A small army of carpenters combined traditional craftmanship with digital design tools to rebuild the medieval roof frame known as "the forest"
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Copper sculptures representing the Twelve Apostles and four New Testament Evangelists were removed for cleaning days before the fire
Faith, politics and emotion have fused in the rebuilding of the Paris cathedral partially destroyed by a fire in 2019
BY ALBERT CHEN
The surrealist art market is currently experiencing a notable period of growth, evidenced by strong auction results and heightened collector interest. Recent sales in New York, Paris, and London reflect a robust appetite for works from this historically significant movement. René Magritte’s L’empire des Lumières (1954) led the market in 2024, achieving $121.16 million at Christie’s New York—the highest price ever paid for a surrealist artwork. This sale underscores a broader trend of sustained demand for surrealist pieces, both from marquee names and historically underrepresented artists.
Across major sales, 85% of surrealist lots were sold, with a remarkable 95% success rate by value, signaling consistent interest and competition among collectors. Auction houses such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Bonhams have reported strong performances, with many works exceeding their high estimates. These outcomes suggest a strategic pivot within the art market, as buyers increasingly view surrealism as both a culturally significant and financially rewarding segment.
Key Auction Highlights
The sale of Magritte’s L’empire des Lumières was emblematic of the market’s strength. Renowned for its interplay between daylight and night, the painting attracted intense bidding, ultimately selling for $121.16 million and setting a new benchmark for the genre. This achievement was part of Christie’s sale of the Mica Ertegun collection, which realized consistently high results, including Magritte’s La cour d’amour at $10.53 million and La Mémoire at $3.68 million.
Sotheby’s Modern Evening Sale in New York reinforced this trend, achieving $11.3 million for Leonora Carrington’s La Grande Dame (1951)—a record for her sculptural work. This follows Carrington’s earlier 2024 milestone, with Les Distractions de Dagobert selling for $28.5 million in May. These results highlight increasing recognition of Carrington’s influence within surrealism and reflect a broader focus on women artists in the genre.
In Paris, Sotheby’s and Bonhams staged successful surrealist-themed auctions, with high sell-through rates and strong performances across a variety of artists. At Sotheby’s, Salvador Dalí’s Rose méditative (1958) realized €3.9 million, far exceeding its €1 million high estimate. Similarly, Jane Graverol’s La Frôleuse (1969) achieved €576,000, nearly doubling its estimate. Such results underscore a growing demand for both established and rediscovered names within surrealism.
Drivers of Market Growth
The current strength of the surrealist art market can be attributed to several key factors shaping its trajectory. First, the centennial celebrations marking 100 years since surrealism’s inception have significantly amplified its visibility. Exhibitions such as the Centre Pompidou’s Surréalisme have not only drawn attention to major works but also reinvigorated interest in lesser-known artists, creating a ripple effect across the market. The increased scholarly and institutional focus has elevated the genre’s profile among both seasoned collectors and new entrants.
Additionally, the themes central to surrealism—ambiguity, duality, and dreamlike escapism—have found renewed resonance in contemporary culture. These concepts, as epitomized by works like Magritte’s L’empire des Lumières, reflect the tensions and uncertainties of modern life while offering an imaginative refuge. This cultural alignment enhances the appeal of surrealist art, making it both timeless and increasingly relevant to today’s audiences.
Efforts to promote inclusivity within the art world have also played a crucial role in the genre’s growth. A surge of interest in underrepresented figures, particularly women surrealists, has broadened the movement’s appeal and market dynamics. The record-breaking sales of works by Leonora Carrington and strong results for artists like Kay Sage and Jane Graverol exemplify this shift.
The inclusion of diverse narratives within surrealism has not only enriched its historical narrative but also driven competitive bidding and elevated prices for works previously overlooked by the mainstream market. This confluence of institutional focus, cultural relevance, and expanded representation has positioned surrealism as a vibrant and dynamic segment of the art market, attracting both collectors seeking prestige pieces and investors looking for value appreciation.
Implications for Collectors and Investors
The sustained interest in surrealism represents a strategic opportunity for collectors. Auction results indicate that the market rewards both established masterpieces and emerging or rediscovered works, providing a range of entry points. High sell-through rates and frequent record-breaking sales suggest that surrealist art is not only culturally significant but also a stable and appreciating asset class.
As centennial celebrations conclude, the art market is likely to maintain its focus on surrealism, supported by its historical importance and enduring relevance. Collectors and investors would be well-advised to monitor the genre closely, as it continues to assert itself as a cornerstone of the modern and contemporary art markets.
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Rembrandt’s Amsterdam: lights and shadows at the Städel
From 27 November 2024 to 23 March 2025, the Städel Museum presents the exhibition “Rembrandt’s Amsterdam Golden Times?”
Source: Städel · Image: Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, “Anatomy lesson of Dr. Jan Deijman” (fragment), 1656
Amsterdam—one city with many faces. Amsterdam was the metropolis in Europe during the 17th century. The economy and trade were booming, the population rapidly increased, and the arts and sciences flourished. An influential civic society shaped the city’s fortunes, captured in important paintings by the greatest Dutch masters. First and foremost was Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, but the artists Jakob Backer, Ferdinand Bol, Govert Flinck, Bartholomeus van der Helst and Jan Victors also reflect urban society’s self-image in Amsterdam group portraits.
The Städel Museum presents the exceptional portrait art of Rembrandt and his contemporaries in a large exhibition, bringing together some 100 paintings, sculptures and prints, as well as cultural and historical objects from leading Dutch and international museums.
The starting point is an impressive collection of group portraits from the Amsterdam Museum, enhanced by outstanding works from the Städel Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and the National Museum in Warsaw. Paintings from the period known as “The Golden Age” in the Netherlands are critically questioned here because this economic and cultural flowering in the 17th century was based on an aggressive trade policy of the Dutch Republic, whose foundations were built on the establishment of colonies in Asia and South America and the enslavement and exploitation of people. Wars, poverty, and religious and political persecution in Europe provided a steadily growing migration to the Dutch Republic, particularly to Amsterdam. A strong job market and general religious tolerance gave many people hope for a better and freer life, which many, but by no means everyone, succeeded in achieving. Above all, Amsterdam’s urban elite has been intensively portrayed: Members of the marksmen’s guilds and “regents”, heads of social institutions supported by civil society.
The exhibition shows these official and prestigious paintings while simultaneously casting its view onto how members of other social groups are represented. They are images and histories of a pluralistic Amsterdam society, which tell of wealth and inequality, fortune and ruin, power and powerlessness—narrated through an exhibition.
A show in Basel explores the art of window dressing, with works by artists from Andy Warhol to Marina Abramović at the Tinguely Museum and across the city
The work, made while the young photographer was in Paris, will be exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Science Museum exhibition will explore the French monarchy’s fascination with scientific observation and experimentation under Louis XIV and XV
Flowers Gallery has opened its annual exhibition of little pieces
The new event would have coincided with the city’s existing Art Mumbai fair