Christie’s The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale on Tuesday 2 February 2016
Infused with a sense of drama and mystery, Chant de la Forêt by Wifredo Lam (1902-1982) captures the dark and enigmatic power of the Cuban landscape and stimulates the imagination in its suggestion of the presence of unseen forces, hidden in the depths of the forest (estimate: £1.3-1.8 million). Fusing vegetative forms with sharply angled shapes, the artist creates a hybrid creature, part animal, part plant and part mystical being. Its hybridity simultaneously referencing Surrealist thought, the indigenous landscape of Lam’s homeland, and the unique elements of the Afro-Cuban culture which survived there. Painted in 1946, Chant de la Forêt was created following Lam’s return to Cuba after almost two decades living in Europe. This homecoming prompted an extraordinary breakthrough in the artist’s work, as he reconnected with his cultural roots. Hinting at a presence beyond the conscious world, this work elegantly fuses the unique spiritual elements of the Cuban culture with its distinctively lush landscapes to achieve a bold new approach to Surrealism.
Christie’s 2013
Christie’s 2010
Sotheby's 2015
Estimate1,000,000
—
1,500,000
Estimate 500,000
—
700,000
Estimate
200,000
—
300,000
200,000
—
300,000
Estimate 800,000
—
1,200,000 USD
Estimate
600,000
—
800,000
USDSotheby's 2014
Estimate 600,000
—
800,000
Estimation 200,000
—
300,000
