The Dada culture and art movement of the post-World War I era continues to fascinate collectors. Last week, collectors in Paris pushed bids on a photograph by one of Dada's main pioneers, Man Ray (1890-1976), to €20,625.
This was well above the artwork's €5,000 high presale estimate.
The piece in question was a photograph of a sculpture of the goddess Venus. Man Ray's original silver sculpture dates to 1936. It was constructed from mold plaster and rope, and then "mutilated" by the artist.
The photograph, taken by Man Ray, measures 16.2 x 11.5 cm and bears an "anonymous" handwritten inscription on its reverse.
 Man Ray's photograph of his 'goddess Venus' silver sculpture |
This photograph was previously exhibited at Kunsthalle Basel in Germany, which should add further to its desirability. The work has also been extensively cited in various respected books on the art of Man Ray and the Dada movement.
This isn't the first time that a Man Ray photograph has sold for tens of thousands at auction.
A gelatin silver print dating to the 1960s signed by the artist, 'Solarized Nude', brought $85,000 above its $30,000 high estimate in 2006.
