Why Magritte Remains So Popular
Henri Magritte, one of my favorite artists, once said: “I want to create a mystery, not to solve it.†Does such a philosophy help explain why he remains so popular? Earlier this month, there was a sale of nine Magritte paintings, as part of Christie’s annual Art of the Surreal evening in London. Magritte is currently a darling of the market, says Olivier Camu of Christie’s, who curated the sale. He’s an artist with universal appeal, “free from all cultural, historical, religious or national associations. A pure conceptual artist.†Pictured is Magritte’s “Les compagnons de la peur,” from 1942.
