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 Traccia, 1980

Meret Oppenheim and Simon Gavina

Tavolo Traccia, 1980

Sale Date: December 18, 2012

Auction Closed

Zwei Vögel (Two birds), 1963

Meret Oppenheim

Zwei Vögel (Two birds), 1963

Sale Date: December 3, 2012

Auction Closed

Tisch Traccia, 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Tisch Traccia, 1939

Sale Date: November 24, 2012

Auction Closed

Tisch Traccia, 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Tisch Traccia, 1939

Sale Date: November 24, 2012

Auction Closed

Guéridon surréaliste, 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Guéridon surréaliste, 1939

Sale Date: November 13, 2012

Auction Closed

Der Zypressenschwärmer, pl. 2 (from..., 1976

Meret Oppenheim

Der Zypressenschwärmer, pl. 2 (from..., 1976

Sale Date: November 16, 2012

Auction Closed

Silberschwanz, pl. 4 (from Parapapillonneries), 1976

Meret Oppenheim

Silberschwanz, pl. 4 (from Parapapillonneries), 1976

Sale Date: November 16, 2012

Auction Closed

In der Nähe von Brasilia, pl. 1 (from..., 1976

Meret Oppenheim

In der Nähe von Brasilia, pl. 1 (from..., 1976

Sale Date: November 16, 2012

Auction Closed

Windhose, 1975

Meret Oppenheim

Windhose, 1975

Sale Date: November 8, 2012

Auction Closed

Sterne hinter Wolken, 1967

Meret Oppenheim

Sterne hinter Wolken, 1967

Sale Date: November 8, 2012

Auction Closed

Le serpent de brume, 1954

Meret Oppenheim

Le serpent de brume, 1954

Sale Date: November 8, 2012

Auction Closed

Parapapillonneries (André Pieyre de..., 1976

Meret Oppenheim

Parapapillonneries (André Pieyre de..., 1976

Sale Date: October 25, 2012

Auction Closed

La chaleur jolie, cadavre exquis, 21 août, 1971

Meret Oppenheim, Anna Maria Lupo and Roberto Lupo

La chaleur jolie, cadavre exquis, 21 août, 1971

Sale Date: October 24, 2012

Auction Closed

Traccia Table, 1971

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia Table, 1971

Sale Date: October 11, 2012

Auction Closed

Rahmen nur heir anfassen (portfolio of 11), 1971

Meret Oppenheim

Rahmen nur heir anfassen (portfolio of 11), 1971

Sale Date: October 4, 2012

Auction Closed

Collier surréaliste

Meret Oppenheim

Collier surréaliste

Sale Date: July 21, 2012

Auction Closed

Guéridon surréaliste, 1939

Meret Oppenheim

Guéridon surréaliste, 1939

Sale Date: July 21, 2012

Auction Closed

Tavolino Traccia, 1990

Meret Oppenheim

Tavolino Traccia, 1990

Sale Date: June 25, 2012

Auction Closed

Tavolino Traccia, 1990

Meret Oppenheim

Tavolino Traccia, 1990

Sale Date: June 25, 2012

Auction Closed

Traccia table from Ultramobile collection, 1970–1979

Meret Oppenheim

Traccia table from Ultramobile collection, 1970–1979

Sale Date: June 17, 2012

Auction Closed

Jours pairs. Jours impairs (2 works)

Meret Oppenheim

Jours pairs. Jours impairs (2 works)

Sale Date: June 14, 2012

Auction Closed

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

Meret Oppenheim

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

Sale Date: June 12, 2012

Auction Closed

Der Zypressenschwärmer (from..., 1976

Meret Oppenheim

Der Zypressenschwärmer (from..., 1976

Sale Date: June 12, 2012

Auction Closed

Der Flaggenfalter (from Parapapillonneries), 1976

Meret Oppenheim

Der Flaggenfalter (from Parapapillonneries), 1976

Sale Date: June 12, 2012

Auction Closed

English (US)

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