Sotheby's to auction René Magritte's "L'Empire des Lumières"
Rene Magritte - LEmpire des lumieres - 1961
In March 2022, Sotheby's will auction one of the versions of "L'Empire des Lumières" –arguably René Magritte's masterpiece- with a presale estimate in excess of $60 million.
Image: René Magritte, "L'Empire des Lumières" (1961). Oil on canvas, 114 x 146 cm.
In contrast to the paranoic-critical fantasy of Salvador Dalí and the almost abstract constellations of Joan Miró, René Magritte (1898-1967) sought to provoke through the manipulation of everyday concepts and images. An enormously prolific artist, Magritte drew inspiration from the symbolism of his compatriots William Degouve de Nuncques and Fernand Khnopff, and from the metaphysical painting of Giorgio de Chirico to develop his unique style, and went on to create some of the most famous works of Surrealism. Among them, perhaps none is as famous as "L'Empire des Lumières" (The Empire of Light), of which he painted 27 versions (17 of them on canvas). In March 2022, Sotheby's will auction one of these versions, painted in 1961, with a presale estimate in excess of $60 million.
Sotheby's has been unstinting in its praise of the version to be auctioned, calling it "one of the most desirable works of modern art in private hands", and stating that its sale in London will be “a new benchmark both for the artist and the global art market". In relation to the latter point, it is important to note that the current auction record for Magritte is the $26.8 million paid in 2018 for "Le Principe du Plaisir" (1937), also sold by Sotheby's. But as for the work in question, the following relevant sales shall be considered:
$20.6 million for the first version the work (1949, formerly in the collection of Nelson Rockefeller, 48.6×58.7 cm) at Christie's New York, November 2017.
$12.6 million for a larger version (100 x 80 cm), painted in 1952, at Christie's New York, May 2002
$3.5 million (£2.5 million) for a 100 x 80 cm version at Christie's London, June 1996
Compared to the earlier versions, the work that Sotheby's will bring to auction has the advantage of being a large work (114 x 146 cm), but from a historical point of view there is no convincing reason to consider it more important than the first version of the work, sold just four years ago. But size, at least in the art market, seems to matter quite a lot. Be that as it may, the art auction world already has its second big star for 2022, following the announcement -also by Sotheby's- of the sale of Sandro Botticelli's "The Man of Sorrows" this January.

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