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 Artworks

Hans Bellmer (2,830 results)
La poupée (2 works), 1936

Hans Bellmer

La poupée (2 works), 1936

Sale Date: June 30, 2014

Auction Closed

La Danseuse, 1950

Hans Bellmer

La Danseuse, 1950

Sale Date: June 27, 2014

Auction Closed

Old woman, 1965

Hans Bellmer

Old woman, 1965

Sale Date: June 24, 2014

Auction Closed

Hat made of girls, 1965

Hans Bellmer

Hat made of girls, 1965

Sale Date: June 24, 2014

Auction Closed

Talon aiguille, 1958

Hans Bellmer

Talon aiguille, 1958

Sale Date: June 24, 2014

Auction Closed

Studie zu A Sade, 1960–1961

Hans Bellmer

Studie zu A Sade, 1960–1961

Sale Date: June 13, 2014

Auction Closed

La toupie, 1938–1968

Hans Bellmer

La toupie, 1938–1968

Sale Date: June 3, 2014

Auction Closed

Untitled 2

Hans Bellmer

Untitled 2

Sale Date: May 15, 2014

Auction Closed

Untitled

Hans Bellmer

Untitled

Sale Date: May 15, 2014

Auction Closed

Madame Edwarda, 1956

Hans Bellmer

Madame Edwarda, 1956

Sale Date: May 23, 2014

Auction Closed

Femme

Hans Bellmer

Femme

Sale Date: May 10, 2014

Auction Closed

Le canapé, 1971

Hans Bellmer

Le canapé, 1971

Sale Date: May 14, 2014

Auction Closed

3 Kupferstiche (portfolio of 3 works, various...

Hans Bellmer

3 Kupferstiche (portfolio of 3 works, various...

Sale Date: April 26, 2014

Auction Closed

Petit traité de morale (portfolio of..., 1966–1968

Hans Bellmer

Petit traité de morale (portfolio of..., 1966–1968

Sale Date: April 28, 2014

Auction Closed

Sans titre

Hans Bellmer

Sans titre

Sale Date: April 24, 2014

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1961

Hans Bellmer

Sans titre, 1961

Sale Date: April 9, 2014

Auction Closed

Petit traite de morale (X) (study), 1963

Hans Bellmer

Petit traite de morale (X) (study), 1963

Sale Date: April 9, 2014

Auction Closed

Jeune fille au chapeau de profil (recto/verso)

Hans Bellmer

Jeune fille au chapeau de profil (recto/verso)

Sale Date: April 5, 2014

Auction Closed

Le chants de Maldoror (2 works), 1971

Hans Bellmer

Le chants de Maldoror (2 works), 1971

Sale Date: March 30, 2014

Auction Closed

Les Jeux de la Poupée XII, 1936

Hans Bellmer

Les Jeux de la Poupée XII, 1936

Sale Date: April 1, 2014

Auction Closed

Les Jeux de la Poupée X, 1936

Hans Bellmer

Les Jeux de la Poupée X, 1936

Sale Date: April 1, 2014

Auction Closed

Les Jeux de La Poupée VI, 1936

Hans Bellmer

Les Jeux de La Poupée VI, 1936

Sale Date: April 1, 2014

Auction Closed

Les Jeux de la Poupée VII, 1939

Hans Bellmer

Les Jeux de la Poupée VII, 1939

Sale Date: April 1, 2014

Auction Closed

Composition

Hans Bellmer

Composition

Sale Date: March 27, 2014

Auction Closed