Hans Bellmer

(German, 1902–1975)

Hans Bellmer was a German Surrealist artist known for his life-size dolls and erotic photography. His earliest dolls—perversions of the female form with legs growing out of legs—were created out of a desire to oppose the Nazi Regime’s goal of so-called physical perfection. “The female body is like an endless sentence that invites us to rearrange it,” the artist once observed, “so that its real meaning becomes clear through a series of endless anagrams.” He was born on March 13, 1902 in Kattowitz, Germany, in what is now Poland. Once he received the label of degenerate artist, Bellmer fled his home country and moved to Paris, where his challenging work was embraced by members of the Surrealist movement, especially André Breton. After the war, the artist moved into other media, including sexually explicit photography and paintings that explored fetishism through dream-like imagery. He notably collaborated with the artist Unica Zürn on the photographic series Unica Tied Up, featuring close-up images of flesh bulging around tight rope binding in an investigation of sadomasochistic practices. Bellmer died on February 23, 1975 in Paris, France at the age of 72.

Hans Bellmer News

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Hans Bellmer Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Hans Bellmer (2,867 results)
La Poupée, 1936

Hans Bellmer

La Poupée, 1936

Sale Date: July 5, 2019

Auction Closed

Quand le bruit travaille, 1936

Hans Bellmer

Quand le bruit travaille, 1936

Sale Date: July 5, 2019

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1955–1960

Hans Bellmer

Sans titre, 1955–1960

Sale Date: July 5, 2019

Auction Closed

La petite fille sur canape noir, 1970

Hans Bellmer

La petite fille sur canape noir, 1970

Sale Date: July 10, 2019

Auction Closed

Pointes de pieds sur quadrillage

Hans Bellmer

Pointes de pieds sur quadrillage

Sale Date: June 26, 2019

Auction Closed

HISTOIRE DE L’ŒIL. SÉVILLE, 1940 (6 works), 1940

Hans Bellmer

HISTOIRE DE L’ŒIL. SÉVILLE, 1940 (6 works), 1940

Sale Date: June 18, 2019

Auction Closed

The DOLL

Hans Bellmer

The DOLL

Sale Date: July 6, 2019

Auction Closed

The DOLL

Hans Bellmer

The DOLL

Sale Date: July 6, 2019

Auction Closed

The DOLL

Hans Bellmer

The DOLL

Sale Date: July 6, 2019

Auction Closed

(i) Femme au Bidet and (ii) La Croix..., 1945–1946

Hans Bellmer

(i) Femme au Bidet and (ii) La Croix..., 1945–1946

Sale Date: June 20, 2019

Auction Closed

Sans titre (Bottines), 1949–1950

Hans Bellmer

Sans titre (Bottines), 1949–1950

Sale Date: June 20, 2019

Auction Closed

Composition surréaliste, 1963

Hans Bellmer

Composition surréaliste, 1963

Sale Date: June 3, 2019

Auction Closed

GEDANKEN, 1960

Hans Bellmer

GEDANKEN, 1960

Sale Date: May 20, 2019

Auction Closed

SANS TITRE, 1955

Hans Bellmer

SANS TITRE, 1955

Sale Date: May 20, 2019

Auction Closed

La Poupée (with carpet beater), 1937

Hans Bellmer

La Poupée (with carpet beater), 1937

Sale Date: May 16, 2019

Auction Closed

Sans titre (recto and verso), 1950–1955

Hans Bellmer

Sans titre (recto and verso), 1950–1955

Sale Date: May 14, 2019

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1942–1945

Hans Bellmer

Sans titre, 1942–1945

Sale Date: May 14, 2019

Auction Closed

Sans titre (recto and verso), 1945

Hans Bellmer

Sans titre (recto and verso), 1945

Sale Date: May 14, 2019

Auction Closed

Petit traité de morale (complete set of 10), 1968

Hans Bellmer

Petit traité de morale (complete set of 10), 1968

Sale Date: May 16, 2019

Auction Closed

Le bon sens, 1964

Hans Bellmer

Le bon sens, 1964

Sale Date: April 18, 2019

Auction Closed

Sur canapé, 1966

Hans Bellmer

Sur canapé, 1966

Sale Date: April 18, 2019

Auction Closed

Histoire de l'Œil, 1944

Hans Bellmer

Histoire de l'Œil, 1944

Sale Date: April 18, 2019

Auction Closed

La Poupée Enceinte, 1937

Hans Bellmer

La Poupée Enceinte, 1937

Sale Date: April 5, 2019

Auction Closed

Bellmer, 1966

Hans Bellmer

Bellmer, 1966

Sale Date: April 5, 2019

Auction Closed

English (US)

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