimated for 30,000 - 50,000 USD in December 2018 

Maurice Brianchon, (1899-1979) French, is known as one of the Painters of Poetic Reality. Brianchon attended É’cole des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and moved to Spain shortly after to study the paintings of Spanish Masters. His early work is characterized by dynamic images of the theater, street scenes, and horse races – showing his love for life and youth. In contrast, his later work is more relaxed and contemplative, mostly painting still-life and landscapes. Later on, Brianchon returned to Paris to teach at É’cole des Arts Décoratifs, where his teachings had a profound impact and influence on the next generation of artists. More on Maurice Brianchon




Please visit my other blogs: Art CollectorMythologyMarine ArtPortrait of a Lady, The OrientalistArt of the Nude and The Canals of VeniceMiddle East Artists365 Saints365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 work, The Art Of The Nude, Ruth Bernhard's Symbiosis, with footnotes #215

Ruth Bernhard (1905-2006)
Detail; Symbiosis, c. 1971
Gelatin silver
13 5/8 x 8 3/8in (34.5 x 21.3cm)
Private collection

Ruth Bernhard (1905-2006)
Symbiosis, c. 1971
Gelatin silver
13 5/8 x 8 3/8in (34.5 x 21.3cm)
Private collection

Estimated for US$4,000 - US$6,000 in May 2020

Symbiosis, interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.

Ruth Bernhard (October 14, 1905 – December 18, 2006) was a German-born American photographer.

Bernhard was born in Berlin to Lucian Bernhard and Gertrude Hoffmann. Her parents divorced when she was 2 years old and she only met her mother twice after the divorce. She was raised by two schoolteacher sisters and their mother. Bernhard's father Lucian was a major proponent of Ruth's work, and advised her frequently.

Bernhard studied art history and typography at the Berlin Academy of Art from 1925 to 1927  before moving to New York City to join her father. She began teaching at the University of California in 1958, while also giving lectures, classes and workshops all over the United States. More on Ruth Bernhard




Please visit my other blogs: Art CollectorMythologyMarine ArtPortrait of a Lady, The OrientalistArt of the Nude and The Canals of VeniceMiddle East Artists365 Saints365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 work, The Art Of The Nude, Manuel Álvarez Bravo's Fruta Prohibida, with footnotes #212

Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Mexican, 1902–2002
Fruta Prohibida, c. 1976
Gelatin silver print
8 x 10 in. (20.32 x 25.4 cm.)
J. Paul Getty Museum

Manuel Álvarez Bravo (February 4, 1902 – October 19, 2002) was a Mexican artistic photographer and one of the most important figures in 20th century Latin American photography. He was born and raised in Mexico City. While he took art classes at the Academy of San Carlos, his photography is self-taught. His career spanned from the late 1920s to the 1990s with its artistic peak between the 1920s and 1950s. His hallmark as a photographer was to capture images of the ordinary but in ironic or Surrealistic ways. His early work was based on European influences, but he was soon influenced by the Mexican muralism movement and the general cultural and political push at the time to redefine Mexican identity. He rejected the picturesque, employing elements to avoid stereotyping. He had numerous exhibitions of his work, worked in the Mexican cinema and established Fondo Editorial de la Plástica Mexicana publishing house. He won numerous awards for his work, mostly after 1970. His work was recognized by the UNESCO Memory of the World registry in 2017. More on Manuel Álvarez Bravo




Please visit my other blogs: Art CollectorMythologyMarine ArtPortrait of a Lady, The OrientalistArt of the Nude and The Canals of VeniceMiddle East Artists365 Saints365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Photograph, The Art Of The Nude, Herb Ritts' Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana and Naomi, with footnotes # 245

Herb Ritts (American, 1952 - 2002)
Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood, c. 1989
Gelatin silver print
18 1/2  by 20 in. (47 by 50.8 cm.)
Private collection

Sold for 150,000 USD in April 2018

Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood is a black and white photograph taken in 1989 by photographer and director Herb Ritts (American, 1952–2002). The subject of the photograph is a group of five women coyly entwined together in an embrace.

Each of the five women – Stephanie Seymour, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz and Naomi Campbell – were noted muse's, friends, and frequent subjects of the photographer's fashion and fine art work. The photograph is one of the original images that ushered in the 1990s pop-cultural phenomenon of the supermodel. More on this photograph

‘I enjoy shooting women as feminine objects. There's a sensitivity to the photographs. Many times they're stripped down to the elements, as in the picture of the five models together. They're not like what Lindbergh or Bruce Weber does. I enjoy women being women in my way, and they're still feminine. They're very much themselves.’ – Herb Ritts

Herbert "Herb" Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952 – December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director prolific for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture, which emphasized the human shape.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Ritts prominently photographed celebrities in various locales throughout California. Ritts' work with them ushered in the 1990s era of the supermodel and was consecrated by one of his most celebrated images, "Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood, 1989" taken for Rolling Stone Magazine. More on Herb Ritts




Please visit my other blogs: Art CollectorMythologyMarine ArtPortrait of a Lady, The OrientalistArt of the Nude and The Canals of VeniceMiddle East Artists365 Saints365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.


05 Photographs, The Art Of The Nude by Tomio Seike, with footnotes #205

Tomio Seike (Japanese, b. 1943)
Untitled, c. 1985
Gelatin silver
7 x 10-1/2 inches (17.8 x 26.7 cm).
Private collection

Sold for $500.00 in Apr 2020

Tomio Seik, (Japanese, b. 1943)
Tsz- 248-10, c. 1984
Toned gelatin silver
7-1/8 x 10-5/8 inches (18.1 x 27.0 cm)
Private collection

Sold for $1,500.00 in Apr 2020

Tomio Seike 
TSZ 198-36, c. 1984
Gelatin silver print
11¾ x 7 7/8in. (30.4 x 20.5cm.)
Private collection

Estimated for $2,500 USD - $3,500 USD in April 2011

TOMIO SEIKE (b. 1943)
Tsis 76-5; and Tsis 86-7, 1988
Gelatin silver prints, c. 1990-1991
5¾ x 4 3/8in. (14.5 x 11cm.); and 6 x 9in. (15.1 x 22.7cm.) (2)
Private collection

Estimated for $3,000 USD - $5,000 USD in February 2008

Tomio Seike was born 1943 in Tokyo. After finishing his studies at the Japan Photographic Academy in 1970, he started working as a photographer’s assistant. In 1975, he began to do freelance photography, working mostly in the fashion industry and as a portrait photographer. Seike makes his small-format sepia-toned prints so carefully that he regularly produces only four or five new images each year. Perhaps best known for his portrait series of artist Zoe Leonard, Seike also created a series of classic nudes, a study of Paris and, most recently, abstracted waterscapes.

Seike has been exhibiting his work worldwide since the early 1980s. He lives between Tokyo, London and Paris. More on Tomio Seike

Tomio Seike (Japanese, b. 1943)
Untitled #2, c. 1995
Toned gelatin silver, 1996
5-3/4 x 3-7/8 inches (14.6 x 9.8 cm)
Private collection

Sold for $1,062.50 in Apr 2020




Please visit my other blogs: Art CollectorMythologyMarine ArtPortrait of a Lady, The OrientalistArt of the Nude and The Canals of VeniceMiddle East Artists365 Saints365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

06 Photographs, The Art Of The Nude, Sante D´Orazio's Pamela Anderson, with footnotes #206

SANTE D'ORAZIO
Pamela Anderson, cover, January 2007
Gelatin silver print on silver paper
13½ x 10½in. (34.2 x 26.7cm.)
Private collection


Sold for USD 7,500 in Dec 2010

These images are from a series of photographs made at the Charles Lautner House in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles in the autumn of 2000.

Sante D'Orazio
Pamela Anderson, Hollywood, 2000 (Dollar Bill #1), c. 2000
Digital cibachrome print
39 by 33 1/2 in. 99 by 85 cm.
Private collection

Sold for 20,000 USD in May 2009

Beauty has all but gone from what's called fine art today, to be replaced by the cryptic joke, the kitsch koan, the Gordian knot of commerce. As the artist functions as the propagator of commodified elite ironies, who will perform the ancient sacred work of the Gods and the Goddesses?.... As I look at Pam up there on the wall I see something I know. Something fierce. I sense the presence of a Goddess. (Glenn O'Brien from Pam: American Icon, p.24)

SANTE D'ORAZIO (B. 1956)
Pam Anderson Hollywood Horizontal Dollar Bill #1
Digital cibachrome print
49½ x 58¼ in. (125.7 x 147.9 cm.)
Private collection

Sold for USD 12,500 in Sep 2009

SANTE D'ORAZIO, B. 1956
PAM ANDERSON, PROFILE #1
Digital chromogenic print
47 by 38 in. (119.4 by 96.5 cm.)
Private collection

Sold for GBP 10,625 in May 2008

Sante D’Orazio captures Pamela Anderson’s status as the ultimate American Icon: modern-day goddess, cult figure, activist, author, and crush of an entire generation. This photograph from “The Passion of Pam” is unapologetically Pam and unapologetically sexy. Star photographer Sante D’Orazio practices nude photography as an exploration of beauty, strength, and personality. More on these works

Sante D'ORAZIO (1956 -)
Pamela Anderson  
C Print
31 x 20.5 cm 
Private collection

Sold for €1,500 in Dec 2021

Sante D´ Orazio (23.01.1956, American)
Pamela Anderson 2000
Archival Pigment
Height: 40 in (101.6 cm)Width: 30 in (76.2 cm)
Private collection

Sante D'Orazio (American, b. January 23, 1956) is a Modern photographer. His interest in art began while studying fine arts at Brooklyn College. He also studied photography with Lou Bernstein (American, 1911–2005), a member of The New York Photo League, and worked under Philip Pearlstein (American, b.1924), an American Contemporary painter, from 1979 to 1980.

A bookworm until age 25, D'orazio began his career working for Italian Vogue in 1981, and was eventually noticed by Andy Warhol's Interview magazine. This led to a surplus of work involving renowned fashion magazines and business-related clients. His work revolves around a world of alluring celebrities in various stages of undress.

Other publications that have featured D'orazio's work include Vanity Fair, GQ, and Vogue. His pictures have been published in books and put on display in both the United States and Europe. 

Currently a photographer for Playboy, his book Barely Private stays true to his theme: a raw, uncensored look at the fashion industry. Featuring photos of celebrities such as Janet Jackson and Christina Aguilera, it is brimming with handwritten notes, creating a diary-like effect. D'orazio is slated to produce a third book entitled Barely Alive. More on Sante D'Orazio





Please visit my other blogs: Art CollectorMythologyMarine ArtPortrait of a Lady, The OrientalistArt of the Nude and The Canals of VeniceMiddle East Artists365 Saints365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.







10 works, The Art Of The Nude, MAN RAY's Kiki of Montparnasse, with footnotes #217

MAN RAY (1890-1976) Portrait de Kiki, c. 1923 Oil on canvas 24 1/8 x 18 in. (61.3 x 45.6 cm.) Private collection Sold for USD 1,623,000 in ...