Plant with Flowers and Leaves

René Magritte

According to André Garitte (founder of the René Magritte Museum), who acquired this work from Irene Scutenaire (Magritte's principal collector) in 1991, it was made for the back of a box for Scutenaire's copy of Eluard's Examples. It is not clear whether this was the first edition of Les Nécessités de la vie et les conséquences de rêves précédés par Examples published in Paris in 1921, or the reprint with illustrations by Magritte published by Editions Lumière, Brussels, in 1946.

The oval shape of Magritte's twelve pen-and-ink drawings for the 1946 edition is echoed in this design, but whether it was painted in 1946 or at a later date, remains uncertain. The wispy style of the drawing strongly suggests a date of 1946.

René Magritte Plant with Flowers and Leaves original gouache on paper signed by artist for sale
Artist
René Magritte (1898-1967)
Title
Plant with Flowers and Leaves
Medium
Gouache on paper
Date
c. 1946
Size
8 ⅞ x 6 ½ in : 22.8 x 16.6 cm
Provenance
Gift of the artist to Louis Scutinaire, Brussels; bequeathed from Irène Scutenaire to André Garitte, 1991; Presented to the Musée Maison René Magritte, Brussels, 1994; Private Collection, London
Inscriptions
Signed by the artist in gouache within the image
Literature
D. Sylvester, rene Magritte: Catalogue Raisonné Vol. 5, p.63, 1219b (illus.)
Reference
CC16-06
Status
Currently Unavailable

Available Artists