Christie’s is auctioning a treasure trove of works by Surrealist Man Ray – that are a part of the collection of one of the people who knew him the most, his long-time assistant Lucien Treillard. With black and white contact prints, rayograms, drawings, and an assemblage of objects – that no Surrealist worth his salt can do without – this significant sale is estimated at €3 million.

LOT 48 - Man Ray - Jean Cocteau, 1922. Gelatin and silver print

On March 2, 2021 at 2pm at auction giant Christie’s Paris headquarters, the hammer will go down on one of the most exciting sales for fans of surrealism, a treasure trove of Surrealist art works by one of the greatest Surrealists of all time, Man Ray. This collection, entitled Man Ray and the Surrealists, Collection Lucien and Edmonde Treillard, comes from the estate of his long-time assistant, Lucien Treillard (who passed away in 2003).

This exceptional sale, consisting of 203 lots for a total estimate of nearly €3 million, will highlight the world of Man Ray – ethereal photos of ladies of the haute societe, plus personalities that formed a part of Man Ray’s impressive roster of friends, such as Dora Maar, the legendary Pablo Picasso, and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. These come through the unique collection of the man who worked alongside him until the end of his life: Lucien Treillard.

His mission also led him to organize Man Ray's first monographic exhibitions such as the one at the Photokina in Cologne, Germany, and the one at the National Library in 1962. This sale at Christie's, composed of objects, assemblages, photographs, and lithographs from his collection, offers a complete and unique panorama of Man Ray's creations.

In 1960, Lucien Treillard became Man Ray's assistant, following in the footsteps of illustrious predecessors such as Berenice Abbott, Jacques-André Boiffard, Bill Brandt, and Lee Miller. His role, central to the artist's career, was above all to promote Man Ray's work. Alongside Juliet, the artist's companion, Lucien Treillard continued his efforts to promote Man Ray's art even after the artist's death.

LOT 58 - Man Ray - Pablo Picasso, 1924

A group of 97 photographs will be presented in this sale. These delightful works, most of which are contact prints, illustrate the diversity of Man Ray’s practice. Images of iconic personalities such as Lee Miller, Marcel Duchamp, Jean Cocteau, or Dora Maar are displayed alongside portraits of many artists such as Dali and Gala (estimated €5,000-7,000), Pablo Picasso (estimated €8,000-10,000) or Max Ernst.

Themes important to Man Ray will be represented, like his Objets Mathématiques, the mannequins de l'Exposition Internationale from 1938 or prints from the film L'Étoile de mer (1928) and the series Érotique voilée (estimate €50,000- 70,000).

LOT 135 - Sans titre, 1959. gelatin silver print, rayograph

Light will also be shed on the diversity of techniques used by the artist. The rayogram (or rayograph), discovered by accident by Man Ray in 1922, is obtained by placing objects on a photosensitive surface and then exposing it directly to light, without a camera. This process, which fascinates and inspires the surrealist avant-garde, will be illustrated in the Alphabet pour Adultes (estimate €80,000-100,000). This model, consisting of 12 rayograms and 13 original drawings each representing a letter of the alphabet, will be one of the highlights of this sale.

LOT 96 - Man Ray - Les doigts d'amour de Main Ray, la ligne, la couleur, la forme, l'espace, l'air, 1951

Similarly, Les doigts d’amour de Main Ray, 1951 (estimate €50,000-70,000) is a unique rayogram honouring the technique that bears his name. The Primate of Matter over Thought, 1931 is the result of a solarization process and will be one of the much-awaited lots in this sale.

LOT 99 - Man Ray - Mr. Knife and Miss Fork (answers all the wishes of René Crevel) (Monsieur Couteau et Mademoiselle Fourchette (comble tous les voeux de René Crevel)

As to objects and assemblages, underlining the humour and mythical character of Man Ray’s work, will also be offered at this sale. These objects, with Man Ray referred to as “objects of my affection”, illustrate the treasures of creativity that the artist uses in the conception of his universe. According to his doctrine, “everything is possible from nothing”. Thus the 1971 version of Object to be destroyed – Perpetual Motif is no exception to the rule, and features a metronome whose pendulum is adorned with a photograph of Lee Miller’s eye, printed on optical paper (estimate €25,000-35,000). Similarly, between fantasy and simplicity, the essay by Mr Knife and Miss Fork consists of a silver-plated metal knife and fork with wooden beads and braided cotton net mounted on a wooden panel (estimate €10,000-15,000).

LOT 103 - Man Ray - À quoi rêvent les jeunes (What Young People Dream About)

Exceptional works also stand out from his selection. Among them, A quoi rêvent les jeunes (What Young People Dream About) from 1953 (estimate €50,000-70,000) – simple painted glass plates mounted on a wooden frame; or one of the seven copies of La Poire d’Erik Satie (estimate €20,000-30,000), published in 1973, which is part of his continuity. In 1973, Sarane Alexandrian aptly wrote about these objects and assemblages: “So many remarkable creations (…) born to correct morals while decorating pragmatic reasoning or flouting arrogant pretensions.”

LOT 27 - Marcel Duchamp ou De ou par Marcel Duchamp ou Rrose Sélavy (La Boîte-en-valise), série E-300000

There’s also something for Marcel Duchamp buffs, who was a friend of Man Ray, and one of the biggest names in Surrealism. Lot 27, or the ‘Boite en Valise’, signed 'Marcel Duchamp' (on the inside), is a dark green imitation leather covered wooden and cardboard box containing 68 miniature replicas and reproductions of works by Marcel Duchamp, and measuring 16 x15 x3 in. It was conceived between 1935 and 1940 (estimated €200,000-300,000), and contains such delights as a miniature version of Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain (1917) – the porcelain urinal that perhaps forever changed the way modern art is looked at today.

LOT 169 - Man Ray - Sans titre, 1959. gelatin silver print, rayograph

The Lucien and Edmonde Treillard collection will also offer a section dedicated to books and manuscripts. This selection will include one of the very first books illustrated by Man Ray, A Book of Divers Writings by Adon Lacroix. Designed and published by Man Ray, (estimated €80,000-120,000) printed by Man Ray himself in January 1915 and composed of poems by his first wife Adon Lacroix. Of legendary rarity, it was printed in very few copies - perhaps twenty. It is signed by Man Ray and dedicated by Lacroix to her first husband, the sculptor Adolf Wolff. Only three other copies are currently listed and all belong to institutions: the Schwartz copy in the Israel Museum, Man Ray's personal copy in the Georges Pompidou Centre, and finally the Arensberg copy in the Philadelphia Museum. The sale also features Man Ray's archives, his draft articles and amusing and friendly postcards addressed to Man Ray by Picasso, Duchamp, Ernst, Eluard, Miro, Breton, and many others (ill. opposite, estimate €1,500- 2000).

(Man Ray and the surrealists. Collection Lucien and Edmonde Treillard: 2 March 2021 - 2pm Exhibition from 25 February to 2 March from 10 am to 6 pm 9, avenue Matignon 75008 Paris)