Lee MillerAmerican, 1907–1977Man Ray Shaving
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Not receiving at present
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
Lee Miller and Man Ray met when she moved from New York to Paris. They were lovers, and she was also his assistant. A war correspondent, photographer, and model, Lee Miller ran her own portrait studios in both Paris and New York before relocating to London just before the beginning of World War II (1939-45).
This photograph of Miller was made at the beginning of their affair, when she was twenty-three years old. Seated on a bed surrounded by soft sheets and bathed in a soft overhead light, Man Ray produces a tender study of Miller, her beauty reminiscent of Baroque (a style of art and architecture of the 1600s to the late 1700s Europe, characterized by ornate details) representations of the goddess Venus.
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Miller captures Man Ray in a sharp silhouette, the dark outline of his face creating a harsh contrast to the white shaving cream. His calm expression and strong profile create an image that would feel at home on the side of a coin. This stoic portrait is softened however, by the fact that he is caught in the act of shaving, which may make the photo seem more intimate and approachable.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 2006.86.7
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — Copyright © Lee Miller Archives
Meanwhile, in the life of Lee Miller
The whole life1932–1934 · Workplace
New York City
1934
Abandons her studio for Egypt
In 1934 Miller abandoned her studio to marry the Egyptian businessman and engineer Aziz Eloui Bey, who had come to New York to buy equipment for the Egyptian National Railways, and moved with him to Egypt.
1934
Married: Aziz Eloui Bey
1934–1937 · Residence
Cairo
1937
Back in Paris, she meets Roland Penrose
By 1937 Miller had grown bored with life in Cairo. Returning to Paris, she went to a party on the very day she arrived, where she made up with Man Ray and met the British Surrealist painter and curator Roland Penrose, her future husband; they soon became lovers.
1937
Picasso paints her portrait
Miller grew close to Picasso, and in 1937 he painted her portrait.
