Daydreams After Dark: Magritte’s Twilight Masterpiece Returns to New York

René Magritte’s L’empire des lumières isn’t just a painting—it’s a paradox in oil. With its uncanny blend of midnight streets and sunlit skies, this 1954 canvas blurs the line between night and day, unsettling the senses and inviting endless interpretation. Part of a series of 27 works, each version teases the viewer with its impossible coexistence of light and shadow, making it a cornerstone of Surrealist art. This November, Christie’s New York will spotlight this enigmatic piece, estimated to fetch over $95 million—a potential new record for Magritte. The painting comes from the eclectic collection of Mica Ertegun, whose taste bridged continents and movements, from Russian Modernism to Color Field. Magritte’s dreamlike vision, poised between restraint and revelation, stands as a testament to the enduring allure of the surreal. In the world of art, sometimes the most ordinary scenes are the ones that keep us awake at night. #Magritte #Surrealism #ChristiesAuction #Culture