Man Ray
American · 1890–1976 · Painter, Printmaker
Man Ray was an American-born, French-naturalized visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements,… (Wikipedia)
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3 works by Man Ray with an auction history (offered more than once) →
6 works by Man Ray coming up at auction · bid with the house ↓
Record prices
Reclining Nude with Satin SheetPhillips · $329,000≈ £222,854≈ €305,904Sign up to see
RayographPhillips · $300,000≈ £226,655≈ €255,254Sign up to see
Silent HarpPhillips · $187,050≈ £142,939≈ €162,370Sign up to see
Man Ray’s highest prices recorded at auction, ranked in US dollars at each sale-date exchange rate and shown in the currency of the sale (with the buyer’s premium where the house publishes it).
Coming up at auction
6 in forthcoming sales · bid with the house
Listed from the auction houses’ own websites; estimates are the houses’ own, not results.
ArtSell has recorded 556 auction results for Man Ray between 2001 and 2026, of which 476 sold (86%). A further 91 lots were offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $132Sign up free to see to $329kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $329kSign up free to see for Reclining Nude with Satin Sheet at Phillips in April 2015. The most common medium is photographs (155 lots). Most results come from Phillips (111), Rago Auctions (77) and Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (48).
557 results · page 1 of 14
- $1,664≈ £1,230≈ €1,437Sign up free to see
- On the Moon, 1967$576≈ £426≈ €498Sign up free to see
- Électricité, 1931$15,360≈ £11,472≈ €13,384Sign up free to see
- Untitled (from Surrealism between Two Wars: International Anthology of Contemporary Engraving), 1966$832≈ £622≈ €729Sign up free to see
- $1,792≈ £1,326≈ €1,563Sign up free to see
- €500≈ $572≈ £429Sign up free to see
- Objet indestructible, 1923/65€33,540≈ $38,796≈ £28,948Sign up free to see
- Peinture naturelle, 1966$23,040≈ £17,217≈ €19,967Sign up free to see
- $2,048≈ £1,528≈ €1,770Sign up free to see
- Le telephone rose, 1977$896≈ £666≈ €771Sign up free to see
Also offered, result not published (91)
Lots by Man Ray that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.
Man Ray paintings (15)Man Ray acrylic paintings (5)Man Ray mixed media (5)Man Ray works on paper (32)Man Ray watercolors (4)Man Ray drawings (18)Man Ray prints (204)Man Ray etchings (48)Man Ray engravings (3)Man Ray aquatints (8)Man Ray lithographs (72)Man Ray screenprints (23)Man Ray multiples (14)Man Ray photographs (155)Man Ray sculpture (44)
Man Ray: quick facts
What is the highest price paid for a work by Man Ray at auction?
$329,000Sign up free to see, for Reclining Nude with Satin Sheet at Phillips (April 2015) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.
What is a typical auction price for Man Ray?
The median sale price is $2.2kSign up free to see across 475 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.
How many works by Man Ray have sold at auction?
476 of 556 recorded lots sold between 2001 and 2026. 91 further lots were offered with no published result and are not counted.
Which auction houses sell Man Ray?
Phillips, Rago Auctions and Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) account for the most recorded results. Phillips · Rago Auctions · Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA)
Man Ray signature
163 catalogued lots by Man Ray record a signature line. The most common placement is lower right (45% of lots that state a placement). Most often: signed.
Placement
Form
Signed, titled and dated "man Ray 1943 “Silent Harp”" on the reverse
— Silent Harp, Phillips, Nov 21, 2025Signed and dated 'Man Ray 52' lower left
— Composition, Phillips, Jun 27, 2024Edition: 13/30; signed lower right: Man Ray; numbered lower left: XIII/XXX; inscribed verso: Portrait imaginaire [illeg.] de Sade
— Marquis de Sade 1970, Menzies, Aug 30, 2023
About Man Ray
Man Ray was an American-born, French-naturalized visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. 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 a photography innovator as well as a fashion and portrait photographer, and is noted for his work with photograms, which he called "rayographs" in reference to himself.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
In museum collections
Landscape (Paysage Fauve), 1913
Smithsonian American Art Museum · Public domainMan Ray 1914, 1914
National Galleries Scotland · Public domain
_Landscape_(Paysage_Fauve)_-_Smithsonian_American_Art_Museum.jpg)
