Magritte’s Les Grâces Naturelles the Highlight of March’s Auction in London

The work, painted by the Belgian artist around 1961, has been part of a private collection for 25 years and on loan to the Magritte Museum in Brussels since 2009. It depicts a fantastical bird caught in the process of transformation between two states of being.

Magritte returned repeatedly to this theme in his work, creating a total of 18 canvases and several sculptures dedicated to the motif during his career. The artist was attracted to the tension of this intermediate state—his birds hover between a grounded calm and the possibility of flight. Will the dove free itself from its plant form, or will it remain forever bound to the earth? Magritte leaves the mystery of transformation to the viewer without answering the question.

The sculptural version of Les grâces naturelles from 1967 was auctioned at Christie’s two years ago for a sum that set a new auction record for Magritte’s sculptural work. Pre-auction estimates for the painting now range from £6,500,000 to £9,500,000. The work will be on display at a pre-auction exhibition beginning February 25th.

The Art of the Surreal evening auction, part of London’s 20th/21st Century Marquee Week, is the only major international auction devoted exclusively to Surrealism, its precursors, and influences. Christie’s has been holding this auction since 1989, achieving record prices.