Gazette Drouot - C apencheres

THE MAGAZINE UPCOMING AUCTIONS
50 GAZETTE DROUOT INTERNATIONAL I N° 19
17 November
For its Paris date with photography, Christie's has assembled a
fine collection of 175 photos by Eugène Atget, Brassaï, Cartier-
Bresson, Nabil and Lachapelle. But the real star of the sale is
none other than Man Ray. Those who collect him can acquire a
number of his works, including this 1929 solarised silver halide
print, "Le Primat de la matière sur la pensée", which comes from
a Japanese collection. It was part of the former Julien Lévy collection.
This portrait of the artist Meret Oppenheim demonstrates
how important photography was in the expression of Surrealist
ideas. With the solarisation process, Man Ray succeeds in creating
the special Surreal effects sought by Breton's troupe. Estimated
at €180,000/220,000, this print will be seen alongside
another print by the artist: a photograph of Modigliani's death
mask dating from 1929-1930 (€100,000/150,000).
18 November
The Bisson brothers earned their place in the
pantheon of photography alongside Nadar, Le Gray,
Baldus and Nègre. At its 1999 exhibition, this was
how the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
presented the work of the two brothers, well-known
for their views of mountains and architecture. From
the early 1840s, Louis-Auguste Bisson collaborated
with the Comité des Arts et Monuments at the
Ministry of Public Instruction. This view of "L'Arc de
Triomphe du carrousel du Louvre devant le Palais des
Tuileries" was possibly one of the series. The daguerreotype
here was produced early on in Bisson's career,
around 1840-1842; Daguerre's invention dates from
1839. Bisson continually improved it, and the following
>
year reduced the exposure time to one minute, thus easing photography into the lucrative portrait market.
We owe him one of Balzac in 1842. Estimated at €40,000/60,000, this daguerreotype ought to whet the appetite
of enthusiasts at the auction house Ader Nordman's Paris sale, especially as it will not be the only high point of the
event. Another star piece is a collection of thirty-two autochromes by Henri Manuel, showing designs by the
couturier Paul Poiret, costumes for the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, fabrics from the Maison Martine and various
perfume bottles. The whole set is kept in mahogany boxes (€30,000/50,000).