Christie’s reveals its Surrealism sale highlights for London:

The sixteenth edition of The Art of the Surreal sale will take place at Christie’s on 28 February, following the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale and will include 35 lots that chart the history of Dada and Surrealism. Together the two auctions launch 20th Century at Christie’s, a series of sales that take place from 28 February to 10 March 2017.  Highlights include René Magritte’s La corde sensible (1960, estimate: £14,000,000-18,000,000), one of the largest oils he created, alongside his painting Le domaine d’Arnheim (1938, estimate: £6,500,000-8,500,000). A group of seven works by Max Ernst include Portrait érotique voilé (1933 and circa 1950, estimate: £1,500,000-2,500-000), offered by the artist’s family, and Les deux oiseaux (1925, estimate: £100,000-150,000) from the Personal Collection of Barbara Lambrecht, sold to benefit the Rubens Prize Collection in the Museum of Contemporary Art Siegen. The works will be exhibited in London from 23 to 28 February 2017. 

René Magritte’s La corde sensible, a composition unique in his oeuvre, exemplifies the artist’s lifelong quest to reveal and revel in the mystery that he perceived to exist within the real world. Magritte originally presented it as a gift to his wife, Georgette. Later owned by Ronald Winston, the son of the world-renowned jeweller, Harry Winston, the painting has remained in the same private collection since 1990.