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Galerie Berès
Jean Degottex (Sathonay-Camp 1918-1988 Paris) IMPA-VIDE (II), 1959 Oil on canvas 199 x 130 cm Signed lower right ‘Degottex’; signed, titled and dated on the back: Degottex IMPA-VIDE (II) 1959 This work will be included in the catalogue raisonné of Jean Degottex Inclusion certificate n°2023-34 issued by Comité Jean Degottex dated 21 November 2023 Provenance: private collection Exhibitions: Les Alliances, Les Dix-huit vides, Galerie internationale d'Art contemporain, séquences sonores de Pierre Henry, Paris, 26 November-31 December 1959 Jean Degottex was born in Sathonay-Camp on 25 February 1918 and died in Paris on 6 December 1988. Degottex was a French abstract painter, best known for his initial proximity to the lyrical abstraction movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In his own words, his work gradually moved from gesture and sign to writing, and then from writing to line. Considered a major artist of abstraction in the second half of the 20th century, he drew inspiration from Far Eastern calligraphy and Zen philosophy to achieve the obliteration of the creative subject. In 1958, he joined the Galerie internationale d'art contemporain, directed by Maurice d'Arquian. There he rubbed shoulders with Pierre Henry, Yves Klein and Maurice Béjart. He became better known abroad, particularly in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and Germany. The period from 1956 to 1963 was particularly productive. He worked in series/suites: suite Ashkénazi (1957), suite Serto (March-April, November 1957), suite des Hagakure (November 1957), les 18 Vides (1959), suite des Roses (1960), suite des Alliances (1960), les 7 Métasignes (1961), Jshet (1962). Many of his works were then entitled Écriture, Suite Écriture. EXHIBITION Les Alliances, Les Dix-huit vides, Galerie internationale d'Art contemporain, sound sequences by Pierre Henry, Paris, 26 November-31 December 1959 Jean Degottex joined Maurice d'Arquian's Galerie Internationale d'Art Contemporain in 1958. Maurice d'Arquian was particularly keen on the confrontation between different forms of creation. He organised performances in his gallery and brought the composer Pierre Henry into contact with the painter. In 1959, the artist exhibited Alliances, eighteen empty forms, and Pierre Henry produced sound sequences inspired by the 18 empty spaces on display. The music will be played throughout the exhibition. The title ‘IMPA-Vide’ (II) corresponds to the eighteen forms of emptiness listed in the Mahâ-prajnâpâramitâ (The Treatise on the Great Virtue of Wisdom).
Herwig Simons Fine Arts
Manierist Mascaron Italy, mid 16th century Istrian marble H 50 x W 40 cm An expressive Mascaron in Istrian marble of a lion's head holding a ring in his mouth. Istrian marble was widely used during the Renaissance, particularly in Venetian architecture, and its soft tones beautifully complement the intricate details of the lion's face and ring. This design is symbolic: lions represented strength, protection, and authority and gave the building grandeur, serving as a sculptural accent that elevates the aesthetic quality of the entrance or facade.
Galerie des Modernes
pablo picasso
Pablo Picasso (Malaga 1881-1973 Mougins) Moustachu, Paris, 1915 Graphite on paper 32 x 24 cm Pencil sketch on reverse Handwritten inscriptions on reverse Provenance: succession Picasso (Inv. 01666); Marina Picasso, granddaughter of the artist; Galerie Jan Krugier, Geneva (Inv. 1666), entrusted by Marina Picasso; Marina Picasso Literature: Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso, vol. 6, Supplément aux volumes 1 à 5, Paris, Éditions Cahiers d'Art, Paris, 1954, described (with dimensions 31.7 x 23.7 cm) and reproduced p. 152 under n° 1276; Pablo Picasso Sammlung Marina Picasso, catalogue of the travelling exhibition in Germany and Switzerland, by Werner Spies with the collaboration of Eduard Beaucamp, Giovanni Carandente, Klauss Gallwitz, Siegfried Gohr, Reinhold Hohl and Günter Metken, Prestel-Verlag, Munich, 1981, described in the catalogue by Reinhold Hohl on p. 284 and reproduced on p. 285 under n° 103; Picasso: Opere dal 1895 al 1971 dalla Collezione Marina Picasso, exh. cat. of the Centro di Cultura di Palazzo Grassi, Venice, 1981, described (with the title Studio per un uomo seduto and the date Avignon 1914?) on p. 246 and reproduced on p. 247 under n° 123; Picasso, catalogue of the Australian exhibition, by Patrick Mc Caughey, Margaret Plant, Memory Holloway, Ruth Pullin, Judith Ryan, The International Cultural Corporation of Australia Limited, 1984, described and reproduced on p. 82 as n° 75 Exhibitions: Pablo Picasso Sammlung Marina Picasso, Eine Ausstellung zum hundertsten Geburtstag, travelling exhibition in Germany and Switzerland, under n° 103; Haus des Kunst München, Munich, February 14 to April 20, 1981; Joseph-Haubricht-Kunsthalle, Cologne, in cooperation with Museum Ludwig, Cologne, August 11-October 11, 1981; Städtische Galerie in the Städelschen Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main, October 22, 1981-January 10, 1982; Kunsthaus, Zürich, January 29, 1982-March 28, 1982; Picasso: Opere dal 1895 al 1971 dalla Collezione Marina Picasso, Centro di Cultura di Palazzo Grassi, Venice, May-June 1981, under n° 123; Picasso. Works from the Marina Picasso Collection in collaboration with Galerie Jan Krugier, Geneva with loans from museums in Europe and the United States of America and private collections, in Australia, under n° 75; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, July 28-September 23, 1984; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sidney, from October 10 to December 2, 1984; Michel Charzat, Derain et ses amis. La Pléiade prodigieuse, Editions Gourcuff Gradenigo, Montreuil, 2024, described and reproduced in colour under the figure n° 11, p. 63
COLNAGHI
willem adriaensz key
Willem Adriaensz Key (Breda 1515/16-1568 Antwerp) The Crucifixion, circa 1550 Oil on panel 102 x 74 cm Signed on the cross: W. KAY Provenance: private collection, Belgium, until 2023; acquired from the above Literature: Koenraad Jonckheere, Willem Key (1516-1568): Portrait of a Humanist Painter, Turnhout, 2011 This signed panel is a recently rediscovered work by Willem Key. Key is most known for his portrait paintings, which account for roughly two-thirds of his known output. However, he was also a gifted painter of historical and religious subjects - this picture is a testament to Key’s powerful religious achievements, several of which were destroyed during the Iconoclastic Fury, or Beeldenstorm, that swept the Low Countries and famously struck Antwerp in 1566. Willem Key was a prominent sixteenth-century painter from Antwerp, then one of the greatest commercial and artistic centres of Europe. Recognised for his exceptional talents, Key enjoyed high social and artistic status, earning the admiration of both local nobility and international figures, including Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba, and Antoine Perrenot, Cardinal Granvelle.
Galerie Nicolas Bourriaud
Eva Aeppli (Switzerland, Zofingen 1925-2015 Honfleur, France) Taureau Floréal, 1991 Bronze with shaded brown patina H 36 x W 23 x D 24.5 cm Titled 'Taureau Floréal' and numbered 6/8 Cast by Susse Frères Paris, stamped 'Resygram' This proof, number 6, was commissioned by the artist and cast by the Susse foundry in July 1991 Pursuing her questioning of humanity by linking it to the cosmos, Eva Aeppli found in astrology a spiritual and formal repertoire in which she could work tirelessly for almost two decades. After the Planets (1975-1976), then the Erinyes (1977), goddesses of vengeance from Greek mythology, whom she associated with Pluto, Neptune and Uranus, she tackled the Zodiac (1979-1980), each of the 12 heads expressing the character of the astrological signs; such is the case of Taurus, with its heavy sensory appetites. The result is a striking head sewn in fabric and partly cast in bronze, with refined yet eminently expressive features, the scars drawn by the seams on the surface. It's a confrontation that leaves no viewer untouched. From a private collection in France, this head is remarkably in keeping with her tormented path as a creator who cannot be assigned to any particular artistic movement, which is what makes it so exceptional.
Galeries AB & BA
jean degottex
Jean Degottex (Sathonay-Camp 1918-1988 Paris) Gidayu III, 1961 Oil on cardboard mounted on canvas 120 x 80 cm Signed and dated lower right Signed, dated and titled at the back Certificate of authenticity issued in 2021 Provenance: private collection Literature: Degottex, Jean Frémon, Editions du regard, 1986, p. 282 © Bertrand Michau. Courtesy Galerie Berthet-Aittouarès
Klaas Muller
Frans Snijders (Antwerp, 1579-1659) Kitchen interior with two dogs, offal and a basket with fruits and vegetables, circa 1620 Oil on canvas 113 x 183 cm Signed upper left: F. SNIJDERS. Fecit Provenance: sale Campo, Antwerp, 13-15 December 1966, lot 90; sale Sotheby’s, London, 7 October 1981, lot 123, ill. p. 89; sale Sotheby’s, London, 7 July 1982, lot 233, ill.; private collection, Belgium In a kitchen, a dog (a Friesian Wetterhound) guards its booty from another dog that appears on the left. Apparently, he has pulled away from his chain and is not giving up his booty (entrails) lightly. On the right of the painting, we see an overturned basket with artichokes, asparagus, a lemon and apples. At the top left, the painting is proudly signed 'F. SNIJDERS.FECIT'. Frans Snijders had a predilection for depicting dogs and they appear frequently in his oeuvre. About seven -mostly larger works as is the case here- can be named as scenes in larders or front rooms of kitchens. The theme is usually similar: a dog defends its stolen loot against another dog (e.g. a painting on loan with a similar theme among others in the Snijders-Rockoxhuis 'Larder with dogs and a cows head'). It remains conjecture whether Snijders was pursuing a metaphor or deeper symbolism with this theme. However: each time, he shows himself to be a fantastic cinematographer and manages to render a scene just before the climax through which he builds the tension. Also typical is the dog's head on the left, which is only partially depicted (cut off from the composition it seems) which generates even more movement. The textures of the fur, meat, vegetables and fruit are fantastically rendered.
Epoque Fine Jewels
chaumet
Chaumet Art Deco bracelet Emerald and diamond bracelet of geometrical design by Chaumet, set throughout with old European cut and old single cut diamonds, highlighted with six engraved, baton-shaped Colombian emeralds, with rose cut diamond and black enamel caps, mounted in platinum and gold. Total emerald weight: approx. 14,67 ct. Total diamond weight: approx. 13,67 ct. Accompanied by the Chaumet certificate of authenticity Paris, December 1930
Sylvia Kovacek – Vienna
gustav klimt
Gustav Klimt (Baumgarten 1862-1918 Vienna) Standing nude, hands on the hips, 1911 Pencil on paper 57.1 x 37.5 cm Provenance: private collection, USA, courtesy Serge Sabarsky Gallery, New York; private collection, Japan; 110. auction Klipstein und Kornfeld, Bern 1963, n° 536 (pl. 69); private collection Hikonobu Ise, Japan Literature: The Ise Collection, Ise Lifedesign House, Japan 1984, ill. n° 12; Alice Strobl, Gustav Klimt. Die Zeichnungen 1904-1912, vol. II, Salzburg 1982, catalogue raisonné n° 2023, p. 252f
Galeria Jordi Pascual
josé guerrero
José Guerrero (Granada 1914-1991 Barcelona) El Alba, 1967 Oil on canvas 146 x 114 cm Certificate of authenticity by Comité José Guerrero Provenance: Elliot M. Katz Living Trust, EE.UU; Galería Juana Mordó, Madrid; Galeria Buchholz, Lisbon Literature: Francisco Baena, Serge Guibault, Juan Antonio Ramírez, Yolanda Romero and Inés Vellejo Ulecia, José Guerrero Catálogo Razonado, Vol I 1931-1969, Ed. Diputación de Granada, 2008, p. 564, fig. 460 Exhibition: Galería Buchholz, Lisbon, 'José Guerrero', April 1967
Valerio Turchi
Diana Venatrix Roman, 2nd century AD Marble H 103 x W 45 x D 26 cm Accompanied by Art Loss Register certificate: S00217922 Provenance: the former collection of an art dealer, USA; Sotheby’s New York, Antiquities and Islamic Art, 1-2 March 1984, lot.73; then former collection of the explorer and adventurer J. Stephen Fosset (1944-2007); acquired in London, 21 October 1986
Galerie Lowet de Wotrenge
Frans Francken I or Frans Francken the Elder (Antwerp, 1542-1616) The Amazons fighting at Troy, circa 1600 Oil on copper 34 x 41.5 cm With thanks to Dr. Ursula Häerting for confirming the attribution to Frans I Francken and for providing a written certificate Provenance: sale, Christie's London, 13 March 1987, lot 31; private collection, Mallorca Frans I 'the Elder' Francken was born in Herentals in 1542. His father, Nicolaas Francken, was an obscure painter whose oeuvre remains unknown, but can be seen as the founding father of one of the most important dynasties of artists in the Southern Netherlands. Both Frans and his siblings Ambrosius and Hieronymus - who were to become painters as well - were first taught by their father. Karel van Mander mentions in his Schilder-boeck that Frans was later a pupil of the leading Antwerp Romanist painter Frans Floris. He became a member of the Antwerp guild of St Luke in 1567, and served several times as its dean. Frans Francken married Elisabeth Mertens; the couple had many children, of whom six were still alive at the time of his death in 1616: Thomas, Frans ('the Younger'), Hieronymus, Ambrosius, Magdalena and Elisabeth. The four sons all became painters and received their initial training from their father, who also taught several other pupils, such as Gortzius Geldorp. Much like his teacher Frans Floris, Frans Francken was one of the principal painters in Antwerp in the initial decades of the Counter-Reformation, working on many altar pieces which were commissioned to replace the ones that had been destroyed by the iconoclasm of the Calvinists. For these projects he regularly collaborated with his brothers; for example, for an Adoration of the Magi triptych (Brussels, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and London, Brompton Oratory), which bears his monogram as well as that of his brother Hieronymus (along with both brothers' portraits in profile, which they impishly included in the wings of the tryptich). Stylistically, Frans' early work was clearly indebted to Frans Floris; later on he developed his own, more classicising style, although he remained first and foremost a mannerist painter. He seems to have been skilled at portraiture, too. Besides large-scale pictures, he also produced small-size cabinet pictures, often painted on copper - a genre in which his son Frans II would excel. The present work is a beautiful example of such production, and a valuable addition to the small body of work that can be attributed to him in this genre, as has been confirmed by Dr. Ursula Härting in a written certificate dated October 4th, 2023. She dates the present work to around 1600, or possibly a bit earlier. This small oil on copper depicts the Amazons fighting in front of the city of Troy, which can be seen in the background. According to Homer's Iliad, the Amazon queen Penthesilea had led her troops to Troy in support of King Priam in his fight against the Greeks. The queen, who can be seen in the foreground spearing a hapless Greek, was a fearless warrior who could best any man (according to one version of the story, she even killed Achilles, who was however subsequently brought back to life by Zeus). Ultimately, however, Penthesilea was slain by Achilles, who - according to some authors - fell deeply in love with her at the very moment of her death.
Galerie Cento Anni
andré lanskoy
André Lanskoy (Moscow 1903-1976 Paris) Abstract composition, 1961-1962 Oil on canvas 73 x 100 cm Signed Lanskoy Certificate of the Comité Lanskoy-Paris This work will be included in the artist's catalogue raisonné Provenance: Galerie E. Smith, Paris; Galerie Ivana de Gavardie, Paris
Florian Kolhammer
josef hoffmann
Josef Hoffmann (Brtnice 1870-1956 Vienna) Vase with etched decoration 'Orange Opal Aussen Schwarz' Mould-blown glass, etched decoration H 8 x Ø 11.5 cm Designed by Josef Hoffmann and executed by Johann Loetz Witwe, one of only two pieces, executed either in 1911 or 1914 Provenance: private collection Prague, Czechia Literature: A. Adlerova, E. Ploil, H. Ricke, T. Vlcek (ed.), Loetz-Böhmisches Glas 1880-1940, vol. I, Werkmonographie, Prestel publ., Munich 1989, p. 271 (similar vase in the museum Bergreichenstein); A. Adlerova, E. Ploil, H. Ricke, T. Vlcek (ed.), Loetz-Böhmisches Glas 1880-1940, vol. II, paper pattern catalogue, Prestel, Munich 1989, paper pattern 8031, p. 218; Jitka Lnenickova, Loetz/Series II. Paper Patterns for Glass from 1900 to 1914, Museum Sumavy, Susice 2011, n° II-8031, p. 755; Waltraud Neuwirth, Loetz Austria 1905-1918, Glass, self-published Dr. Waltraud Neuwirth, Vienna 1986, depiction 303, p. 323 In the early 1910s, Josef Hoffmann had reached the peak of his creative powers. He was very well connected in the art scene of the time and carried out commissions for both private individuals and the state. The etched glass vases that he had made by the Loetz glass manufactory for the winter exhibition at the Austrian Museum of Art and Industry in 1911 are certainly amongst his most important decorative arts designs from this period.
Galerie Berès
Olivier Debré (Paris, 1920-1999) 'Tout vert, taches violettes et jaunes', 1986 Oil on canvas 113.4 x 162 cm Signed, titled, situated and dated on the back 'O.DEBRÉ 'Tout vert, taches violettes et jaunes' Touraine 86' Certificate of authenticity COD.23.490 issued by Sylvie Debré-Huerre dated 20 November 2023 Exhibition: Lausanne, Fondation de l'Hermitage, Basquiat, Dubuffet, Soulages... une collection privée, June-October 2016, p. 195, n° 115
Galerie Berès
maurice denis
Maurice Denis (Granville 1870-1943 Paris) Les Fées, circa 1891 Oil on cardboard 23 x 30.3 cm Signed lower left 'MAVD'; titled upper right 'LES FEES' Provenance: Arthur Huc Literature: Le Talisman de Serusier, une prophétie de la couleur, Musée Pont-Aven, 30 June 2018-6 January 2019, p. 98, n° 42 Exhibitions: Au temps des Nabis, Paris, Huguette Berès, 29 May-20 July 1990, n° 46; Maurice Denis, Paris, Huguette Berès, 4 June-22 July 1992, n° 14; Le Talisman de Serusier, une prophétie de la couleur, Musée Pont-Aven, 30 June 2018-6 January 2019, p. 98, n° 42 1891 was a pivotal year in the life of the young French painter Maurice Denis. Painted in 1891, Les fées dates from the key moment when Denis's art was becoming more synthetic. He belonged to the young Nabis group, which was mainly concerned with decorative paintings. This scene, which is the 2nd version of the subject, is considered to be one of the most faithful to the spirit of Pont-Aven. The emerald of the meadow, the black of the forest edge, their counterpoint of ochres and yellows of the path, the black of four silhouettes, are they not echoes of Gauguin saying: ‘of colour alone as the language of the listening eye...’? In this painting, executed in Brittany, Maurice Denis illustrates the tradition according to which ‘The Fairies’ made wishes when a child was born. The scene, set on the edge of the forest, their domain par excellence, shows, on the right, the young mother dressed in red and the nannies dressed in black and white presenting a small child to a group of four fairies dressed in black; two of them are wearing white headdresses. By using pure colours in large flat areas, Maurice Denis put into practice the theories he had made his own, ... the watchword, the common principle is to exalt colour and simplify form. Arthur HUC, a French politician and journalist, was director of La Dépêche du Midi and organised the famous Nabis exhibition in Toulouse in 1894. In 1892, Maurice Denis produced the only advertising poster he ever did for his newspaper.
Kunsthaus Kende
Yoshiko Okamoto (Japan, Yamaguchi 1976) Hagiawase jardinière, 2014 Silver, copper, shakudo, shibuichi H 11.4 x W 26.8 x D 8.4 cm A navette-shaped form, with the wall subtly tapering towards the ends and the base sloping upwards, analogous to the ends. The upper rim terminates in a square moulding. The body is adorned with an abstract frieze of foliage in alternating colours at alternating heights, which is subdivided by a subtle linear decoration. The pattern has been obtained using the traditional Japanese hagiawase technique. A masterfully crafted jardinière or flower planter of outstanding quality, brilliant finesse and unobtrusive elegance. The Japanese artist-silversmith and designer Yoshiko Okamoto (born in 1976 in Yamaguchi) began his career as an illustrator in Yamaguchi Prefecture, her favourite themes being the four seasons and depictions of the beauty of Japanese nature. She took part in arts and crafts courses under the guidance of the metal artist and living national treasure Akira Yamamoto (also from Yamaguchi Prefecture) while still at school, which awakened her interest in traditional Japanese metalworking techniques. After leaving school, she became a master student of Yamamoto, learning the special techniques of hagiawase (hot soldering with metal forging) and kiribame-zogan (heat-welding of cut-out inlays). Her preferred subject has remained unchanged throughout her artistic career: the endless story of nature, woven from the four seasons, into which she incorporates her artistic perspectives, represented by masterful colour gradations of several layers of metal. The traditional Japanese forging technique known as hagiawase (Japanese for ‘brazing’) consists of joining together different types of metal sheets. This technique makes it possible to create metalwork with striped or patchwork patterns. After joining, the artist shapes the metal with a hammer. The work often consists of silver (white), different types of shibuichi (a copper-silver alloy that appears grey) and shakudo (a copper-gold alloy that appears black). The surface of shibuichi becomes light grey when silver is added, the addition of copper makes the colour appear progressively darker depending on the quantity, and the addition of gold makes it dark grey. These metal alloy plates are cut with a fine saw to produce the desired pattern. These plates are joined together with silver and then melted with a gas burner to bond the pieces together. Alternatively, hotter flames are used to bond the different metals together directly. Since it is not possible to produce the pattern exactly as designed each time, Yoshiko Okamoto performs this hagiawase process several times until she has produced the desired number of patterns. When the pattern plates are finished, she grinds the inside to smooth out the unevenness caused by the soldering. She then begins to mould the metal by driving it with a hammer. Once the basic shape has been created, the pattern of white dots is incorporated: for this purpose she drills holes with a drill of maximum 1 mm diameter, inserts a short-cut round wire made of pure silver into the hole and fixes the protruding part of the silver by hammering. The protruding part is then removed to make it level with the surface. This technique is known in Japanese as Kiribame-zogan. The surface is then hand-sanded using coarser abrasive media, the grain of which becomes progressively finer during the sanding process, ultimately resulting in a high lustre. Once all the sections have been completed, the inner surface of the piece is sanded again with coarse sandpaper and the edges of the individual parts are harmonised. The metal plates are then assembled to form the three-dimensional workpiece, fixed together with wire and the segments soldered together. Finally, the surface is preserved using the traditional Japanese patination technique Niiro.
Samuel Vanhoegaerden Gallery
Panamarenko (Antwerp 1940-2019 Brakel) Archaeopterix III, 1990 Mixed media sculpture: balsa, strings, twelve servos, electronic chips ... H 36 x W 33 x D 25 cm Signed Certificate of authenticity by the Panamarenko Foundation dated 2 October 2024 Provenance: Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York Literature: Toyama-The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura, 1992, n° 47, ill.; Moderne Museet, Stockholm, Metafor och Materia, Panamarenko, Rollof, Shannon, 1991, ill. p. 78; Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Deurle, Belgium, Selectie Belgische Kunstenaars voor Documenta IX, Deurle, 1992, ill. p. 114; H. Theys, Panamarenko: A book by Hans Theys, Brussels, 1992, ill. Exhibitions: Ronny Van de Velde Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium, Nam Jun Paik-Joseph Beuys-Panamarenko, 1990; Städtische Galerie im Lehnbachhaus, Munich, Paradoxe des Alltags, 1991; The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Irony by Vision, 1991; International Art Center, Hasselt, Panamarenko, 1991; Toyama-The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura, 1992; The Bunkamura Museum of Art, Tokyo, 1992; The National Museum of Art, Osaka, 1993; Fukuyama Museum of Modern Art, Fukuyama, 1993
Alexis Lartigue
René Magritte (Lessines 1898-1967 Brussels) Les Grâces naturelles, circa 1953 Red chalk on paper 47 x 36.7 cm Signed lower right Signed and titled on the reverse lower right Certificate of authenticity by Comité Magritte Provenance: La Sirène gallery, Brussels; private collection; sale Sotheby's, Paris; private collection, Paris 'If we imagine young girls blossoming, we can also acknowledge a bird in bloom. The emergence of this bird is as delightful as the sunrise'. René Magritte The bird-plant in this beautiful chalk drawing, Les Grâces naturelles, is an emblematic and recurring theme of Magritte's art. This particularly graceful model of metamorphosis was cquired from the Belgian artist in 1953 by Raymond Becquevort, founder of the La Sirène gallery in Brussels. Frequented by Ponge, Artaud and Michaud, it was a major hub for the surrealist intelligentsia; a place where words discovered images. Magritte began developing the theme of the bird-plant in 1942, when Belgium was under Nazi occupation. He adapted this theme into infinite variations moving from chalk to gouache, then onto canvas. So often symbols of hope, here birds are poetic and neurasthenic metaphors. The assimilation of the naturally-mobile bird with the plant that is rooted deep in the earth, contributes to a troubled state of mind.