(American, b. 1890) Born Emmanuel Radnitzky, Man Ray adopted his pseudonym in 1909 and would become one of the key figures of Dada and Surrealism. One of the few American artists associated with these movements, Ray was exposed to European avant-garde artists like Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque at Alfred Stieglitz’s New York gallery and at the 1913 Armory Show. Ray’s photographic works are considered his most profound achievement, particularly his portraits, fashion photographs, and technical experiments with the medium, such as solarization and rayographs (an eponym for his photograms), which were celebrated by the Surrealists. “I do not photograph nature,” he once said. “I photograph my visions.” In 1915 he was introduced to Marcel Duchamp, who would become a lifelong friend and influence; he subsequently moved to Paris, practicing there for over 20 years.
Man Ray met Juliet Browner in Hollywood, CA in 1940 on a blind date. The same year he painted this portrait. Juliet was the former girlfriend of Willem de Kooning, and she was an aspiring dancer and model. She became Man Ray’s muse, and six years later they had a joint wedding with artists Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning. Juliet was Man Ray’s last lover and closest friend. They remained married for thirty years until his passing in 1976. The portrait is only one of two known paintings of Juliet. It depicts her wearing a blue tunic, with her head of short, curly brown hair thrown back. He was enchanted with her beauty, but this portrait distills her features into a few key characteristics – emphasizing her posture. The portrait shows Juliet from the shoulders up with her eyes closed, which reflects the artist’s early fascination with her mind and spirit. The painting represents a pivotal moment for the artist: when he met the love of his life; the beginning of a bond that would shape Man Ray’s career and legacy.
