Robert Detheux (1932-2010) - Portrait surréaliste , 1961
02
days
17
hours
45
minutes
46
seconds
 | €1 |
|---|
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 139958 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Robert Detheux’s original 1961 surreal portrait, Portrait surréaliste, executed in watercolour on paper, 40.5 × 32.5 cm, signed by the artist, from Belgium, original edition, in good condition.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Robert Detheux (1932-2010) – Surrealist portrait – 1961
Artist: Robert Detheux (Brussels, 1932-2010)
Title of the work: Surrealist Portrait
Date: 1961
Medium: Mixed media on paper (watercolor, wash, ink and crayon/charcoal drawing)
Dimensions: 40.5 × 32.5 cm
Condition:
Good overall condition. Some light aging traces and surface irregularities inherent to the paper and technique. No losses or visible tears.
Sold unframed.
Signature: Signed and dated “Detheux 61” at the bottom left.
Provenance:
Artist’s studio collection (acquired directly).
Description:
A rare and beautiful surrealist portrait from 1961, a formative period in Robert Detheux’s career.
A profile emerges from a background of nuanced washes (grays, purples, blues with touches of ochre), drawn with a fine, nervy line that outlines the profile, eye, nose and mouth with expressive precision, while the colored masses create a dreamlike, interior atmosphere.
A second, blurrier sketch of a face appears in the background, reinforcing the spectral and psychic character of the composition.
The work perfectly illustrates the surrealist and expressionist language that Detheux developed from the late 1950s into the early 1960s: intense portraits, inner presence, a tension between figuration and abstraction. A pure, poetic piece and particularly rare from this early period.
Artist biography
Born in Brussels in 1932 and passed away in 2010, Robert Detheux is a distinctive, demanding and deeply engaging figure in 20th-century Belgian art.
A graduate of the Saint-Luc Institute in Fine Arts in Brussels, he taught graphic expression at the Academy of Tournai until 1996, while developing a personal body of work of great coherence and remarkable freedom.
His artistic journey unfolded in several major periods:
• In the 1950s-1960s, he asserted a powerful surrealist and expressionist language, marked by intense portraits and dreamlike compositions.
• In the 1970s, he explored with sensuality and obsession the theme of the body and the female face, developing hybrid figures and highly elaborated textures.
• The 1980s-1990s saw the flourishing of a more hybrid and grotesque universe, mixing erotism, black humor and poetry.
• Finally, the 2000-2010 period, particularly sought after today, is one of total maturity: spectral portraits, appearances and hybrid figures executed with exceptional mastery.
Little exposed during his lifetime, Robert Detheux created, with complete freedom, an intimate, subversive and poetic universe that belongs only to him. Rediscovered in recent years thanks to the unveiling of his substantial studio archive (nearly 1500 works on paper), his work now enjoys a legitimate and growing enthusiasm among discerning collectors in Belgium, Spain and throughout Europe.
A master of drawing, Detheux left an authentic, vibrant and timeless body of work that continues to surprise and captivate with its evocative power, deep humanity and modernity. Collecting Detheux is to enter a unique dreamlike world, populated by hybrid figures and waking dreams.
Seller's Story
About SR Fine Art
With nearly 28 years of experience in the art market, I am passionate about rediscovering artists’ studios and bringing their works to a wide audience on Catawiki.
I specialize in Belgian and European modern and contemporary art. My flagship collection is the studio archive of Robert Detheux (nearly 1,500 works on paper). I also offer surrealist drawings, beautiful abstract paintings from the 1950s, magnificent nude photographs by Michel Pinel, contemporary paintings, Cobra compositions, and works by Marcus de Vestele, Gundi Falk, René Mels, Eugène Eechaut and many others.
From intimate drawings to large formats, there is something for every taste and every budget. The vast majority of my auctions start at 1 € with no reserve price, giving everyone the chance to acquire unique pieces.
Every shipment is prepared with the utmost care using professional museum-quality packaging to ensure perfect condition upon arrival.
Join my growing community of satisfied clients and follow my new auctions to discover rare works from these exceptional studios.
Thank you for your trust and happy bidding!
SR Fine Art
Translated by Google TranslateRobert Detheux (1932-2010) – Surrealist portrait – 1961
Artist: Robert Detheux (Brussels, 1932-2010)
Title of the work: Surrealist Portrait
Date: 1961
Medium: Mixed media on paper (watercolor, wash, ink and crayon/charcoal drawing)
Dimensions: 40.5 × 32.5 cm
Condition:
Good overall condition. Some light aging traces and surface irregularities inherent to the paper and technique. No losses or visible tears.
Sold unframed.
Signature: Signed and dated “Detheux 61” at the bottom left.
Provenance:
Artist’s studio collection (acquired directly).
Description:
A rare and beautiful surrealist portrait from 1961, a formative period in Robert Detheux’s career.
A profile emerges from a background of nuanced washes (grays, purples, blues with touches of ochre), drawn with a fine, nervy line that outlines the profile, eye, nose and mouth with expressive precision, while the colored masses create a dreamlike, interior atmosphere.
A second, blurrier sketch of a face appears in the background, reinforcing the spectral and psychic character of the composition.
The work perfectly illustrates the surrealist and expressionist language that Detheux developed from the late 1950s into the early 1960s: intense portraits, inner presence, a tension between figuration and abstraction. A pure, poetic piece and particularly rare from this early period.
Artist biography
Born in Brussels in 1932 and passed away in 2010, Robert Detheux is a distinctive, demanding and deeply engaging figure in 20th-century Belgian art.
A graduate of the Saint-Luc Institute in Fine Arts in Brussels, he taught graphic expression at the Academy of Tournai until 1996, while developing a personal body of work of great coherence and remarkable freedom.
His artistic journey unfolded in several major periods:
• In the 1950s-1960s, he asserted a powerful surrealist and expressionist language, marked by intense portraits and dreamlike compositions.
• In the 1970s, he explored with sensuality and obsession the theme of the body and the female face, developing hybrid figures and highly elaborated textures.
• The 1980s-1990s saw the flourishing of a more hybrid and grotesque universe, mixing erotism, black humor and poetry.
• Finally, the 2000-2010 period, particularly sought after today, is one of total maturity: spectral portraits, appearances and hybrid figures executed with exceptional mastery.
Little exposed during his lifetime, Robert Detheux created, with complete freedom, an intimate, subversive and poetic universe that belongs only to him. Rediscovered in recent years thanks to the unveiling of his substantial studio archive (nearly 1500 works on paper), his work now enjoys a legitimate and growing enthusiasm among discerning collectors in Belgium, Spain and throughout Europe.
A master of drawing, Detheux left an authentic, vibrant and timeless body of work that continues to surprise and captivate with its evocative power, deep humanity and modernity. Collecting Detheux is to enter a unique dreamlike world, populated by hybrid figures and waking dreams.
Seller's Story
About SR Fine Art
With nearly 28 years of experience in the art market, I am passionate about rediscovering artists’ studios and bringing their works to a wide audience on Catawiki.
I specialize in Belgian and European modern and contemporary art. My flagship collection is the studio archive of Robert Detheux (nearly 1,500 works on paper). I also offer surrealist drawings, beautiful abstract paintings from the 1950s, magnificent nude photographs by Michel Pinel, contemporary paintings, Cobra compositions, and works by Marcus de Vestele, Gundi Falk, René Mels, Eugène Eechaut and many others.
From intimate drawings to large formats, there is something for every taste and every budget. The vast majority of my auctions start at 1 € with no reserve price, giving everyone the chance to acquire unique pieces.
Every shipment is prepared with the utmost care using professional museum-quality packaging to ensure perfect condition upon arrival.
Join my growing community of satisfied clients and follow my new auctions to discover rare works from these exceptional studios.
Thank you for your trust and happy bidding!
SR Fine Art
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Artist
Robert Detheux (1932-2010)
Sold with frame
No
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Edition
Original
Title of artwork
Portrait surréaliste , 1961
Technique
Watercolour painting
Signature
Hand signed
Country of origin
Belgium
Year
1961
Condition
Good condition
Height
40.5 cm
Width
32.5 cm
Style
Surrealism
Period
1960-1970
Sold by
