Page 23 - The MoMA/ Guggenheim issue of World of Art magazine (2003)

THe GeTTY February 25¨- June 15, 2003
MUSe, MODeL, AND ARTiST
The iconic inFLuence oF Lee MiLLer aT The GeTTY

SurrealiSt MuSe
Lee MiLLer
roLand Penrose
Man raY

Lee Miller
american As muse, Miller was a rare
1907-1977 inspiration, equally comfortable
and forceful in front of and
Self-Portrait with Picasso behind the camera and canvas.
Paris, august 1944
gelatin silver print At the age of 19, she became a
lent by the lee miller archive model in New York where her
© the trustees of the lee miller archive, image, captured and composed
east sussex, england, 1999
by photographers Arnold Genthe,
edward Steichen, and George
Hoyningen-Huene, made her a
fashion icon. At 22, Miller began
working as a studio apprentice to
Man Ray in Paris. The relationship
soon evolved with Miller
becoming artistic collaborator
and muse. Some of Man Ray’s
most prominent images were
created between 1929 and 1932
with Miller’s assistance. Through
Man Ray, Miller was introduced
to the writers and artists of the
Surrealist movement. Miller’s
membership in this vibrant
community sparked a cross-
pollination of influences that
infused Surrealist traditions
into her work. Her impact was
also felt by other artists in the
group, including Picasso, who
painted his vision of Miller in
five portraits, one of which is
on display.Miller’s influence
is perhaps most keenly felt in
the works of her two closest
collaborators - Man Ray and
Roland Penrose. Both interpreted
and reinterpreted Miller’s image

WORLD of ART 21