The Auction of The Empire of Light by René Magritte
- Nov 19, 2024, New York, USA
René Magritte, a Belgian surrealist, is regarded by many as one of the finest artists from the 20th century.
His unique works challenged perceptions, offering thought-provoking depictions of settings or objects, causing people to question their view of the world.
His surrealist works have inspired countless artists, and he is believed to have influenced pop art, conceptual art, and minimalist art.
Despite producing 708 paintings throughout his career, few are more popular than The Empire of Light series, which explores day and night in 27 paintings.
One of the paintings from 1954 is scheduled for auction soon, which could break the artist’s current record.
Here is everything you need to know about The Empire of Light by René Magritte, including the auction date, location, estimated price, and more.
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What is the Auction Date for The Empire of Light?
The 1954 oil painting from L’Empire des Lumieres, translated in English as The Empire of Light, is scheduled to be auctioned on November 19, 2024.
Where Will the Auction Take Place?
The artwork will be sold at Christie’s in New York as part of a wide collection by the current owner. The auction house will host daytime auctions and two online sales.
Visit Christie’s official website for more information on the auction.
What is the Estimated Auction Price?
It has been estimated that the 1954 oil painting from The Empire of Light series could sell for over $95 million at auction. If it does, it will break Magritte’s auction record from 2022, as Sotheby’s sold another artwork for $79.7 million (£59.4 million) in London, England.
Who Currently Owns the Painting?
The Empire of Light 1954 painting belongs to the estate of the late Mica Ertegun, an interior designer.
It will be sold at auction as part of the Mica: The Collection of Mica Ertegun event. It will auction many items, including additional works from Magritte and other artists, such as David Hockney, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, and Patrick Henry Bruce.
Also, the collection will auction beautiful furniture, exquisite jewelry, and much more.
Christie’s announced a large portion of the sale proceeds will benefit Mica Ertegun’s philanthropic efforts, such as Jazz at the Lincoln Center, the Graduate Scholarship Programme in Humanities at Oxford University, and the World Monument Fund, to name a few.
According to Max Carter, the vice chairman of 20th and 21st-century art at Christie’s, “The Magritte painting captures the controlled yet dazzling style for which she (Mica) was renowned. It also represents her pioneering mindset in all things, as she was one of the first to collect Surrealist works in depth. An icon of Surrealism, the Ertegun Magritte is arguably the finest, most deftly rendered, and hauntingly beautiful of the series.”
Why is The Empire of Light So Popular?
The Empire of Light Series depicts Magritte’s famous “daylight nighttime” technique, which provides a juxtaposition of day and night within a painting.
Each painting has a “dream-like” atmosphere that plays with the mind and creates a mysterious yet magical scene that will draw the eye and hold attention.
Like many of Magritte’s works, he manages to alter reality and create confusion, which has helped him become one of the most respected surrealists of all time, standing alongside Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Max Ernst.
