Belgian surreal artist René Magritte

They fall. A picture-object and a drawing made before 1944 by the Belgian surreal artist René Magritte (1898-1967) were sold on Saturday at an auction in Caen (north of France).

Unpublished until today in the art market, these works were preserved within the family of the poet, lawyer and Belgian surrealist filmmaker Ernst Moerman (1897-1944), who became the owner of them before his death.

The pieces were acquired for 276 thousand dollars and 108 thousand dollars, respectively.

Finding two unknown creations in the repertoire catalog, but certified by the Magritte Committee, is exceptionalexplained Solène Lainé, auctioneer in fall. Added: The origin is ideal, since they were acquired by a friend of Magritte, recognized collector of the artist.

The Magritte Committee is composed of three people from the Magritte Foundation and four international experts with access to all the necessary files to issue the certificates of authenticity, as well as to preserve and promote the work of René Magritte, Lainé explained.

The-object, acquired by phone during the auction, is an oil paint on canvas and stone 25 by 21 centimeters. A twin work entitled Le Fait Primitif (the primitive fact), Dathed in 1936, it was already registered and preserved in a private collection in New York.

The drawing, with colored pencils (27 by 24 cm), which is not a title but was called FACE NU (Forest Nude) For sale, it represents a naked woman standing with long multicolored curls.