René Magritte, La magie noir (Black Magic)

Artist: René Magritte (1898 - 1967)
Title:La magie noir (Black Magic)
Medium:Original Color Lithograph
Image Size:19 7/10 in x 14 7/10 in (50 cm x 37.3 cm)
Sheet Size:23 3/5 in x 15 7/10 in (60 cm x 40 cm)
Framed Size:33 1/2 in x 28 in (85.1 cm x 71.1 cm)
Edition:Numbered 273/275 in pencil in the lower left margin; aside from 45 artist's proofs labeled EA (épreuve d'artiste) and numbered 1-45, of which 15 are reserved for the Succession Magritte; published and printed by Philippe Moreno, Paris.
Signature:Facsimile signed 'Magritte' in graphite color in the lower right margin, and also initialed in pencil by Charley Herscovici, President of the Fondation Magritte and of the ADAGP.
Condition:This work is in excellent condition with vibrant colors throughout.
ID #w-3974

Historical Description

Rene Magritte, Black Magic, is a captivating work in which a woman stands against a block of stone. The woman is no ordinary woman however as she is Magritte's model, muse, and wife, Georgette Berger. In this work, Georgette's upper body appears to be celestial, while her lower body remains earthly.

One interpretation of her split form is that as humans we often have our heads elsewhere while our bodies remain firmly rooted in reality. With her hand resting upon the stone, "one idea is that the stone is associated with an attachment to the earth" (Meuris, p. 76 1994). Perhaps the connectivity her body feels to the stone is what keeps her grounded, but with the gorgeous sprawling blue skyline against the calm sea in the background, her body must want to enjoy its perceived surroundings. This can be seen in the tilt of her body away from the stone, with her head looking out onto the side, as if there's a longing to be far from reality.

Created after the original 1935 oil painting La magie noir (Black Magic), this original color lithograph is facsimile signed 'Magritte' in graphite color at the lower right; the work bears the blindstamp of the ADAGP in the lower left corner and the blindstamp of the Magritte Succession in the lower right. Numbered 273/275, aside from 45 artist's proofs numbered 1-45 and labeled 'EA', this print is also initialed by Charley Herscovici, President of the Fondation Magritte and ADAGP. This limited edition was published by Philippe Moreno, Paris, and the piece bears a block of printed text on the verso describing this edition.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

This original color lithograph is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work).

1. Gimferrer, Pere. Magritte. Barcelona: Ediciones Poligrafa, S.A, 1986. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 31.

2. Meuris, Jacques. Magritte. London: Greenwich Editions, 1988. A variation of the work is illustrated on pg. 77 and discussed on pg. 76.

3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade conservation standards, this work is presented in a modern moulding with silk-wrapped mats and optical-grade Plexiglas.

Subject Matter: Femme