RENE MAGRITTE (1898-1967) - photo 1
RENE MAGRITTE (1898-1967) - photo 2
RENE MAGRITTE (1898-1967) - photo 3
RENE MAGRITTE (1898-1967) - photo 4

RENE MAGRITTE (1898-1967)

Lot 16
09.11.2023 18:30UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 34 910 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
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Archive
ID 1064372
Lot 16 | RENE MAGRITTE (1898-1967)
Estimate value
$ 25 000 000 – 35 000 000
RENE MAGRITTE (1898-1967)

L’empire des lumières

signed 'Magritte' (lower right); titled and dated '"L'EMPIRE des LUMIÈRES" 1949' (on the reverse)

oil on canvas

19 1⁄8 x 23 1⁄8 in. (48.5 x 58.8 cm.)

Painted in 1949





Provenance

Alexander Iolas Gallery, New York (acquired from the artist, August 1949).

Hugo Gallery, New York (acquired from the above).

Nelson A. Rockefeller, New York (acquired from the above, 30 March 1950).

Louise Auchincloss Boyer, New York (gift from the above, December 1950).

Gordon Auchincloss Robbins, New York (by descent from the above, July 1974).

Louis K. Meisel Gallery, New York (acquired from the above).

Daniel Filipacchi, Paris (acquired from the above, 1974).

Byron Gallery, New York (by 1978).

Private collection (acquired from the above, 1981); sale, Christie's, New York, 13 November 2017, lot 12A (world auction record for the artist at the time of sale).

Acquired at the above sale by the present owner.



Literature

Letter from R. Magritte to A. Iolas, 8 August 1949.

Letter from R. Magritte to A. Iolas, 2 March 1950.

Letter from A. Iolas to R. Magritte, 7 April 1950.

Magritte, exh. cat., Hugo Gallery, New York, 1951, no. 8 (illustrated on the back cover).

H. Michaux, “En rêvant à partir de peintures énigmatiques” in Mercure de France, December 1964, pp. 593-594.

C. Bussy, “L’accent grave: Emission radiophonique” in Le fait accompli, nos. 19-20, April 1969.

Peintures de l'imaginaire: Symbolistes et Surréalistes belges, exh. cat., Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, 1972, p. 118.

J. Vovelle, “Peintres de l’imaginaire: Symbolistes et surréalistes belges” in Cahiers d’histoire de l’art

contemporain, no. 2, March 1973, p. 34.

D. Sylvester, ed., René Magritte: Catalogue Raisonné, Oil Paintings, Objects and Bronzes, 1949-1967, London, 1993, vol. III, pp. 4-5, 10, 17, 77, 145, 157, 162, 187, 200, 210, 222, 227, 228, 261, 368 and 387, no. 709 (illustrated in color, p. 145).

S. Gohr, Magritte: Attempting the Impossible, New York, 2009, pp. 224-226 (illustrated in color, p. 225).

C. Haskell, René Magritte: The Fifth Season, exh. cat., San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2018, p. 126 (illustrated in color, pl. 51).



Exhibited

Brussels, Palais des Beaux-Arts and Paris, Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Rétrospective Magritte, October 1978-April 1979, p. 224, no. 145 (illustrated in color; detail illustrated in color on the cover).

Milan, Galleria del Milione, Magritte: Il buon senso e il senso delle cose, May 1984, p. 51, no. 11 (illustrated in color, p. 37).
Artist:René Magritte (1898 - 1967)
Applied technique:Oil, Painted
Art style:Modern art
Genre:Cityscape
Place of origin:Western Europe, France, Europe
Auction house category:Paintings
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
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