Wonderful Holiday Auction
Lot 98:
Description
Keywords: Surrealist Art, Folding Screen, Surrealist Collaboration, Cloud Motif Design, Blue Sky Theme, Dreamlike Imagery, Illusionistic Perspective, Mid-20th Century Surrealism
Dante Ferretti (Italian, born 1943).Oscar winning artist and set designer and an admirer of the work of Rene Magritte Created this Hand-painted wood, three panel floor screen for his own collection. Hand-painted in various shades of blue and white in a surrealist style. Signed and dated to verso in the middle panel of the screen, 1993.
Artist Bio: In 1922 a young friend of Magritte’s showed him in a magazine he brought back from Paris, a smudgy reproduction of a work by the prewar precursor of surrealism, Giorgio de Chirico. On seeing it, Magritte uncharacteristically burst into tears. Although it was a few years before Magritte abandoned his "modern" formula, he recognized the key to his own domain. In the years 1926 through 1930 he painted over two hundred and eighty pictures, some of them very large. Max Ernst was another influence.
Magritte and his wife, Georgette Berger, were married for over forty-five Magritte and his wife, Georgette Berger, were married for over forty-five years and had no children. They lived in Brussels at the same address from 1930 to 1954; he used to take his little dog for a walk every day. The Magrittes lived for three years in a Paris suburb, and Rene was in daily contact with the surrealists. He painted regularly four mornings a week at home in his stuffy little apartment. He was a moon-faced little man, middle-aged, who puttered around Brussels, proving that he has all the technical facility of the best surrealists and none of their nightmare overtones.
By the time Magritte died in 1967 at the age of sixty-eight, his genius was acknowledged.
Ferretti is an academy award winning film production designer (Ginger & Fred, Casino, Interview with a Vampire, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Kundun, Titus, The Age of Innocence, and others). Dante Ferretti has served as the production designer on over 50 feature films, 24 opera productions, and over a dozen television, museum, fashion, festival, and publication projects This piece was likely used as part of a set for background. Ferretti has worked with some of the most notable filmmakers including Martin Scorsese, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Julie Taymor, Tim Burton, and Federico Fellini.
The museum of modern art mounted an exhibition honoring his film career, ‘Dante Ferretti: Design and Construction for the Cinema’ in 2013, which included film, 3D models, drawings, props and paintings.
Measurement: 71 x 80 x 1 1/2 in. (180.3 x 203.2 x 3.8 cm.)
Category: 26883
Condition: We do our best to note any obvious issues, but all items are sold “as is?? and may show signs of wear. Condition reports are provided as a helpful guide and reflect our opinion, not a guarantee. We encourage you to review photos carefully and reach out if you need more information. All lots are sold in their current condition at the time of sale.
Good with some handling and storage wear and abrasion evident.
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