René Magritte

Justin Rakofsky, Brussels (acquired from the artist in 1955)
Gustave J. Nellens, Knokke-Le Zoute (acquired from the above circa 1962)
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1994

Charleroi, Salle de la Bourse, XXXe salon du Cercle Royal Artistique et Littéraire de Charleroi. Rétrospective René Magritte, 1956, no. 109
Antwerp, Stedelijke Feestzaal-Meir Antwerpen, Kunst van heden: salon 1956,1956, no. 116
Brussels, Musée d'Ixelles, Magritte, 1959, no. 84
Liège, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Exposition Magritte, 1960, no. 55, illustrated in the catalogue
Knokke, Casino Communal, XVe festival belge d'été: l'oeuvre de René Magritte, 1962, no. 85, illustrated in the catalogue
New York, The Museum of Modern Art; Waltham, Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University; Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago; Pasadena, The Pasadena Art Museum & Berkeley, University Art Museum, University of California, René Magritte, 1965-66, no. 61, illustrated in the catalogue
London, The Tate Gallery, Magritte, 1969, no. 81, illustrated in the catalogue
Hanover, Kestner Gesellschaft & Zurich, Kunsthaus, René Magritte, 1969, no. 60, illustrated in the catalogue
Ferrara, Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna, Cento anni di pittura belga, 1970, no. 89
Tokyo, National Museum of Modern Art & Kyoto, National Museum of Modern Art, Rétrospective René Magritte, 1971, no. 29, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Dusseldorf, Städtische Kunsthalle, Der Adler vom Oligozän bis heute: Marcel Broodthaers zeigt eine experimentelle Ausstellung seines Musée d'Art Moderne, Département des Aigles, Section des Figures, 1972 (possibly), illustrated in the catalogue
Paris, Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Le Salon 1978 'Métamorphoses'. Hommage à René Magritte et au surréalisme belge, 1978
Lausanne, Fondation de l'Hermitage, René Magritte, 1987, no. 70, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Munich, Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, René Magritte, 1987-88, no. 82
Yamaguchi, Musée Préfectural & Tokyo, Musée National d'Art Moderne, René Magritte, 1988
Madrid, Fundacion Juan March, Magritte, 1989
Ostende, Provinciaal Museum voor Moderne Kunst, Magritte, 1990
Verona, Palazzo Forti, Da Magritte a Magritte, 1991, no. 55, illustrated in colour in the catalogue (as dating from 1945)
Mitsukoshi, Museum of Art; Hyogo, Museum of Modern Art & Fukuoka, Museum of Art, Rétrospective Magritte, 1994-95, no. 50, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Oostende, Ensor tot Delvaux, 1996
Brussels, Musées Royaux de Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Magritte, 1998, no. 183, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Tokyo, Isetan Museum of Art (and travelling in Japan), Ensor to Delvaux, 2000-01
Knokke, Casino, Magritte, 2001, no.43, illustrated in the catalogue 

Rhétorique, Tilleur-lez-Liège, no. 3, September 1961, illustrated pl. 15
Henri Michaux, 'En rêvant à partir de peintures énigmatiques', in Mercure de France, Paris, December 1964, p. 596
Patrick Waldberg, René Magritte, Brussels, 1965, illustrated in colour p. 194 (as dating from 1945)
Alain Robbe-Grillet & René Magritte, La Belle captive, Brussels, 1975, illustrated in colour p. 33 (as dating from 1945)
Harry Torczyner, Magritte: Ideas and Images, New York, 1977, no. 235, illustrated p. 128 (as dating from 1945)
Jacques Meuris, René Magritte, London, 1988, no. 8, illustrated p. 7
David Sylvester (ed.), Sarah Whitfield & Michael Raeburn, René Magritte. Catalogue Raisonné. Oil Paintings, Objects and Bronzes 1949-1967, London, 1993, vol. III, no. 823, illustrated p. 244
Robert Hughes, The Portable Magritte, New York, 2001, illustrated in colour p. 329

The unique mystery of fire fascinated Magritte, with its primal, fragile and destructive connotations. In Les fanatiques, the flames are juxtaposed with a bird of prey and stone circle that hint at alchemy - and specifically the phoenix perishing in fire before rising from its ashes.