Robert Detheux (1932-2010) - Portrait surréaliste - 2009
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Selected by Giulia Couzzi
Master’s in culture and arts innovation, with a decade in 20th-21st century Italian art.
Estimate € 200 - € 300
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Robert Detheux's surreal portrait from 2009, executed in mixed media on textured prepared paper (43.5 × 35.5 cm), signed and dated Detheux 2009, an original Belgian artwork in good condition.
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Description from the seller
Robert Detheux (1932-2010) – Surrealist portrait
Series: Surrealist Portraits
2009
Technique: Charcoal, graphite, and heavy erasures on prepared paper with a textured anthracite and gray background
Dimensions: 43.5 × 35.5 cm
Signature: Signed and dated “Detheux 2009” at the bottom left (visible on the artwork)
Sold unframed (the work is shown in the photos for illustrative purposes)
Description
In this surrealist portrait from 2009, Robert Detheux achieves a rare dramatic intensity. A haunted female face, with wide-open eyes and an almost hallucinatory gaze, rises from a tormented and deeply textured black background. The hair—or rather the inner tumult—unfolds into a chaos of nervous, swirling lines that seem to vibrate with an uncontrollable psychic energy.
Through the controlled violence of the charcoal, the deep erasures, and the extreme contrasts between the lighter areas of the face and the surrounding darkness, Detheux creates a presence that is at once fragile and magnetic, where vulnerability, mystery, and a dreamlike trance mingle. This work, emblematic of the series of Surrealist Portraits, ranks among the darkest and most emotionally charged pieces of the artist’s late period.
Condition: Excellent overall condition. The texture irregularities, erasures, and material variations are entirely intentional and integral to Detheux’s artistic approach. No restoration or alteration.
Provenance: Private collection (work directly from the artist’s studio).
Artist Biography
Born in Brussels in 1932 and passed away in 2010, Robert Detheux is a singular and demanding figure in post-war Belgian art.
Close to Surrealist and Dadaist currents while developing a deeply personal language, he built an introspective body of work where the body, the face, and matter become realms of dreaming and questioning.
His drawings from the 2000s, including this series of Surrealist Portraits, are particularly sought after for their technical subtleties and evocative power.
A strong, captivating work charged with emotion, ideal for lovers of Belgian surrealist art and expressive contemporary drawing.
Robert Detheux (1932-2010) – Surrealist portrait
Series: Surrealist Portraits
2009
Technique: Charcoal, graphite, and heavy erasures on prepared paper with a textured anthracite and gray background
Dimensions: 43.5 × 35.5 cm
Signature: Signed and dated “Detheux 2009” at the bottom left (visible on the artwork)
Sold unframed (the work is shown in the photos for illustrative purposes)
Description
In this surrealist portrait from 2009, Robert Detheux achieves a rare dramatic intensity. A haunted female face, with wide-open eyes and an almost hallucinatory gaze, rises from a tormented and deeply textured black background. The hair—or rather the inner tumult—unfolds into a chaos of nervous, swirling lines that seem to vibrate with an uncontrollable psychic energy.
Through the controlled violence of the charcoal, the deep erasures, and the extreme contrasts between the lighter areas of the face and the surrounding darkness, Detheux creates a presence that is at once fragile and magnetic, where vulnerability, mystery, and a dreamlike trance mingle. This work, emblematic of the series of Surrealist Portraits, ranks among the darkest and most emotionally charged pieces of the artist’s late period.
Condition: Excellent overall condition. The texture irregularities, erasures, and material variations are entirely intentional and integral to Detheux’s artistic approach. No restoration or alteration.
Provenance: Private collection (work directly from the artist’s studio).
Artist Biography
Born in Brussels in 1932 and passed away in 2010, Robert Detheux is a singular and demanding figure in post-war Belgian art.
Close to Surrealist and Dadaist currents while developing a deeply personal language, he built an introspective body of work where the body, the face, and matter become realms of dreaming and questioning.
His drawings from the 2000s, including this series of Surrealist Portraits, are particularly sought after for their technical subtleties and evocative power.
A strong, captivating work charged with emotion, ideal for lovers of Belgian surrealist art and expressive contemporary drawing.
Details
Artist
Robert Detheux (1932-2010)
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Edition
Original
Title of artwork
Portrait surréaliste - 2009
Technique
Mixed media
Signature
Hand signed
Country of origin
Belgium
Year
2009
Condition
Good condition
Height
43.5 cm
Width
35.5 cm
Style
Surrealism
Period
2000-2010
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