An Artists' Colony Atop the Palisades

The 1913 Armory Show in New York marked a pivotal moment for Man Ray. There, he encountered the radical works of European modernists like Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia, who were boldly experimenting with materials and techniques. This exposure profoundly influenced his artistic direction.

That same year, Ray moved out of his family home in New Jersey to a four-bedroom house atop the Palisades, which he rented with fellow artist Samuel Halpert. The spacious home allowed them to work on larger, more ambitious canvases and soon evolved into a vibrant artist’s colony known as Ridgefield. It attracted an array of creatives, including poet Alfred Kreymborg, who famously arrived “with a mandolin hung on his back”. Kreymborg, a writer, musician, and chess player, was one of many who contributed to the intellectual and creative energy of the house.

Inspired by this community, his wife Donna - who served as both muse and model - and the groundbreaking European art he had encountered at the Armory Show, Man Ray recalled the winter of 1913–1914 in Ridgefield:

“The winter of 1913–1914 passed uneventfully as far as outside appearances were concerned; inside our little house there was great activity. I started a series of larger canvases, compositions of slightly Cubistic figures, yet very colourful, in contrast to the almost monochromatic Cubistic paintings I had seen at the international show in the Armory.” Man Ray, Self Portrait,1963 (Penguin Classics, 2012) p. 45

A Design for a One-Man Exhibition

In 1915, Charles Daniel established the Daniel Gallery in New York and gave Man Ray his first solo exhibition. Reflecting on the lead-up to this milestone, Ray wrote:

“I had redoubled my efforts and by July had produced a dozen presentable works. These were fair-sized canvases, but I started a larger one, three by six feet, on a specially prepared canvas to make it look like a fresco painting, which was first to fill a space in our living room.” Man Ray, Self Portrait,1963 (Penguin Classics, 2012) p. 49

It is quite possible that the present work was a design for this one-man exhibition in New York signifying an important moment in Man Ray’s early career as an artist.

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Auction Details

Thursday 10 July, 10,30am BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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