Two recently discovered sketches by Belgian artist René Magritte (1898-1967) will be auctioned in Brussels on 12 December.
On Friday, Arenberg Auctions announced the sale of two previously unknown drawings by Belgium's most famous surrealist artist, René Magritte.
One sketch is in charcoal and the other in pencil. Both belonged to Belgian art critic Arthur Tommelein (1912-1981).
Arenberg believes Tommelein found the drawings at a flea market or an art gallery. His daughter inherited the drawings upon his death and has decided to auction them through the company.
The charcoal drawing depicts a nude woman from behind. On the reverse side is the same figure crossing her hands behind her back. The drawing was "presented in a cardboard frame with three different shades of purple gouache strokes." It was signed and dated by Magritte in 1920, according to Arenberg.
"This is one of the earliest human sketches by the artist, with strong lines and shaded areas indicating the beginnings of a cubist deconstruction of the human form, typical of his works from that period," said Henri Godts, a specialist at Arenberg.
The other drawing, in pencil, shows a woman sitting on a baluster chair, "a recurring element typical of Magritte's works," the organisation noted.
These sketches, authenticated by the Magritte Committee, will go up for auction on 12 December. There will be a minimum starting price of €3,000.
Last week, a version of Magritte's painting 'The Empire of Light' was auctioned in New York for a record-breaking $121,160,000 (€114 million).
