Belgian surrealist Magritte’s artwork sells for record $121 million at auction

René Magritte’s iconic painting L’Empire des lumières (The Empire of Lights) fetched 121.16 million dollars (over 114 million euros) at an auction in New York on Tuesday, setting a new record for the Belgian surrealist artist and for any surrealist artwork sold at auction.

The 1954 oil painting was sold at auction house Christie’s in just ten minutes. An anonymous American collector placed the winning bid, which was significantly higher than the estimated 95 million dollar value.

According to Charly Herscovici of the Magritte Foundation, this is a record for Magritte at auction, though higher prices have been achieved in private sales. He calls the result “remarkable.”

Christie’s confirmed that the 121 million dollar sale marks not only the highest auction price for Magritte but also a world record for surrealist art.

The painting, measuring 146 by 114 cm, came from the collection of late interior designer Mica Ertegun, wife of Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun. Her collection also includes works by Joan Miró and David Hockney.

In addition to L’Empire des lumières, two other Magritte works sold at the auction. La cour d’amour (1960) fetched 10.5 million dollars (9.91 million euros), while La Mémoire (1945) sold for 3.68 million dollars (3.47 million euros), both within expected ranges. A 1956 gouache version of L’Empire des lumières also achieved a record price for a Magritte gouache, selling for 18.8 million dollars (17.74 million euros).

​^{During the construction of the new Magritte museum in Brussels in 2008, the building was covered with copy of “L’Empire des lumières”, the Empire of Lights © BELGA PHOTO HERWIG VERGULT}