Le Violon d'Ingres (French for Ingres's Violin) is a black-and-white photograph created by American visual artist Man Ray in 1924. It is one of his best-known photographs and of surrealist photography. The picture was first published in the Surrealist magazine Littérature in June 1924.[1][2] It shows model Kiki de Montparnasse from the back, nude to below her waist, with two f-holes painted on to make her body resemble a violin.
The photograph takes its name from a popular French expression, le violon d'Ingres, which means a hobby, in reference to the fact that the French neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres used to play the violin as a pastime when he was not painting. Man Ray admired Ingres's work and he drew inspiration from his painting The Valpinçon Bather (1808) for this photograph.
He had his model and then lover Kiki de Montparnasse pose for him. In a first photograph, Étude pour Le Violon d'Ingres, she is seen of profile, with her face and breasts visible.[3] In the final picture, she is depicted in a similar way to the female model of Ingres, nude and seated, looking slightly to her left, seen from the back and with an oriental inspired turban. Her arms are not visible. After the photograph was developed, he painted on a print the f-holes of a violin onto her back, and had the print rephotographed, creating the present work of art.[4]
The title humorously shows Ray's goal of depicting the model's torso as a musical instrument, and plays with the fact that she was the artist's model and lover at the same time.[5]
Kirsten Hoving Powell stated on the photograph: "Le Violon d'Ingres is a complex photograph that demonstrates Man Ray's long‐standing admiration for Ingres, as well as his desire to mock tradition. Man Ray's distortion and deformation of the model's body engage Surrealist concepts of metamorphosis and formlessness, but they also belong to a larger context of fascination for Ingres's manipulations of anatomy during the interwar period, as seen in the writings of critics such as André Lhote."[6]
Art market
An original print of Le Violon d'Ingres set a new record for the most expensive photograph when it sold for $12,400,000, on 14 May 2022, at Christie'sNew York.[7]
^Powell, Kirsten Hoving (February 9, 2000). "Le Violon d'Ingres: Man Ray's Variations on Ingres, Deformation, Desire and de Sade". Art History. 23 (5): 772–799. doi:10.1111/1467-8365.00243 – via Wiley Online Library.
^Man Ray’s Famed Photograph of Kiki de Montparnasse Sells for Record $12.4 M.
violon, ingres, french, ingres, violin, black, white, photograph, created, american, visual, artist, 1924, best, known, photographs, surrealist, photography, picture, first, published, surrealist, magazine, littérature, june, 1924, shows, model, kiki, montparn. Le Violon d Ingres French for Ingres s Violin is a black and white photograph created by American visual artist Man Ray in 1924 It is one of his best known photographs and of surrealist photography The picture was first published in the Surrealist magazine Litterature in June 1924 1 2 It shows model Kiki de Montparnasse from the back nude to below her waist with two f holes painted on to make her body resemble a violin Le Violon d IngresEnglish Ingres s ViolinArtistMan RayCompletion date1924Catalogue86 XM 626 10MediumGelatin silver printSubjectAlice PrinDimensions29 6 cm 22 7 cm 11 625 in 8 9375 in LocationJ Paul Getty Museum Los AngelesWebsitewww wbr getty wbr edu wbr art wbr collection wbr object wbr 104E4A Contents 1 Analysis 2 Art market 3 Public collections 4 See also 5 ReferencesAnalysis EditThe photograph takes its name from a popular French expression le violon d Ingres which means a hobby in reference to the fact that the French neoclassical painter Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres used to play the violin as a pastime when he was not painting Man Ray admired Ingres s work and he drew inspiration from his painting The Valpincon Bather 1808 for this photograph He had his model and then lover Kiki de Montparnasse pose for him In a first photograph Etude pour Le Violon d Ingres she is seen of profile with her face and breasts visible 3 In the final picture she is depicted in a similar way to the female model of Ingres nude and seated looking slightly to her left seen from the back and with an oriental inspired turban Her arms are not visible After the photograph was developed he painted on a print the f holes of a violin onto her back and had the print rephotographed creating the present work of art 4 The title humorously shows Ray s goal of depicting the model s torso as a musical instrument and plays with the fact that she was the artist s model and lover at the same time 5 Kirsten Hoving Powell stated on the photograph Le Violon d Ingres is a complex photograph that demonstrates Man Ray s long standing admiration for Ingres as well as his desire to mock tradition Man Ray s distortion and deformation of the model s body engage Surrealist concepts of metamorphosis and formlessness but they also belong to a larger context of fascination for Ingres s manipulations of anatomy during the interwar period as seen in the writings of critics such as Andre Lhote 6 Art market EditAn original print of Le Violon d Ingres set a new record for the most expensive photograph when it sold for 12 400 000 on 14 May 2022 at Christie s New York 7 Public collections EditThere are prints of the photograph at the Musee National d Art Moderne in Paris and at the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles 8 4 See also EditList of most expensive photographs List of photographs considered the most importantReferences Edit Ingre s Violin 1924 by Man Ray www manray net Man Ray Le Violon d Ingres 1924 LUMAS Etude pour Le Violon d Ingres Centre Pompidou a b Le Violon d Ingres Ingres s Violin Getty Museum The J Paul Getty in Los Angeles Man Ray Artworks amp Famous Art The Art Story Powell Kirsten Hoving February 9 2000 Le Violon d Ingres Man Ray s Variations on Ingres Deformation Desire and de Sade Art History 23 5 772 799 doi 10 1111 1467 8365 00243 via Wiley Online Library Man Ray s Famed Photograph of Kiki de Montparnasse Sells for Record 12 4 M Le Violon d Ingres Centre Pompidou Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Le Violon d 27Ingres amp oldid 1170162295, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
