Robert Detheux ( 1932-2010 ) - Trois figures surréaliste en mutation - 2007

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Robert Detheux (1932–2010) – Surrealist works on paper, 2007

Title: Three surreal figures in transformation
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 40 cm
Period: 2007
Signature: Signed and dated, partially erased

Condition: Good overall. The patinas, stains, and irregularities of the paper are deliberately integrated into the plastic artwork.

Supervision: Not supervised

Completed in 2007, this work on paper is part of Robert Detheux's late period.

She demonstrates, with particular acuity, her ongoing interest in the human figure, conceived as an unstable, malleable, and profoundly mental form.

Description of the work

The composition stages three closely connected female figures, arranged in a circular and almost choreographic movement. Their bodies, with generous volumes and deliberately distorted, seem to merge partially, as if they shared the same matter or the same state of existence. The faces, devoid of strong expressions, reinforce the impression of a suspended presence, detached from any precise individuality.

The bodies extend downward with slender, almost filamentous limbs, evoking roots or unstable organic extensions.

This gradual transformation of the flesh into an undefined form intensifies the sense of permanent metamorphosis, the central theme of the work.

The drawing pairs a fine line with pale highlights that sculpt the volumes and give the figures a look that is both sensual and unreal.

The background, extensively patinated, envelops the scene in an indeterminate space, without any temporal or spatial reference points, reinforcing the dreamlike dimension of the whole.

Surrealist Style and Affiliations

This work is fully part of the surrealist tradition developed by Robert Detheux. The treatment of the female body, fragmented, amplified and subjected to an internal logic rather than an anatomical one, evokes some of the major explorations of European surrealism, notably those around the deconstruction of bodily identity.

The lineage with Hans Bellmer can be evoked in the way the body becomes a material for psychic transformation. However, Detheux sets himself apart with a quieter, more contemplative approach, prioritizing the balance of the composition and suggestion over brutal rupture.

Artistic context

Dating from 2007, this work belongs to a phase of the artist's advanced maturity. During this period, Detheux concentrates his practice on drawing as a space of absolute freedom, where the body is conceived as a symbol in constant evolution. The repetition of similar figures, almost twin-like, reinforces the idea of a collective state or a multiplied identity.

Provenance
Private collection, from the artist's family.

Biography

Robert Detheux (1932–2010) was a Belgian artist associated with the surrealist and Dadaist movements. From the 1950s, he developed a personal body of work marked by the absurd, visual poetry, and a continual reflection on the body, the unconscious, and metamorphosis.

dispatch

The artwork will be shipped flat, in professional, rigid, and reinforced packaging specifically designed for the transport of works on paper. This packaging ensures optimal protection and delivery in impeccable condition.

With its dense composition and its singular treatment of the female body, Three Surrealist Figures in Transformation constitutes a strong and coherent work, representative of Robert Detheux's late work and particularly attractive to collectors attuned to Surrealism.