René Magritte (1898-1967)
Study of a Rose
signed 'Mag' (lower center)
graphite and watercolor on paper
image: 4 ½ x 3 ¾ in. (11.6 x 9.5 cm)
sheet: 9 x 6 in. (22.9 x 15.2 cm)
Executed circa 1950-1960.
Provenance:
Gift from Robert M. Pettus to the San Antonio Museum of Art, 1981.
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2015.
Description:
This intimate sketch by the master of Surrealism, René Magritte, presents a compelling study of one of his most poetic and recurring motifs: the rose. Rendered with delicate precision in graphite, the lone bloom is both a botanical observation and a symbol ripe with mystery. The composition’s uniqueness is elevated by the inclusion of a separate, beautifully realized pink watercolor rose floating above the graphite study, creating a captivating dialogue between medium, form, and idea.
This work on paper offers a rare glimpse into the artist's process, capturing a moment of creative thought where the essential form is explored in pencil and its chromatic essence is simultaneously imagined in soft washes of color. The presence of both renderings on one sheet suggests a conceptual unity, perhaps contemplating the object versus its representation, a theme central to Magritte’s oeuvre.
Bearing his iconic shortened signature "Mag," this sketch originates from the important collection of Robert M. Pettus, who gifted it to the San Antonio Museum of Art where it remained part of the permanent collection for over three decades. It exemplifies Magritte's lifelong fascination with ordinary objects transformed into vessels of enigmatic meaning, presented here with a singular and fresh vitality. The work is in excellent condition and is presented in a simple, elegant frame.