Rene Magritte - original pencil drawing - mid 20th Century

This is an original pencil drawing by Rene Magritte, a leading surrealist and one of the most famous artists of the 20th Century. The drawing is guaranteed to be authentic and is signed 'Dongo'. Studio Dongo was Magrittes production studio and you can read more about this below. It is a study of a man at work with another man slumped next to him - possibly a political comment. Written in red pen is a message in French and other annotations in pencil. The paper has been stuck to a piece of card and shows wear. A rare chance to own an original Magritte drawing at an affordable price.

Provenance
Private collection of Stephen Baring. Collection includes two inherited collections and twenty five years of personal collecting. The collection numbers well over 1,000 works of art and a number will be sold over the coming weeks to fund a project.

Magritte:

René François Ghislain Magritte (1898 - 1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist, whose creative output is extensive and varied. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images that fell under the umbrella of surrealism; images that challenge observers' preconditioned perceptions of reality. His work frequently displays a collection of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things. The use of objects as other than what they seem is typified in his painting,The Treachery of Images (La trahison des images), which shows a pipe that looks as though it is a model for a tobacco store advertisement. Magritte painted below the pipe "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" ("This is not a pipe"), which seems a contradiction, but is actually true: the painting is not a pipe, it is an image of a pipe. Popular interest in Magritte's work rose considerably in the 1960s, and his imagery has influenced pop, minimalist and conceptual art. Recent exhibitions of his work have included the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and the Gagosian Gallery in New York, and his painting L'Empire des Lumieres, sold for over 12 million pounds at auction at Christie's New York, in May 2002.

Dongo Studio:

In addition to his painting, Magritte moonlighted as a commercial artist for almost fifty years, using his talents to create advertising, wallpaper design, propaganda posters and fashion illustration. Magritte took up advertising for two reasons: firstly because it offered him the opportunity to make artistic experiments, and secondly because it enabled him to cover small expenses.In 1930 financial considerations had led Magritte to join forces with his brother Paul to establish 'Studio Dongo', a commercial design enterprise which operated out of a shed at the bottom of his garden in Rue Esseghem, Brussels. It soon turned into a full-time professional activity for Magritte. It must be noted, however, that this activity was secondary: Magritte took it up only because he was in financial difficulty. The Studio Dongo adverts faithfully follow the rules of advertising: their messages are neutral and simple. Magritte's only concern was for efficacy, transparency, and clarity, and this is reflected in the simplicity of the ads, which simply feature the name of the brand and an illustration.

A genuine drawing by a famous artist that will be much admired in your home or office. Will provide an excellent financial investment as well as a possession to enjoy. You are welcome to return for a full refund if you are not entirely happy. Also, please feel free to view at our central London showroom.