Man Ray, Gift

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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647lots offered2001–2026years recorded86%sold (476)$2.2kSign up free to seemedian price

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

  1. Man Ray, Reclining Nude with Satin Sheet, 1935, Gelatin silver printReclining Nude with Satin SheetPhillips · $329,000≈ £222,854≈ €305,904Sign up to see
  2. Man Ray, Rayograph, 1922, Unique gelatin silver printRayographPhillips · $300,000≈ £226,655≈ €255,254Sign up to see
  3. Man Ray, Silent Harp, 1943, violin neck, horsehair, varnished phonographic record, wooden ball and wooden lattice, mounted on boardSilent 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).

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  1. Man Ray, Monument I, 1962, lithograph in colors
    Monument I, 1962
    Lithograph · Paper
    22¾ h x 17⅜ w in (58 x 44 cm)
    Rago Auctions · · Lot 173
    $1,207≈ £904≈ €1,039Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $600–View at Rago Auctions ↗
  2. Man Ray, Cadeau, cast iron, steel tacks
    Cadeau
    cast iron, steel tacks
    6½ h x 4 w x 3¾ d in (17 x 10 x 10 cm)
    Rago Auctions · · Lot 220
    $5,080≈ £3,805≈ €4,371Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,200–View at Rago Auctions ↗
  3. Man Ray, Électricité, 1931, Paris: La Compagnie Parisienne de Distribution d'Électricité, 1931. Portfolio of 10 photogravures after Rayographs
    Électricité, 1931
    Etching
    Each 10 1/4 x 8 in. (26 x 20.3 cm) or the reverse Overall 15 1/4 x 11 1/4 in. (38.7 x 28.6 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 290
    $25,800≈ £19,294≈ €22,220Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $15,000–25,000View at Phillips ↗
  4. Man Ray, On the Moon, 1967, etching in colors on Lana
    On the Moon, 1967
    Etching
    17¾ h x 11¾ w in (45 x 30 cm)
    Rago Auctions · · Lot 216
    $826≈ £614≈ €704Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $300–View at Rago Auctions ↗
  5. Man Ray, Invasion de l'espace (for XXe Siècle No. 45), 1976, lithograph in colors
    Invasion de l'espace (for XXe Siècle No. 45), 1976
    Lithograph
    12¼ h x 9½ w in (31 x 24 cm)
    Rago Auctions · · Lot 252
    $132≈ £98≈ €112Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $200–View at Rago Auctions ↗
  6. Man Ray, Cadeau, cast iron, steel tacks
    Cadeau
    cast iron, steel tacks
    6½ h x 4 w x 3¾ d in (17 x 10 x 10 cm)
    Rago Auctions · · Lot 160
    $2,794≈ £2,078≈ €2,380Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,200–View at Rago Auctions ↗
  7. Man Ray, Compass, 1976, Multiple comprising wood painted in colours and plastic handgun replica, mounted (as issued)
    Compass, 1976
    Multiple · Panel · ed. EA
    framed 31.3 x 36.1 cm (12 3/8 x 14 1/4 in.)
    Phillips · · Lot 506
    £2,064≈ $2,795≈ €2,385Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £1,500–2,000View at Phillips ↗
  8. Man Ray, Incompris (Anselmino 39), 1962, Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
    Incompris (Anselmino 39), 1962
    Lithograph · Paper
    23 7/8 x 18 1/4in (60.6 x 46.4cm)
    Bonhams · · Lot 145
    $2,816≈ £2,081≈ €2,405Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $800–1,200View at Bonhams ↗
  9. Man Ray, La fortune, Litografía Bon à tirer
    La fortune
    Lithograph
    48.5 x 58.5 cm medidas de la imagen
    Morton Subastas · · Lot 262
    MX$18,000≈ $967≈ £716≈ €828HammerSign up free to seeEst. MX$15,000–26,000View at Morton Subastas ↗
  10. Man Ray, On the Moon, 1967, etching in colors on Lana
    On the Moon, 1967
    Etching
    17¾ h x 11¾ w in (45 x 30 cm)
    Rago Auctions · · Lot 209
    $762≈ £562≈ €652Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $300–View at Rago Auctions ↗
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 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

  • lower right15
  • in the margin5
  • in the plate4
  • on the reverse3
  • lower left3
  • on the base2

Form

  • signed106
  • signed in pencil18
  • signed and dated16
  • monogrammed12
  • initialled11
  • Signed, titled and dated "man Ray 1943 “Silent Harp”" on the reverse — Silent Harp, Phillips, Nov 21, 2025
  • Signed and dated 'Man Ray 52' lower left — Composition, Phillips, Jun 27, 2024
  • Edition: 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

Man Ray signature: all forms and examples →

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

  • Man Ray, Landscape (Paysage Fauve)Landscape (Paysage Fauve), 1913
    Smithsonian American Art Museum · Public domain
  • Man Ray, Man Ray 1914Man Ray 1914, 1914
    National Galleries Scotland · Public domain

Biography and museum images →

Related artists — American, born 1865–1915

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