Art Auctions 2017: Magritte’s ‘La Corde Sensible’ To Be Offered By Christie’s For An Estimated $17.5M, Report Says

Christie’s auction house is offering one of the biggest works by surrealist painter Rene Magritte at an estimated price of 14 million pounds ($17.5 million) at the end of the month, possibly setting a record for the acclaimed artist.

“La Corde Sensible,” or “Heartstrings,” will be displayed by Christie’s at its London showroom on Feb. 23, following which it will be offered on Feb. 28, the auction house told the Associated Press (AP) on Monday.

Magritte, who received recognition for his work later in his life, reportedly described his paintings by saying: “My painting is visible images which conceal nothing; they evoke mystery and, indeed, when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question, ‘What does that mean?’ It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing, it is unknowable.”

“La Corde Sensible” was painted by the artist in 1960 and gifted to his wife. It shows a crystal champagne glass in a lush river plain with mountains at a distance. A white frothy cloud appears to be settled on top of the glass. It was later sold by the couple and has been a part of a private collection in Belgium, his country of origin, since 1990, the AP reported.

“Heartstrings,” at almost 4 feet by 5 feet, is reportedly one of the largest works in oil by the painter. Christie’s deputy chairman of Impressionist and Modern Art, Olivier Camu, told the AP that the painting “is the most striking painting by Magritte that we have sold at auction” since “The Dominion of Lights” was sold for almost $12.7 million in 2002.

While that was a record for a work by Magritte at the time, Sotheby's – a rival auction house – sold his “Le Beau Monde” for $12.9 million in 2014, trumping the previous number.