Chiswick Auctions’ upcoming Modern and Impressionist Art Sale on 14 November features a special group of works by René Magritte (Belgian, 1898–1967), alongside two personal items from his estate: a suitcase and a hat once owned by the artist himself.
These pieces were originally sold in The Remaining Contents of the Studio of René Magritte; The Property of the Late Georgette Berger, Widow of René Magritte, held at Sotheby’s on 2 July 1987. Their reappearance on the market offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire works directly connected to one of the most important creators of twentieth-century surrealist art.
This is the only signed drawing in the group and features multiple studies on the recto, most notably a figure of a woman stepping from a wardrobe. This image recalls Magritte’s recurring exploration of women and cupboards, motifs found throughout his oeuvre that examine concealment, identity, and the mysterious inner self.
In works such as The Human Condition (1933) and The Window, Magritte juxtaposes the familiar and the concealed, blurring the line between what is visible and what is hidden. The wardrobe, a domestic object associated with privacy and concealment, becomes a metaphor for the unconscious and the repressed. By pairing it with the female figure, Magritte invites reflection on the tension between appearance and reality. This theme lies at the heart of his surrealist philosophy.
This delicate study revisits one of Magritte’s most recognisable motifs: the man seen from behind. Frequently depicted in a bowler hat and suit, this anonymous figure embodies mystery and introspection. By concealing the face, Magritte shifts the viewer’s focus from identity to perception, prompting questions about the unknowable nature of the self and others.
The motif recurs in works such as The Mysteries of the Horizon (1955) and Not to Be Reproduced (1937). These paintings, like the present study, reveal Magritte’s fascination with the philosophical interplay between self-image, the gaze, and the nature of existence.
These two studies exemplify Magritte’s ability to transform ordinary household objects into symbols of the uncanny.
Clocks frequently appear in Magritte’s paintings, challenging our conventional sense of time and logic. Unlike Dalí’s melting clocks, Magritte’s are precise yet strangely out of place, suggesting stillness rather than fluidity. In Time Transfixed (1938), for instance, a clock sits calmly above a fireplace where a train emerges from the wall, a juxtaposition that destabilises everyday reality. Exploring the paradoxes of temporal experience, suggesting that time is not as linear or objective as it appears.
The accompanying study of a hairbrush similarly reimagines a mundane object as something deeply psychological. For Magritte, the brush symbolised the act of self-presentation and the construction of identity. By placing such objects in unexpected contexts, he invites viewers to reconsider the boundary between the ordinary and the extraordinary.
Lot 34: Studies of the Female Nude A group of sketches. Estimate £1,000 - £2,000
The group of drawings in Lot 34 demonstrates Magritte’s distinct approach to the female nude. His studies transcend traditional representations, combining sensuality with philosophical inquiry. Unlike classical nudes that idealise beauty, Magritte’s female figures often appear fragmented, veiled, or intertwined with surreal elements.
In works such as The Rape (1934) and The Great War (1964), he uses the body as a site of transformation, reflecting on the relationship between physicality, desire, and perception. These sketches offer a rare insight into the artist’s process and his exploration of identity through the human form.
Lot 35: Collection of sketches, to include nude and fumme studies. Estimate £1,000– £2,000
Perhaps the most unique sketch in this collection, study of a cigarette recalls Magritte’s enduring interest in objects and representation. It directly relates to one of his most famous works, The Treachery of Images (1929), featuring the inscription “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (“This is not a pipe”).
As with the pipe, the cigarette becomes a symbol for the separation between image and reality. Magritte reminds us that the drawing is not the object itself but merely a representation. This philosophical distinction underpins much of his art, encouraging viewers to question perception, language and meaning.
Lot 36: René Magritte's (Belgian, 1898-1967) Hat and Suitcase. Estimate £1,200 - £1,800
Completing the collection are two personal items belonging to the artist. Both originate from Lot 927 in the 1987 Sotheby’s sale.
The brown suitcase, inscribed in pencil with Magritte’s own address, was exhibited at the Fashion and Realism exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, in 1988. The cowboy hat, made by Stelzig’s Saddlery Co., was presented to Magritte during his visit to Texas in December 1965.
Hats are among Magritte’s most recognisable symbols. The black bowler hat, famously worn by his anonymous male figures in works such as The Son of Man and Golconda, embodies conformity and the tension between individuality and uniformity. Through repetition and surreal juxtaposition, Magritte transforms this everyday item into a visual metaphor for the mysterious nature of identity.
Together, these drawings and personal objects form an intimate portrait of Magritte’s creative process and his lifelong exploration of perception and meaning. From philosophical studies of time and identity to the familiar objects that became surreal icons, this group offers collectors and admirers a rare opportunity to engage with the private world of one of Surrealism’s greatest masters.
For a complimentary valuation of Impressionist and Modern works, please contact tess.obrien@chiswickauctions.co.uk or submit an online valuation.