Portrait of Space-Lee Miller 1937Lee Miller’s haunting Portrait of Space qualifies as one of the most enigmatic of Surrealist images. While married to her wealthy Egyptian husband in Cairo in the mid 1930’s Miller felt the need to escape to the desert where the photograph was taken. It is not a portrait of a person but the desert landscape, however in true Surrealist fashion parts of the landscape bear a resemblance to facial features. Uncannily the clouds look like the floating lips in Man Rays painting The Lovers (see Dreams of Desire 12 (The Lovers)) from 1934 which are of course modelled on Miller’s own lips. The hillock on the right could be the Eye atop the pyramid on the dollar bill and the gaping hole in the fly screen is the eye that reveals and illuminates the scene for us.
Thank you, I also posted nude bent forward. Portrait is an amazing photograph, so enigmatic and pregnant with latent meaning I could look at it for hours and still be entranced
Mr. Cake, this is still and will probably always be my favorite Lee Miller photograph. Good news on the Tanguy and Sage front, I’m moving right along. Finally some inspiration, the words have arrived in droves. ~ Miss Cranes
Excellent I look forward to it with anticipation. As you can see I am resurrecting some golden oldies, but this photograph can be seen again and again. Brilliant.
I have an affinity for the desert so automatically have affection for this. The ‘eye’ at the top right is subtle but I see it. The shading and contrast make for an intriguing piece – excellent post!
I like deserts as well, I do not think it is an accident that all three major monotheistic religions were born in the desert. Surrounded by emptiness turned those men’s mind toward the infinite.
Agreed. Faced with all that space, the divine must have seemed attainable. Sorry about the half comment, hit send and wasn’t entirely sure what I’d typed.
Not a problem. Thanks for the comments always appreciated. Haven’t posted any poems for a while, the site looks like it exclusively devoted to art and photography.
Indeed… I did another post on one of her self portraits and of course I mentioned in yet another post that she discovered the solarisation process that Man Ray used to great effect…somewhere here.
It’s really amazing how this plain picture may be interpreted… Actually I’m especially fascinated by the grid-like kind of curtain thing at the front. It has got a huge resemblance with a carbon grid that is used for transmission electron microscopy, nerdy piece of fact, I’m sorry, but it was the first thing that came to my mind and I wanted to share. This ripped tissue gives the whole scene a special kind of plasticity, one feels it may be touched just by reaching out one’s arm. Thank you for sharing and your splendid elaborations, just as always.
Thank you for your unique perspective, obviously with your different background you saw something that I never would. The photograph is cool and enigmatic and can be read in some many ways, which is a mark of its excellence. Glad you enjoyed!
![lee-miller-egypte-portrait-of-space[1]](https://cakeordeathsite.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/lee-miller-egypte-portrait-of-space1.jpg?w=656)
cakeordeathsite 
I love this photo.
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its a great photo
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Whoo-Hoo! This was part of the exhibition I went to! Wonderful photo! 🙂
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You kind of suggested the post to me, it got to thinking about Lee and this photo has always haunted me. So I owe you a thank you
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You´re very welcome! And thank you for posting it! 🙂
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I hope my analysis does the photograph justice
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It does – as I said before: you should really consider working for an art magazine! 🙂
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Hmm not sure I am good enough for that but thank you very much for the compliment
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Mr. Cale, this is, has been, and always will be my favorite Miller photograph. Delighted to see a post about it, wonderful. ~ Miss Cranes
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Thank you, I also posted nude bent forward. Portrait is an amazing photograph, so enigmatic and pregnant with latent meaning I could look at it for hours and still be entranced
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I will certainly check it out. I am fascinated when a piece of art can completely captive.
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It is rare, but this certainly qualifies
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I thought you would like this… Is my commentary fine? Never really do justice to the photograph of course.
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I think it’s marvelous, you did a splendid job with your write up Mr. Cake.
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Mr. Cake, this is still and will probably always be my favorite Lee Miller photograph. Good news on the Tanguy and Sage front, I’m moving right along. Finally some inspiration, the words have arrived in droves. ~ Miss Cranes
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Excellent I look forward to it with anticipation. As you can see I am resurrecting some golden oldies, but this photograph can be seen again and again. Brilliant.
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Thank you, Mr. Cake. This photo is worthy of a daily repeat and holds a special magic for me.
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Agreed…well with photographs and paintings like this in the archive I can keep the show on the run for a while yet.
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Yes, definitely. I should have said, a daily personal viewing. I trust you’re well, enjoy the rest of your Friday and please have a terrific weekend.
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Thank you and the same to you Miss Cranes
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Ok totally tripiness… I see the ‘eye’ and I get the gash in the screen being the
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I have an affinity for the desert so automatically have affection for this. The ‘eye’ at the top right is subtle but I see it. The shading and contrast make for an intriguing piece – excellent post!
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I like deserts as well, I do not think it is an accident that all three major monotheistic religions were born in the desert. Surrounded by emptiness turned those men’s mind toward the infinite.
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Agreed. Faced with all that space, the divine must have seemed attainable. Sorry about the half comment, hit send and wasn’t entirely sure what I’d typed.
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Not a problem. Thanks for the comments always appreciated. Haven’t posted any poems for a while, the site looks like it exclusively devoted to art and photography.
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Let thine own self be inspiration… You may be unmade in verse for example…
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That’s one possibility
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The link to “Dreams of Desire 12 (The Lovers)” is incorrect (wrong month and day in the address).
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Thank you, I must have re-posted them without realising that loses the link. I will fix it.
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such an essential image. Thanks Cake
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here is the photographer herself in 1945 in Adolf Hitler’s bathtub:
https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/141013-lee-miller-bathtub.jpg?quality=85&w=545
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I love this picture… which is featured in my post on the marvellous Ms Miller.:. Thank you
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hehe, it’s a surrealist 101 !
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https://cakeordeathsite.wordpress.com/2016/07/02/surrealist-women-lee-miller/
I absolutely love Lee Miller!
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a remarkable life. more than remarkable.
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Indeed… I did another post on one of her self portraits and of course I mentioned in yet another post that she discovered the solarisation process that Man Ray used to great effect…somewhere here.
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I posted about Arthur Craven…that was a fun post to write
https://cakeordeathsite.wordpress.com/2017/05/22/the-colossus-of-dada/
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hehe, sometimes I’d like to disappear into the Pacific…
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Yes sounds very tempting indeed.
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Reblogged this on lampmagician.
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Thanking you as always!
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Ditto as always 😊 fantastic read 👍❤
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Thank you, you are very kind. It is a great photograph.
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Yes. It’s surely a great one.
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It’s really amazing how this plain picture may be interpreted… Actually I’m especially fascinated by the grid-like kind of curtain thing at the front. It has got a huge resemblance with a carbon grid that is used for transmission electron microscopy, nerdy piece of fact, I’m sorry, but it was the first thing that came to my mind and I wanted to share. This ripped tissue gives the whole scene a special kind of plasticity, one feels it may be touched just by reaching out one’s arm. Thank you for sharing and your splendid elaborations, just as always.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your unique perspective, obviously with your different background you saw something that I never would. The photograph is cool and enigmatic and can be read in some many ways, which is a mark of its excellence. Glad you enjoyed!
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I surely did!
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Fantastic!
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Thank you very much. A wonderful work by Lee Miller.
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