Meret Oppenheim

(Swiss, 1913–1985)

Meret Oppenheim was a German-born Swiss artist and photographer. Considered a key figure in the Surrealist movement, her work focused on the marginalization of women, but also the subversion of art itself. In what is considered her most famous work Object (Le Déjeuner en Fourrure) (1936), the artist covered a teacup, saucer, and spoon in a layer of Chinese gazelle fur, creating a contrast of domestic objects with the expensive furs worn by refined women. “There is no difference between man and woman: there is only artist or poet. Sex plays no role whatsoever. That is why I refuse to participate in exhibitions of woman only,” she once declared. Born on October 6, 1913, in Berlin, Germany Oppenheim moved to Paris at the age of 18 where she attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and fell into the circles of the Surrealists. She famously posed for one of  Man Ray’s most famous photographs Erotique Voilee (1933), in which Oppenheim posed nude covered in ink at a printing press. In 1936, she had her first solo exhibition in Basel, Switzerland and began her investigations into female exploitation. Oppenheim’s work set the tone for several later artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, and Ana Mendieta. She died on November 15, 1985, in Basel, Switzerland. Today, much of her archive is held at the the Museum of Fine Arts in Bern, and is also held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, among others.

Meret Oppenheim News

Museums & Institutions

Inside Meret Oppenheim's 'Otherworldly, Witty, Whimsical' Show at MoMA, the Swiss Surrealist's First U.S. Museum Retrospective in a Generation

by Sarah Cascone
Inside Meret Oppenheim's 'Otherworldly, Witty, Whimsical' Show at MoMA, the Swiss Surrealist's First U.S. Museum Retrospective in a Generation
Art World

Meret Oppenheim's Furry Teacup Stirred Up a Public Sensation—Here Are 3 Things You May Not Know About the Classic Surrealist Masterpiece 'Object'

by Katie White
Meret Oppenheim's Furry Teacup Stirred Up a Public Sensation—Here Are 3 Things You May Not Know About the Classic Surrealist Masterpiece 'Object'
Art Fairs

viennacontemporary 2016 Continues Success in Second Year

by Alyssa Buffenstein
viennacontemporary 2016 Continues Success in Second Year

Meret Oppenheim Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Meret Oppenheim (1,004 results)
Tavolo mod. Traccia struttura in fusione di..., 1980

Meret Oppenheim

Tavolo mod. Traccia struttura in fusione di..., 1980

Sale Date: October 28, 2020

Auction Closed

Homme dans le brouillard, extrait des..., 1975

Meret Oppenheim

Homme dans le brouillard, extrait des..., 1975

Sale Date: January 23, 2021

Auction Closed

Cahier d'une écolière/ Schoolgirl's..., 1973

Meret Oppenheim

Cahier d'une écolière/ Schoolgirl's..., 1973

Sale Date: January 23, 2021

Auction Closed

Traccia, 1970

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia, 1970

Sale Date: December 16, 2020

Auction Closed

Traccia' side table, 1971, 1971

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia' side table, 1971, 1971

Sale Date: December 8, 2020

Auction Closed

Giltwood and Bronze 'Traccia Table', Méret..., 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Giltwood and Bronze 'Traccia Table', Méret..., 1939

Sale Date: December 2, 2020

Auction Closed

Fleur d'avoine / Oat Flowers, 1969, 1969

Meret Oppenheim

Fleur d'avoine / Oat Flowers, 1969, 1969

Sale Date: October 31, 2020

Auction Closed

L'Oreille de Giacometti / Giacometti's..., 1933–1977

Meret Oppenheim

L'Oreille de Giacometti / Giacometti's..., 1933–1977

Sale Date: October 31, 2020

Auction Closed

Der Spiegel der Genoveva, 1967

Meret Oppenheim

Der Spiegel der Genoveva, 1967

Sale Date: November 5, 2020

Auction Closed

Pelztasse, 1971

Meret Oppenheim

Pelztasse, 1971

Sale Date: November 5, 2020

Auction Closed

Selbstbildnis

Meret Oppenheim

Selbstbildnis

Sale Date: November 5, 2020

Auction Closed

Iris in blauer Vase, 1975

Meret Oppenheim

Iris in blauer Vase, 1975

Sale Date: November 6, 2020

Auction Closed

Table dite

Meret Oppenheim

Table dite "Traccia" - Modèle créé circa 1970, 1970

Sale Date: October 14, 2020

Auction Closed

Portrait de femme, les yeux, 1965

Meret Oppenheim

Portrait de femme, les yeux, 1965

Sale Date: September 23, 2020

Auction Closed

Beistelltisch Traccia, 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Beistelltisch Traccia, 1939

Sale Date: September 18, 2020

Auction Closed

Hexe aus den Wolken stürzend, 1959

Meret Oppenheim

Hexe aus den Wolken stürzend, 1959

Sale Date: September 15, 2020

Auction Closed

Reisegalerie - Galerie de Voyage, 1969

Meret Oppenheim

Reisegalerie - Galerie de Voyage, 1969

Sale Date: September 18, 2020

Auction Closed

“Bird Feet Table” (“Traccia” side table), 1939

Meret Oppenheim

“Bird Feet Table” (“Traccia” side table), 1939

Sale Date: July 9, 2020

Auction Closed

Love of Polyphemus, from Mirrors of the Mind, 1975

Meret Oppenheim

Love of Polyphemus, from Mirrors of the Mind, 1975

Sale Date: June 24, 2020

Auction Closed

Traccia' side table, 1971, 1971

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia' side table, 1971, 1971

Sale Date: June 24, 2020

Auction Closed

Traccia

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia

Sale Date: June 17, 2020

Auction Closed

Traccia, 1971

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia, 1971

Sale Date: June 17, 2020

Auction Closed

Portfolio. Sansibar, 1981

Meret Oppenheim

Portfolio. Sansibar, 1981

Sale Date: June 23, 2020

Auction Closed

Un tavolino 'Traccia', 1936–1972

Meret Oppenheim

Un tavolino 'Traccia', 1936–1972

Sale Date: May 26, 2020

Auction Closed

English (US)

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