Editioned Photography Picnic Mougins by Lee Miller

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A black and white photograph by Lee Miller (American, 1907-1977) entitled "Picnic, Mougins". This iconic image was taken in 1937 … Read more A black and white photograph by Lee Miller (American, 1907-1977) entitled "Picnic, Mougins". This iconic image was taken in 1937 in the village of Mougins with nearby Île Sainte-Marguerite in Southern France, where a group of bohemian surrealism artists lingered for a sun-drenched picnic gathering. The group frequented the place and often socialized with Picasso who had his studio in the village. The image caught a fleeting historical moment and the carefree spirit of the avant-garde circle before the outbreak of Second World War. From left to right around the table, the sitters were Nusch Éluard: a French artist, performer, and prominent Surrealist muse; Paul Éluard: a French poet and co-founder of the Surrealist movement; Sir Roland Penrose: an English Surrealist painter, art collector, and Miller's then lover and husband years later; Man Ray: a renowned American avant-garde photographer, artist, and Miller's former mentor and lover; Casimir Joseph Adrienne ("Ady") Fidelin: a French-Guadeloupean dancer, model, and Man Ray's lover at the time. Lee Miller, as the photographer, wasn't in the frame.
The sunny Southern-France, the casual nudity with a touch of hedonism, a mixture of prominent personalities and their free spirit were all captured in this moment. Idyllic and ideal, the bohemians wouldn't have foreseen the cruelty of the incoming war that savaged Europe. It certainly drastically changed the course of Lee Miller's life, both professionally and personally.
The photography was taken in 1937. The Gelatin Silver print was issued in 1985 for an edition of 100 under the supervision of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose's son Antony Penrose. The print is no 5 of 100.
The print sheet is 12" x 15", and the image size is 9.825"x9.825". It was housed in a simple black wood frame under the glass.
A copy of this photograph is in the permanent collection of National Portrait Gallery London (NPG x137400). See less