The cover of the Number 1 in June 1933 is not realized by a surrealist but by Picasso. He certainly had the magazine in mind when he watched with Olga in 1934 the corrida that triggered his Minotauromachie.
Although photography is not the main topics of the magazine, Minotaure is a fertile field of experiments for surrealist photography, publishing through its thirteen issues from 1933 to 1939 the daring images by Man Ray, Brassaï and Bellmer.
Man Ray combines humor and sex. His 1929 Anatomies series silhouetting in phallus the head of Lee Miller anticipate by three years the painting Le Rêve by Picasso.
The Number 7 of June, 1935 whose cover is by Miro displays above the content list the photo of a minotaur's head by Man Ray. This is a female nude on a black background obscuring head and hands. The breasts form the eyes, the torso shapes the muzzle, the elbows create the curvature of the horns and hairs under arms are the ears.
Only one photographic print of this image is known, in 15 x 24 cm. A date at 36 was probably inscribed later because the stamp bears the address of the workshop used by Man Ray until the summer of 1935. The picture is divided by a midline hairline crease which is an invitation to print on a double page, unrealized : apart from Minotaure Number 7 no other use in period is known.
This iconic example of surrealist photography is estimated $ 150K for sale by Sotheby's in New York on April 10, lot 133.
SOLD for $ 175K including premium
Our 10 April Photographs sale in #NYC presents several works making their first appearance at auction as well as objects with extraordinary artist provenance. Click ahead to see one-of-a-kind Photographs by Warhol, Man Ray & more:
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) March 16, 2018
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