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The art, titled “Empire of Light (L’Empire des lumieres),” sold for $121 million at a Christie’s auction in New York on Tuesday.
A painting by Rene Magritte that shattered an auction record for the surrealist artist | Image/X@ChristiesInc
Rene Magritte, known for his surreal work of art, has shattered auction records for any of his works by selling a painting for an astonishing $121 million at a Christie’s auction in New York on Tuesday.
The art, titled “Empire of Light (L’Empire des lumieres),” sold for $121,160,000, achieving a “world-record” price for the artist, according to auction house Christie’s.
The painting, which features a house at night illuminated by a streetlamp beneath a bright blue sky, is part of a series by the Belgian artist that explores the contrast between light and shadow.
That’s a wrap on our first night of 20th and 21st Century Art auctions in New York, led by Mica Ertegun’s René Magritte’s masterpiece, ‘L’empire des lumières’ setting a new world record at US$121,160,000.Join us on Thursday for the 21st Century Evening Sale at 7pm EST:… pic.twitter.com/fyUqxkhJWW
— Christie’s (@ChristiesInc) November 20, 2024
In the records, a seminal 1954 painting had been valued at $95 million, and the previous record for Magritte’s work (1898-1967) was $79 million, set in 2022.
The “Empire of Light” was part of the private collection of Mica Ertegun, an interior designer who fled Romania and established herself in the United States, becoming a significant figure in the art world.
She took her last breath in 2024 and was married to the late Ahmet Ertegun, the music magnate who founded the Atlantic Records label.
The Magritte painting’s sale was a highly anticipated highlight of this week’s autumn auction season in New York, given the slowdown in the art market since last year, according to reports.
Christie’s, owned by the Pinault family’s investment holding company, Artemis, reported total sales of $2.1 billion in the first half of this year.
- Location :
New York, United States of America (USA)