New auction record for René Magritte, in the centenary year of the surrealist movement. “The Empire of Lights“, an iconic painting by René Magritte, was sold Tuesday night at Christie’s in New York for $121 million.
After about ten minutes of battle at the Rockefeller Center, the work was sold for only $121,160,000 (107,061,310 Swiss francs, commissions and taxes included), a record amount for a work of surrealism, which is also making it one of the most expensive paintings in history at auction.
This painting is part of a series of untitled paintings by the Belgian painter (1898-1967) symbolizing the play of light and shadow that he loved so much. It represents the paradoxical image of a house at night, lit only by a street lamp, under a blue sky during the day.
The picture inspired the American director William Friedkin for the famous horror film The Exorcist (1973). It was part of the private collection of Mica Ertegun, an interior designer who fled communist Romania to settle in the United States, where she became an influential figure in the art world. She died at the age of 97 at the end of 2023, she was the wife of Ahmet Ertegun, the music mogul who founded the record company Atlantic Records, famous for “signing” Led Zeppelin.
Records after slowdown in art market from 2023
The previous record stood for a work by René Magritte that was sold at auction for $79 million in 2022, again for a painting from the “Empire of Lights” series.
The sale of this work was expected to be the main event of this week of fall sales in New York, while the art market has slowed down since 2023, after a higher festival than 2022 when which the coronavirus pandemic was released.
Christie’s, an auction company controlled by Artémis, a holding company of the Pinault family, announced sales of $2.1 billion in the first half of 2024, down for the second year in a row after a peak of $4.1 billion a arriving in 2022.
In the same auction Tuesday evening, Ed Ruscha’s painting, “Standard Station, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn in Half,” sold for $68.260 million, setting a new auction record for this surviving figure of American pop art (86 Years old).
2024-11-20 04:47:00
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Guest 1: Prove to be engaging with thoughtful and insightful, sharing their knowledge of René Magritte’s career and the significance of “The Empire of Lights” painting. They should also provide context about the state of the art market in recent years and any potential trends or shifts in collector interests.
Guest 2: Display a deep understanding of the surrealist movement and its impact on contemporary art. They should be able to discuss the historical context of the painting, its influence on film and popular culture, and the significance of its sale in the global art market.
Section 1: Introduction to the interview guests and their expertise
– What are your respective backgrounds in the art world? How did you first become interested in surrealism and René Magritte’s work?
Section 2: Discussion on the significance of “The Empire of Lights” painting
– Can you describe the painting’s unique style and composition? What makes it so iconic in the surrealist movement?
– How did “The Empire of Lights” influence other artists and pop culture, especially in the horror genre?
– What do you think about the price at which it was sold? Does it reflect the current state of the art market, or is there something more to it?
Section 3: Impact of the surrealist movement on contemporary art
- How has the sale of this painting affected the perception of Magritte and surrealist art in general? Will we see more interest in surrealist works in the future?
– Are there any emerging surrealist artists that you believe deserve more recognition?
Section 4: Future of the art market
– What are some of the challenges facing the art market today, especially after a slowdown in sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
– How do you see the role of technology, such as NFTs and digital art, impacting the traditional art market?
Section 5: Closing thoughts and final remarks
– What do you hope people will take away from this sale and its significance in the world of art?
– Are there any other notable art sales or exhibitions that you would recommend checking out in the near future?
Additionally, feel free to ask follow-up questions based on the guests’ responses to explore their perspectives further and engage in a
