Born Emmanuel Radnitzky, Man Ray was an American modern artist known for his contributions to the Dada and Surrealist movements. He is best known for his photography, especially in fashion and portraiture. Warhol was introduced to Man Ray by the Italian art dealer, Luciano Anselmino. Man Ray 149 is one of the many images that Warhol captured of the iconic artist before Man Ray’s death. It is believed that Warhol was inspired and influenced by Man Ray, making it clear why he was chosen to join Warhol’s collection of portrait subjects. His portrait of the celebrated artist is one that commemorates Ray for his artistic genius and impact on Warhol’s own development as an artist. This print of Man Ray is completely identical to Man Ray 148, except for the prints dimensions and the paper it was printed on.
Man Ray 149 by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
This portrait was for an exhibition of Warhol’s work in 1974 at the Galleria Il Fauno in Milan. Warhol accepted commissions to paint the rich and famous, but he also enjoyed creating portraits of people he admired. Man Ray was one of Warhol’s heroes, and the creation of Man Ray 149 was Warhol’s way of showing his admiration.
Photo credit: Andy Warhol and Man Ray, 1973. Courtesy of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by DACS/Artimage, London.
