InscribedOn sheet verso, upper left, in pencil: "le combat de / Penthesilee / 1937 / montage solarise / cliche disponible"
MarkingsOn sheet verso, top, in pencil: "30 x 39.6cm / ↑";
On sheet verso, upper right corner, in pencil: "EXPO-CORCORAN";
On sheet verso, upper right, in black pen: "6 [circled]";
On sheet verso, bottom, in pencil: "6016 [circled]";
On sheet verso, lower left corner, in pencil: "779.002.3.13";
On sheet verso, lower right corner, in pencil: "13 [circled]"
DescriptionPhotomontage of numerous solarized prints photographed as a single unified image of mangled limbs from disfigured nude bodies grouped tightly together with overlapping abstract forms.Exhibition History
Unknown Paris Exhibition ca. 1937.
Departures;
Photography 1924-1989, Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, 2 November- 2
December, 1989, cat. no. 15.
Modern Alchemy: Experiments in Photography,
Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY, 6 December 2014- 15 March 2015.
Rotation 22. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art,
Kansas City, MO, August 10, 2016- January 8, 2017, no cat.
Gallery Label
This rare print by Raoul Ubac is part of a series that features Penthesilea, the mythic Amazonian queen. To represent the queen and her consort, Ubac took several photographs of his wife, Agathe, and a friend. He also made close-up images of Agathe’s hair, as well as sticks and other props. He then combined these components into one elaborate image. The final grouping recalls the sculptural qualities of Greek carving. A surrealist, Ubac sought to tap into subconscious symbols relating to fantasy and sexual desire.
Provenance
Alexander Novak, Chalfont, PA; his gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 1995.
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