Man Ray, a pivotal American Modernist, thrived in post-World War I Paris, where he interacted with a vibrant community of artists and intellectuals. Primarily a painter, Man Ray excelled in photography, significantly through his creation of Rayographs, cameraless images made by exposing objects directly on photographic paper. He arrived in Paris in 1921, creatively inspired by Marcel Duchamp and began photographing influential figures like Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein. His work, rich in experimental expression, profoundly impacted the avant-garde and influenced notable Surrealists such as René Magritte and Salvador Dalí, underscoring his innovative legacy.
