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Description
Lee Miller (1907-1977). Man Ray Shaving, ca.1929. Gelatin silver print, printed 2004, pencil-signed by Anthony Penrose, the photographer's son, with Lee Miller Archive stamp verso, 21.3 x 13.8cm (8 3/8 x 5 3/8in). Very good condition - original lee Millers archives blindstamp -  passe partout measurements: 50x40cm 
Provenance: collectie ben van Meerendonk. 

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.
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.



Born in 1907 in Poughkeepsie, New York, Lee Miller was exposed to photography at an early age. Her father Theodore Miller was an engineer and amateur photographer who taught Miller both the technical and creative aspects of photography. After attending Vassar College, Miller began modeling in the 1920s when she was discovered by Condé Nast, the publisher of Vogue. She soon became a sought-after model and muse for high-profile fashion photographers.  

Growing discontent with life in front of the camera, Miller moved to Paris in 1929 where she began studying photography with Surrealist artist Man Ray. They developed a romantic relationship and collaborated closely. Together, they innovated techniques and created art that explored themes of the subconscious mind through unexpected imagery. A 1930 portrait of Lee Miller taken by Man Ray is part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery collection. 



Miller died from cancer in 1977, and her son Anthony Penrose has been an instrumental force behind the preservation of her photographs and legacy. Several years after Miller’s death, Penrose and his late wife Suzanna created the Lee Miller Archives to catalog and display the attic full of unpublished material Miller left behind. His first book, The Lives of Lee Miller, has been adapted into a major motion picture, Lee, starring Kate Winslet as Lee Miller.

Gelatin-silver print - Studio stamp - 2004

Lee Miller - Man Ray shaving

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Lee Miller - Man Ray shaving

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