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Email to FriendSigned Rene Magritte, Lithograph, Le beau monde (High Society)  |
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| Artist: | Magritte, Rene (1898 - 1967) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Le beau monde (High Society) |
| Medium: | Original Color Lithograph |
| Image Size: | 24 3/16 in x 19 5/8 in (61.4 cm x 49.8 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 30 5/8 in x 22 7/8 in (77.8 cm x 58.1 cm) |
| Framed Size: | 41 1/16 in x 36 in (104.3 cm x 91.4 cm) |
| Signed: | Signed 'Magritte' in facsimile in graphite color in the lower right margin. Signed in pencil in the lower left margin by the representative of ADAGP representing the Magritte Succession, Mr. Charly Herscovici. |
| Edition: | Numbered from the edition of 300 in pencil in the lower left margin (from the total edition of 360, 300 examples numbered 1-300, 45 artist's proofs numbered 1-45, and 15 copies reserved for the Succession Magritte); published and printed by Philippe Moreno Paris in 2003. |
| Condition: | This work is in excellent condition with vibrant colors throughout. |
| Gallery Price: Item# 3854 | Sorry, this item is sold |
| Historical Description: | |
|---|---|
| Draped curtains stand on their own against a background of cloud-dotted skies.
These drapes do not appear to reveal or hide anything of great significance
but rather rest propped up on a level surface, an enormous, green apple in front
of them. A sky-speckled figure, mimicking the shape of the drapes, rests between
them, disconcerting the viewer. Of Magritte's drapes Meuris states, "One
way of looking at them [drapes] is as a technical device. They are usually shown
with loops, giving them the appearance of open stage drapes, and they enable
the artist, through a process of optical illusion, to locate the planes of his
image within the pictorial space. Another way of looking at these drapes is
a way of suggesting the fallacious (misleading) nature of the painted picture
in relation to what it actually represents. Hence the idea of the stage set,
to which the drapes lend emphasis" (pg. 169).
Created after the 1962 original oil on canvas Le beau monde (High Society) by René Magritte (1898-1967), this original color lithograph was published and printed by Philippe Moreno, Paris in 2003. This work is signed 'Magritte' in facsimile in graphite color in the lower right margin and signed in pencil in the lower left margin by the representative of ADAGP representing the Magritte Succession, Mr. Charly Herscovici. Numbered from the edition of 300 in pencil in the lower left margin (from the total edition of 360, 300 examples numbered 1-300, 45 artist's proofs numbered 1-45, and 15 copies reserved for the Succession Magritte), this work is stamped with the ADAGP blindstamp in the lower left margin and the Succession Magritte blindstamp in the lower right margin. On the back of this work is an extensive block of printed text stating the title, provenance, tirage, and details of the original oil on canvas. Catalogue Raisonné & COA: 1. Meuris, Jacques. Magritte. London: Greenwich Editions, 1988. Original 1962 oil on canvas illustrated on pg. 168 and discussed on pg. 169. 2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work. About the Framing: | |
| Style: | Surrealism |
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Biography of Rene Magritte
René Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist whose witty and thought-provoking images challenged observers’ preconditioned perceptions of reality. Magritte's work frequently displays a juxtaposition of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things.
Magritte grew up in a simple and somewhat tragic household. His father was a modest tailor. His mother, who was mentally unsound, committed suicide in the year 1912. Magritte started drawing at a young age, and his first paintings, produced c. 1915, were Impressionistic in style.
Magritte first worked as a draughtsman in a wallpaper factory and, in the year 1922, fell in love with and married Georgette Berger. In 1926, Magritte signed a contract with Galerie La Centaure in Brussels, making it possible for him to paint full-time. During this time, inspired by his friend André Breton, he became involved with the Surrealist group.
During the German occupation of Belgium in World War II, he stayed in Brussels. He continued to paint, gaining increased recognition. His work was exhibited in the United States in New York multiple times, including 2 retrospective exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1967, Magritte died of pancreatic cancer, his imagery having greatly influenced pop, minimalist, and conceptual art.
