René Magritte

Private Collection (acquired directly from the artist in 1948)
Copley Gallery, Beverly Hills
Lila Berman (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 19, 1983, lot 256)
Kurt Delbanco, New York (acquired at the above sale)
Galerie Beyeler, Basel
Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
Acquired from the above in 2003

Beverly Hills, Copley Gallery, Inaugural Exhibition, 1948 (probably)

David Sylvester, ed., René Magritte, Catalogue raisonné, gouaches, temperas, watercolours and papier collés 1918-1967, vol. IV, London, 1994, no. 1282, illustrated p. 115

This work is in very good condition. Executed on cream wove paper. Sheet is t-hinged to a mat at upper corners of verso. There are some scattered studio stains on the verso as well as some additional tape remnants around the edges. There is a tiny nick to the extreme perimeter in the right half of the bottom edge and a pindot repair at the center of the top edge. Due to the saturation of the aqueous medium the sheet shows evidence in scattered areas of uneven pigment which is inherent to the artist's application of his medium.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The motif of the leaf bejewelled by birds of paradise, central to Le Rendez-vous, became an important device in Magritte’s oeuvre. Earlier versions of this key image include Le Regard intérieur in which Magritte chose to depict a calm generic landscape and not the turbulent maritime scene which adds such vitality to the present composition. Subsequently he incorporated the surreal delight of the leaf into his celebrated decorative scheme at the Casino Communal de Knokke in Belgium. The stone ledge and crimson curtain act as a repoussoir, reversing the interior and exterior of the work while challenging the viewer’s perception of the real and the represented.

David Sylvester suggests that the gouache Le Rendez-vous was executed by Magritte before he committed the composition to canvas in the final quarter of 1948. Magritte often chose to explore his most prominent themes in gouache. This decision not only facilitated his intricate style of representation but also introduced a brighter tone to his compositions. Siegfried Gohr, discussing the importance of the artist’s gouaches, wrote that "the coloured works on paper reveal the brilliant talent of Magritte the painter. Even though he repeatedly denied his ‘artistry,’ belittling the traditional habitus of the virtuoso artist genius and emphasizing instead the artist’s intellectual work, his gouaches in particular reveal how masterfully he was able to apply his extraordinary gift of visualising his pictorial ideas" (Siegfried Gohr, Magritte: Attempting the Impossible, New York, 2009, pp. 77-78). In comparison to his oil paintings, which often utilized the material's natural inclination to produce depth and atmospheric effects, gouache renders its subject in light-filled hues and crystalline clarity.