Man Ray's Photographic Study of Mathematical Models from 1934-1936

Surrealist artist Man Ray produced a series of thirty-one photographs between 1934 and 1936, depicting three-dimensional mathematical models from the 19th century housed at the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris. Inspired by these geometric forms after being introduced to them by Max Ernst, Ray captured the objects in stark black-and-white compositions, isolating them from context. Twelve images were published in 1936 in the journal 'Les Cahiers d'Art' to accompany articles by Christian Zervos and André Breton. Ray's focus was not on the mathematical principles but on the tactile, anthropomorphic qualities of the forms, treating the series as an exploration of photographic technique. The works were exhibited in 1936 at the New Burlington Gallery in London and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York from 1936 to 1937. Ray later revisited the photographs in 1948, creating a painting series titled 'The Shakespearean Equations' after fleeing France during World War II.