Richard Blair Art

LE GRAY Gustave Villiers-le-Bel 1820 † 1884 Le Caire et MESTRAL Auguste Rans 1812 † 1884 id. Autoportrait de Gustave Le Gray. 1851. Photographie. 338 x 243 mm (épreuve). 450 x 314 mm (montage). Feuille montée sur vélin. Manque important en pied, atteignant la pointe de la veste du photographe. Quelques très légères et fines griffures en surface. Au dos du montage : 3 gravures anciennes, et marque de collection mauve, « L. BONGARD » (lugt non décrit). Épreuve sur papier salé, d’après un négatif papier ciré sec. Numéroté « 540 » dans le négatif, dans l’angle supérieur gauche. Marque des étaux bien visibles dans le négatif, dans l’angle supérieur droit, et dans l’angle inférieur gauche. De toute rareté. Une seule autre épreuve connue : Pierre Bergé & Associés, vente du 19 mars 2015, lot n°101. La mission héliographique : Au mois de mai 1851, Gustave Le Gray est délégué par la commission des Monuments historiques pour photographier une liste de monuments remarquables du sud-ouest de la France. D’autres figures pionnières de la photographie participent à cette vaste campagne de recensement, et doivent couvrir le reste du pays : Hippolyte Bayard, Henri Le Secq, Édouard Baldus et Auguste Mestral. Le Gray décide de fusionner son itinéraire avec celui de son élève et ami, Auguste Mestral. Entre juillet et octobre 1851, équipé d’une voiture et de deux chambres noires, le tandem sillonne le territoire de la Loire aux Pyrénées, du château de Chambord à la cité de Carcassonne. Les deux hommes, qui se connaissent depuis 1848, réalisent ensemble les prises de vue - et se présenteront d’ailleurs en tant que coauteurs devant la commission. Un champ d’expérimentation Pour Gustave Le Gray, qui vient de mettre au point le « négatif papier ciré sec », la mission héliographique est un champ d’expérimentation inespéré. Pendant trois mois, les photographes exécutent jusqu’à trente prises de vue par jour, une véritable prouesse rendue possible par l’invention de Le Gray. En effet, celle-ci dispense de maintenir humides les négatifs papier, facilitant considérablement le travail en extérieur. Les feuilles peuvent être préparées jusqu’à quinze jours à l’avance, et développées plusieurs heures après la prise de vue. « Tout le monde comprendra combien ce nouveau procédé facilite les opérations en voyage », écrit Le Gray. Méthodiques, les deux hommes numérotent les négatifs dans l’ordre chronologique. Cette numérotation, allant jusqu’à 605, témoigne d’une production soutenue et indépendante, débordant largement le cadre imposé par la commission des monuments historiques. Progressivement, le recensement scientifique s’accompagne de véritables digressions artistiques. Entre leur séjour à Carcassonne – point culminant du voyage – et leur retour à Paris, les « photographistes » s’autorisent de nombreux clichés personnels : des vues d’Amélie les Bain, du Pont Palaldas et du pont du Gard. Dans les Pyrénées-Orientales, les cloîtres gothiques d’Elne et d’Arles-sur-tech servent d’écrin à deux autoportraits de Gustave Le Gray. Le premier, réalisé à Elne, est aujourd’hui en mains privées (nous n’en avons trouvé aucune reproduction dans la littérature). Le second, pris très peu de temps après, n’est connu pour l’heure que par deux épreuves, dont celle que nous présentons. Un manifeste artistique Vêtu d’un costume noir de ville, Le Gray pose sous une arche gothique, jambes croisées et cigarette à la main. La blancheur insolente des guêtres, du chapeau et du col, accroche irrésistiblement l’œil du spectateur, et rehausse l’austère architecture médiévale d’une touche de modernité et de dandysme. L’élégance et la familiarité subtile de la mise en scène rappellent, dans leur esprit, d’autres portraits de Le Gray, habitué de compositions libres et volontiers énigmatiques – nous pensons ici à son fantomatique Autoportrait dans le miroir de la table de toilette de la duchesse de Parme, réalisé la même année, où le photographe parvient à capter son ombre fuyante dans un miroir. Contrairement à ses pairs, Le Gray s’est peu consacré au portrait, lui préférant le paysage. Il en a cependant maîtrisé tous les codes, et signé d’authentiques chefs-d’œuvre en la matière : citons ici le portrait rêveur et mélancolique du dramaturge Edmond Cottinet (1849), et celui du sculpteur Auguste Clésinger (1855), d’une vigueur éblouissante, qui fut longtemps donné à son élève Félix Nadar...

"Monument Valley" Black and White Photograph Stunning photograph of Monument Valley, Utah, by an unknown artist (20th Century). A gnarled, ...

Greta Garbo - Somber Head Shot by Clarence Sinclair Bull, 1931 1931 Black and white somber headshot photograph of Swedish/American actress Greta Garbo (Swedish, 1905-1990) by Clarence Sinclair Bull (American, 1896-1979). Greta Garbo gazes at the camera, her curled hair sits in front of her face. The background is black. A black and white photograph, matte finish, double-weight paper, depicting a 1931 shot of the star titled 'Mata Hari,' printed decades later from the original negative, penciled in the lower left corner "A.P.," Estate stamped and blind embossed in the lower right corner "Clarence Sinclair Bull," further blind embossed in same corner "The Kobal / Collection," verso with the photographer's black ink credit stamp, verso further with two "Edward Weston" black ink credit stamps dated "1981" and "1992," originally from the John Kobal Collection. Greta Garbo was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic characters, and her subtle and understated performances. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Garbo fifth on its list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema. Clarence Sinclair Bull was born in Sun River, Montana, in 1896. His career began when Samuel Goldwyn hired him in 1920 to photograph publicity stills of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio's stars. He is most famous for his photographs of Greta Garbo, taken between 1926 and 1941. Bull's first portrait of Garbo was a costume study for the silent romantic drama film Flesh and the Devil in September 1926. Bull was able to study with the great Western painter...

The picture belongs to a set of photographs which Kallay took in 1965 for a German book publisher in NYC.

Greta Garbo "Her Rise And Fall #2" - 1931 Photograph by Clarence Sinclair Bull A black and white photograph by Clarence Sinclair Bull (American, 1896-1979), matte finish, double-weight paper, depicting a 1931 shot of Swedish/American actress Greta Garbo (Swedish, 1905-1990) on the set of the film Susan Lenox (Her Fall And Rise) directed by Robert Z. Leonard. Greta Garbo poses in a hat, her hand resting on her face, while gazing into the camera. Printed decades later from the original negative, penciled in the lower left corner "A.P.," Estate stamped and blind embossed in the lower right corner "Clarence Sinclair Bull," further blind embossed in same corner "The Kobal / Collection," on verso with the photographer's black ink credit stamp and with "Edward Weston" black ink credit stamps dated "1981" and "1992," originally from the John Kobal Collection. Greta Garbo was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic characters, and her subtle and understated performances. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Garbo fifth on its list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema. Clarence Sinclair Bull was born in Sun River, Montana, in 1896. His career began when Samuel Goldwyn hired him in 1920 to photograph publicity stills of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio's stars. He is most famous for his photographs of Greta Garbo, taken between 1926 and 1941. Bull's first portrait of Garbo was a costume study for the silent romantic drama film Flesh and the Devil in September 1926. Bull was able to study with the great Western painter...

Greta Garbo - Black and White Photograph by Clarence Sinclair Bull, 1930 1930 Black and white portrait photograph of Swedish/American actress Greta Garbo (Swedish, 1905-1990) by Clarence Sinclair Bull (American, 1896-1979). Greta Garbo poses in a top hat and collard shirt while gazing away from the camera. Printed by the artist circa 1970's. A black and white photograph, matte finish, double-weight paper, depicting a 1931 shot of the star titled 'Mata Hari,' printed decades later from the original negative, pencilled in the lower left corner "A.P.," Estate stamped and blind embossed in the lower right corner "Clarence Sinclair Bull," further blind embossed in same corner "The Kobal / Collection," verso with the photographer's black ink credit stamp, verso further with two "Edward Weston" black ink credit stamps dated "1981" and "1992," originally from the John Kobal Collection. Greta Garbo was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic characters, and her subtle and understated performances. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Garbo fifth on its list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema. Clarence Sinclair Bull was born in Sun River, Montana, in 1896. His career began when Samuel Goldwyn hired him in 1920 to photograph publicity stills of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio's stars. He is most famous for his photographs of Greta Garbo, taken between 1926 and 1941. Bull's first portrait of Garbo was a costume study for the silent romantic drama film Flesh and the Devil in September 1926. Bull was able to study with the great Western painter...

Greta Garbo "Mata Hari" Film Photograph by Clarence Sinclair Bull, 1931 A black and white photograph, matte finish, double-weight paper, depicting a 1931 shot of the star titled 'Mata Hari,' printed decades later from the original negative, penciled in the lower left corner "A.P.," Estate stamped and blind embossed in the lower right corner "Clarence Sinclair Bull," further blind embossed in same corner "The Kobal / Collection," verso with the photographer's black ink credit stamp, verso further with two "Edward Weston" black ink credit stamps dated "1981" and "1992," originally from the John Kobal Collection. Greta Garbo was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic characters, and her subtle and understated performances. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Garbo fifth on its list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema. Clarence Sinclair Bull was born in Sun River, Montana, in 1896. His career began when Samuel Goldwyn hired him in 1920 to photograph publicity stills of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio's stars. He is most famous for his photographs of Greta Garbo, taken between 1926 and 1941. Bull's first portrait of Garbo was a costume study for the silent romantic drama film Flesh and the Devil in September 1926. Bull was able to study with the great Western...

Rick Hauser sees things “OverHead”, at “EyeLevel”, and “UnderFoot” as titled in his one-man shows. Rick is the owner and operator of The Framing Mill, a custom picture framing sto...

Photography done for the publication Mexico/Volk und Welt Berlin 1968/stamped on the back with authors stamp.

This image of George Harrison was taken at a 1966 Cleveland Ohio live Beatles concert. Photographer Michael Chikeris had just gotten out of the Mari...

This image of John Lennon was taken at a 1966 Cleveland Ohio live Beatles concert. Photographer Michael Chikeris had just gotten out of the Marines and got entry thru the stage door...

Photographic Fine Art Paper 325 g, ed. 4/7. Artwork can be shipped in a tube or in a crate if frame is requested Luca Battaglia is an Italian architect and photographer born in 1970...