"Le Violon d'Ingres" , Man Ray (1924)

This is a photograph, and the f-holes are painted on the woman's back. Man Ray was a Philadelphia born photographer, but was closely associated with European artists. He brought dadaism to New York. This piece is an example of a photo montage--it combines two media. One of the reasons it first caught my eye, and one of the reasons I think it is so beautiful is that it is so clean and simple. It is art that provokes thought without overwhelming the brain with loud colors and shapes. Her smooth white back, with a gentle curving silhouette, is the focus. It is remarkable how much it is shaped like a violin. The way she has turned her neck and is staring towards the left is very graceful. I feel very at peace looking at this picture. I think this painting means that music is inside a person, and that person lets it out. I've heard it said that the violin is the closest sound to the human voice; sometimes I've felt that I am literally singing on my violin. Perhaps there is music in not only this woman's voice, but in the way she breathes. Perhaps the way she walks is like a dance. Perhaps there is even a kind of music in her love or her actions. I know Dadaism is about breaking the rules, but when I look at this picture I don't think about rules being broken--I think about truth or simply human nature being revealed.