Man Ray – Opus International (1970)
Original hand-signed etching with autograph dedication to David Beccaria: “à David de la première cuvée” (“To David from the first vintage”)

This striking etching by Man Ray was created for Opus International's landmark double issue no. 19/20, dedicated to Surrealism and published on November 30, 1970. The print before us is an artist’s proof (épreuve d’artiste), personalized with a handwritten dedication: “à David de la première cuvée” – “To David from the first vintage” – underscoring its early provenance and the personal bond between the artist and the dedicatee.

A delicate female figure stands at the center, her silhouette delicately hand-traced by the artist in red pastel, which boldly separates the body from the surrounding field of energetic black linear marks. This vivid intervention creates a powerful contrast between the fluidity of the form and the surrounding abstract space, evoking the tension between sensuality and structure — a hallmark of Surrealist expression. The red pastel line lends the figure a sense of immediacy and vibrancy, transforming the print into a singular, hand-embellished work of art.

• Original etching on wove paper, with red pastel outline by the artist
• Hand-signed in pencil (lower right)
• Autograph dedication in pencil (lower left)
• Edition of 100 copies and 20 artist’s proofs, annotated E.A., with wide margins
• Printed by: Atelier Georges Visat, Paris
• Published by: Georges Fall, Paris
• Year: 1970
• Size: 12.2 x 9.4 in (31 x 24 cm), sheet 15.7 x 13.4 in (40 x 34 cm)
• Condition: Small stains, foxing, and a pinhole in the upper right corner
• Unframed

Provenance:
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. David Beccaria, ice cream makers in Nice and friends of the artists.

• Reference: Anselmino 37