Man Ray estate urges delay to auction amid provenance questions
AN AUCTION devoted to Man Ray, the 20th century photographer, painter and filmmaker, was held yesterday by Christie’s Paris despite questions over provenance from the artist’s estate.
The Man Ray Trust, established by the American artist’s widow to protect his legacy and work, had called for the sale to be delayed while inquiries established how most of the lots came into the possession of Lucien Treillard, his part-time assistant, who died in 2004.
The trust raised “serious concerns to
Christie’s about the provenance and rightful ownership of the overwhelming majority of the works” in the auction, Man Ray and the Surrealists: Collection Lucien & Edmonde Treillard.
It said: “Edmonde Treillard, the wife of Lucien Treillard, does not have clear title to most of the works offered in this auction. Of the 188 lots offered at auction, the Man Ray Trust is questioning the ownership of 148.”
The trust added that the “timing of the auction, 30 years and 33 days after Juliet Man Ray’s death, raises suspicion due to the 30-year statute of limitations for raising issues of title under French law” and that it was “alarmed by the sheer scope and size of this sale, which offers not only fine photographs by Man Ray, but also unique contact prints, personal correspondence … and artworks by Marcel Duchamp and Max Ernst”.
The auction realised nearly €6million (£5.2million), more than three times the presale estimate.
Man Ray is revered for masterpieces such as Noire et Blanche, a striking work from 1926. In 2017, Christie’s Paris sold a print of it for €2.7million, breaking the world record paid for a photograph.
Christie’s insisted that it had carried out an extensive investigation, involving leading scholars, into the collection.
“We take issues over the provenance and authenticity of all work extremely seriously. We … would not offer any work for sale if we had any reason to think … that ownership could not pass freely to our buyers at auction,” it said.
“Nothing has been provided to us by the trust that would give grounds to challenge the legality of the sale.”
But after studying the auction catalogue at the trust’s request, Steven Manford, a leading scholar of Man Ray’s work, delivered a damning assessment.
He said: “Neither Christie’s nor Edmonde Treillard have provided any evidence of clear title to these works of art, nor to the personal items, such as notes and cards from many, including Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp.
“The Man Ray Trust believes that Edmonde Treillard does not have clear title to the overwhelming majority of the works offered in this auction and therefore is compelled to advise the public that it will be undertaking appropriate legal and other remedies to address this.”