Known more for the philosophical motivations behind his works than the politics, in this particular piece Magritte portrays a gorgeous scene in which the beautiful rose seems to overtake the room and capture the viewers complete attention to the point where the details of the room and the snowy landscape outside are overlooked.

The inspiration for the work originated from a conversation Magritte had with Harry Torczyner, a New York lawyer and poet, in 1960 surrounding the Soviet Union's 'tachiste' painters. Tachisim is a French style of abstract painting that is similar to surrealism, but a style that Magritte was not comfortable with. He said to Torczyner, "They paint white on white, and they believe that this is an achievement" (Whitfield, 1992).

In response to Magritte's dismissal, Torczyner challenged him to paint, "a white rose, in a white room with a window looking on to a landscape covered with snow" (Whitfield, 1992). The work you see before you is what Magritte produced, with as minimal white as possible. So why did Magritte choose to alter the challenge? Well painting the rose a 'revolutionary' red instead of white was his idea of recognizing Torczyner's trip to the Soviet Union, and the Red October that allowed for the Bolsheviks to govern Russia, and were then, in the 1960's, altering course after the death of Stalin. Thereby making this work a rather telling portrait of Magritte's sentiments at the time.

Created after the original 1960 oil painting Le tombeau des lutteurs (The tomb of the wrestlers), 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 204/275, 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 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. Whitfield, Sarah. Magritte. London: The South Bank Center, 1992. The original oil painting is illustrated and discussed as no. 119.

2. Meuris, Jacques. Magritte. London: Greenwich Editions, 1988. The original oil painting is listed as no. 238 and is illustrated on pg. 161 with a discussion on pg. 160.

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.