Lot 318
  • 318

RENÉ MAGRITTE | Sans titre

Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
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Description

  • René Magritte
  • Sans titre
  • pencil on paper
  • 20.5 by 13.5cm., 8 by 5 1/2 in.
  • Drawn circa 1952.

Provenance

Harry Torczyner, Belgium 
Galerie Isy Brachot, Brussels (acquired from the above)
Acquired from the above by the family of the present owner in 1988

Literature

Harry Torczyner, Magritte: Ideas and Images, New York, 1977, no. 132, illustrated p. 91

Condition

It has not been possible to examine this work out of its frame. Executed on cream wove paper taken from a lined notebook, attached to the overmount with tape along all four edges and not laid down. There are some minor flattened creases in places, not visually distracting. This work appears to be in very good overall condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Introduction to group

Magritte’s art is directly entwined with his vision of creating a subverted truth – the dichotomy between appearance and reality. The following three lots form part of an exceptional collection of works by René Magritte, of which two more works are included in the Surrealist Art Evening sale on 28th February 2018: the poetic oil painting Le coup au coeur dating from 1956, of which its study is being offered, and the dazzling gouache L’Arc de Triomphe from 1962. This collection, presented over the following pages, best exemplifies Magritte’s art and forms a remarkable group, spanning from his exploration of the theme of landscape and perspective in Le Traité du paysage (lot 320) to the ambiguous image of the earth hovering above an enigmatic landscape in L’Empire de la reflexion of 1947 (lot 319). The exquisite pencil drawing, Sans titre (lot 318), reveals the genesis of the magnificent oil, Le coup au coeur, offering an intriguing insight into Magritte’s creative process.  Le Traité du paysage - formerly in the collection of the Belgian Surrealist poet Paul Nougé - reverses the traditional concept of aerial perspective so that the foreground takes on a mysterious magic, whilst L’Empire de la reflexion features the fantastically surreal sight of the earth hovering within the sky, taking the place habitually occupied by the moon. These works, which have been in the same important private collection since the late 1980s, exemplify the truly extraordinary breadth of Magritte’s surreal creativity.