MAGRITTE (René). - Lot 194

MAGRITTE (René). Born in Lessines (Belgium). 1898–1967. Belgian surrealist painter. Autograph letter signed “René Magritte” to “Dear Madam.” No place [Brussels], February 1, 1967. 1 p., large 8vo. Letterhead: “RENÉ MAGRITTE, 97 RUE DES MIMOSAS BRUSSELS 3.” The painter thanks his correspondent for the interest she showed in his exhibition during her visit to the Iolas Gallery:...The paintings I created last year required a great deal of work and attention—as you can imagine... You would like me to paint a portrait of you. Unfortunately, I gave up portrait painting a few years ago. It requires a certain kind of focus that I would find difficult to regain. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but I hope you’ll forgive me for not being able to meet your expectations...The artist has highlighted the difficulty of reconciling the reality of the world with our mental images. His paintings play on the discrepancy between an object and its representation. Regarding his painting *This Is Not a Pipe*, he stated: “That famous pipe—how often have I been criticized for it! And yet, can you fill my pipe? No, can’t you? It’s only a representation. So, if I had written beneath my painting, ‘This is a pipe,’ I would have been lying.” The gallery owner Alexandre Iolas (1907–1987) owned art galleries in New York, Paris, and Athens, where he supported avant-garde artists such as Victor Brauner and Niki de Saint-Phalle, encouraging collectors to acquire their works. A major art collector himself, he exhibited and purchased works by the Surrealists and later by avant-garde artists.