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)
Variation No 56 (from Figure Humaine)

Meret Oppenheim

Variation No 56 (from Figure Humaine)

Sale Date: June 20, 2013

Auction Closed

Pelztasse, nach Photo von Man Ray, 1971

Meret Oppenheim

Pelztasse, nach Photo von Man Ray, 1971

Sale Date: June 14, 2013

Auction Closed

Zwei, sich küssend, 1961

Meret Oppenheim

Zwei, sich küssend, 1961

Sale Date: June 14, 2013

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel, 1957

Meret Oppenheim

Ohne Titel, 1957

Sale Date: June 14, 2013

Auction Closed

Doppelgesicht, 1951

Meret Oppenheim

Doppelgesicht, 1951

Sale Date: June 14, 2013

Auction Closed

Guéridon surréaliste, 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Guéridon surréaliste, 1939

Sale Date: June 6, 2013

Auction Closed

Traccia table (Ultramobile Collection), 1970–1979

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia table (Ultramobile Collection), 1970–1979

Sale Date: June 9, 2013

Auction Closed

Traccia table (Ultramobile Collection), 1970–1979

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia table (Ultramobile Collection), 1970–1979

Sale Date: June 9, 2013

Auction Closed

Surrealistische Komposition

Meret Oppenheim

Surrealistische Komposition

Sale Date: June 15, 2013

Auction Closed

Die Seidenmotte und die stolze Rosamunde,..., 1976

Meret Oppenheim

Die Seidenmotte und die stolze Rosamunde,..., 1976

Sale Date: May 25, 2013

Auction Closed

Psyche, Freundin der Männer, pl. 3 (from..., 1976

Meret Oppenheim

Psyche, Freundin der Männer, pl. 3 (from..., 1976

Sale Date: May 25, 2013

Auction Closed

Der Flaggenfalter, pl. 6 (from..., 1976

Meret Oppenheim

Der Flaggenfalter, pl. 6 (from..., 1976

Sale Date: May 25, 2013

Auction Closed

Traccia table (from The Ultramobile..., 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia table (from The Ultramobile..., 1939

Sale Date: June 11, 2013

Auction Closed

Tavolino modello Traccia, con gambe, 1936

Meret Oppenheim

Tavolino modello Traccia, con gambe, 1936

Sale Date: May 14, 2013

Auction Closed

Die Ente, die non sagt, 1960

Meret Oppenheim

Die Ente, die non sagt, 1960

Sale Date: May 17, 2013

Auction Closed

Bonjour, Max Ernst

Meret Oppenheim

Bonjour, Max Ernst

Sale Date: May 16, 2013

Auction Closed

Traccia side table, 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia side table, 1939

Sale Date: May 14, 2013

Auction Closed

L'écureuil, 1969

Meret Oppenheim

L'écureuil, 1969

Sale Date: April 16, 2013

Auction Closed

Traccia occasional table from the..., 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia occasional table from the..., 1939

Sale Date: March 30, 2013

Auction Closed

Table guéridon Traccia

Meret Oppenheim

Table guéridon Traccia

Sale Date: March 23, 2013

Auction Closed

Guéridon surréaliste, 1939

Meret Oppenheim and Simon Gavina

Guéridon surréaliste, 1939

Sale Date: March 19, 2013

Auction Closed

Table Traccia, 1972

Meret Oppenheim

Table Traccia, 1972

Sale Date: March 20, 2013

Auction Closed

Guéridon/Table d'appoint (model Traccia), 1970

Meret Oppenheim

Guéridon/Table d'appoint (model Traccia), 1970

Sale Date: March 4, 2013

Auction Closed

Guéridon surréaliste, 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Guéridon surréaliste, 1939

Sale Date: February 26, 2013

Auction Closed

English (US)

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