the famous photo “Le Violon d’Ingres”in man rayis about to make history as the most expensive photograph ever sold in a auction.
The black and white image, taken in 1924 by the American surrealist artist, transforms a woman’s naked body into a violin, overlaying the image of her back with holes.
The original print of the masterpiece, widely considered to be Man Ray’s most famous work, is expected to fetch between $5 million and $7 million when it goes up for auction at Christie’s in May – the highest estimate for a single photograph in history, second for the auction house.
Ray, born Emmanuel Radnitzky, lived from 1890 to 1976. He was a key member of the Dada and Surrealist movements and his “Le Violon d’Ingres” is the top lot to be offered from the collection of Rosalind Gersten Jacobs and Melvin Jacobs, executives of retail and art collectors who had ties to the Surrealist movement.
According to the auction house, the New York couple acquired the piece from Ray in 1962 and it will be sold alongside other works of art, including photographs, jewelry and posters, from their art collection accumulated over decades.
Jacobs, former chairman and CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue, died in 1993 at age 67. His wife Rosalind Gersten Jacobs, a longtime executive at Macy’s, died in 2019 at the age of 94. The couple’s daughter, Peggy Jacobs Bader, said in a statement that each piece in the collection “has a unique and intimate story behind it” and reflects the “joyful spirit of my parents’ relationship.”
Darius Himes, international head of photography at Christie’s, called the photo “one of the most iconic works of the 20th century.” “This seductive surrealist image is the result of a unique, hand-manipulated darkroom process.”
He added: “The scope and influence of the image, at once romantic, mysterious, mischievous and playful, has captured everyone’s minds for nearly 100 years. As a photographic work, it is unprecedented in the market.”
Other standout pieces being sold include the Vija Celmins Mars, which is estimated at between $1,800,000 and $2,500,000.
The current record for a photograph sold at auction is Andreas Gursky’s Rhine II, which was sold by Christie’s for a staggering $4.3 million in 2011.
Source: CNN Brasil
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