You are here:

Man Ray: Kiki

Museum Ludwig
31 October 2026 to 13 June 2027

Schwarz-weiß Portrait einer sitzenden Frau von hinten mit zwei Einschnitten ähnlich einer Violine. — Man Ray Le Violon d’Ingres, 1924 Gelatinesilberpapier, Print 39 x 29,9 cm Ankauf Gruber 1977, Museum Ludwig, Köln Repro: Historisches Archiv mit Rheinischem Bildarchiv © Man Ray 2015 Trust / VG Bild-Kunst, 2026

The Museum Ludwig’s photography collection comprises approximately 70,000 works, spanning from the early days of photography in the early 19th century to the present. In our photography galleries, we regularly curate exhibitions featuring selected themes and photographers.

Man Ray’s photograph of Alice Prin, known as Kiki de Montparnasse (1901–1953), depicts her in a back view, with a cloth draped around her hips and another around her head. Inspired by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’s back-view nudes, Man Ray transposes the motif into the 20th century: In the darkroom, he added the sound holes of a violin to the image, transforming Kiki’s back into the body of a stringed instrument.

The print on display at the Museum Ludwig comes from the Gruber Collection. The exhibition sheds light on the creation and history of this surrealist masterpiece.

Curator: Miriam Szwast

Exhibition Insights

Related Public Events

Related Offers on Demand

Museum Ludwig

The most extensive Pop Art collection in Europe. The third-largest Picasso collection in the world. One of the finest collections of German Expressionism. One of the most significant international collections of photography. In this museum, one highlight follows another! The foundation for the museum’s establishment in 1976 was laid by a generous donation of 350 works of modern art from Peter and Irene Ludwig to the City of Cologne.

Learn more