René MAGRITTE (1898-1967)
1937 Portrait of a Young Patron
2018 SOLD for $ 27M including premium
Edward James is the son of an American railroad boss and of a supposed natural daughter of King Edward VII. He lives in England. He is a wealthy poet, and his interest in psychoanalysis is transformed into a passion for surrealist art.
In 1937 James is 30 years old. Dali introduces him to Magritte. Their connivance is immediate and perfect. Magritte proposes to make two surrealist portraits of his new patron.
Magritte sends a preparatory drawing to his model. He has chosen the theme of the portrait whose head is entirely replaced by a dazzling light. To make sure of James' enthusiasm, Magritte asks him to take care of the photographic preparation in the pose that matches the drawing. James has the picture taken by Man Ray.
On November 12 in New York, Sotheby's sells this portrait of James by Magritte, oil on canvas 73 x 55 cm painted in 1937, lot 35estimated $ 15M. Magritte has friendly chosen a Freudian title, Le Principe du Plaisir. The outline of the head is embedded in a halo that makes the image even more laudative.
The provenance testifies to the lasting success of this portrait. It belonged to James and then to his foundation until 1978 and remained in another collection since 1979.
The second portrait, also painted in 1937, is titled La Reproduction Interdite. It is another development of the theme of the visible and the hidden. James looks at himself in a large mirror in which his reflection is seen from behind.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
In 1937 James is 30 years old. Dali introduces him to Magritte. Their connivance is immediate and perfect. Magritte proposes to make two surrealist portraits of his new patron.
Magritte sends a preparatory drawing to his model. He has chosen the theme of the portrait whose head is entirely replaced by a dazzling light. To make sure of James' enthusiasm, Magritte asks him to take care of the photographic preparation in the pose that matches the drawing. James has the picture taken by Man Ray.
On November 12 in New York, Sotheby's sells this portrait of James by Magritte, oil on canvas 73 x 55 cm painted in 1937, lot 35estimated $ 15M. Magritte has friendly chosen a Freudian title, Le Principe du Plaisir. The outline of the head is embedded in a halo that makes the image even more laudative.
The provenance testifies to the lasting success of this portrait. It belonged to James and then to his foundation until 1978 and remained in another collection since 1979.
The second portrait, also painted in 1937, is titled La Reproduction Interdite. It is another development of the theme of the visible and the hidden. James looks at himself in a large mirror in which his reflection is seen from behind.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
1938 The Home of the Eagle
2017 SOLD for £ 10.2M including premium
I recently observed that the titles of René Magritte's artworks are the result of chance. Le Domaine d'Arnheim is a sensational counter-example.
The composition shows a large snowy mountain seen from a chalet. Everything is normal except that the horizon is centered on a bird's head whose details are zoomorphic. The surprise occasioned by this discovery leads the viewer to perceive the landscape as the extended wings of an eagle. In the foreground two beautiful eggs are placed on a low wall.
The artist has thus grouped two dualities which are among the permanent themes of his surreal world : the living and the rock form an impossible pair while egg to bird is somehow a metamorphosis similar as caterpillar to butterfly. From 1932 the artist placed eggs in bird cages.
The title also has a double meaning. Arnhem in the Netherlands has as its etymological origin 'the home of the eagle' from an Old German word. The Domain of Arnheim is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe in which a man with unlimited wealth remodels the landscape to make it more beautiful than what nature alone can do. This title chosen by Magritte is also an acknowledgment of Poe as a forerunner of Surrealism.
From 1938 to 1962 Magritte built his sublime landscape ten times, always with the same title : three paintings and seven gouaches. The original version, oil on canvas 73 x 100 cm, is estimated £ 6.5M for sale by Christie's in London on February 28, lot 112. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The composition shows a large snowy mountain seen from a chalet. Everything is normal except that the horizon is centered on a bird's head whose details are zoomorphic. The surprise occasioned by this discovery leads the viewer to perceive the landscape as the extended wings of an eagle. In the foreground two beautiful eggs are placed on a low wall.
The artist has thus grouped two dualities which are among the permanent themes of his surreal world : the living and the rock form an impossible pair while egg to bird is somehow a metamorphosis similar as caterpillar to butterfly. From 1932 the artist placed eggs in bird cages.
The title also has a double meaning. Arnhem in the Netherlands has as its etymological origin 'the home of the eagle' from an Old German word. The Domain of Arnheim is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe in which a man with unlimited wealth remodels the landscape to make it more beautiful than what nature alone can do. This title chosen by Magritte is also an acknowledgment of Poe as a forerunner of Surrealism.
From 1938 to 1962 Magritte built his sublime landscape ten times, always with the same title : three paintings and seven gouaches. The original version, oil on canvas 73 x 100 cm, is estimated £ 6.5M for sale by Christie's in London on February 28, lot 112. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1949 Blue Sky by Night
2017 SOLD for $ 20.6M including premium
Surrealism is most often requiring an uneasy decoding. When practiced by René Magritte, it sometimes disturbs the viewer by the very simplicity of the message. La Trahison des Images painted in 1929 became the symbol of that language which is both offbeat and poetic.
With its title designed by Paul Nougé, L'Empire des lumières reached a similar notoriety. The theme is commonplace : a night view of a suburb inspired by the Brussels district where Magritte resides.
The inhabitants are not visible but we imagine them behind the lighted windows. A lamppost illuminates the street with a questionable effectiveness. Beside these few glows the shadows are saturated. No contradiction of scale comes to puzzle the viewer.
Above this peaceful night the sky is blue, dotted with white clouds. The artist asks a poetic question for which he knows that there is no answer : are day and night incompatible or are they two complementary elements of real life?
The first variant of the Empire des lumières was completed in 1949. This oil on canvas 49 x 59 cm is estimated $ 14M for sale by Christie's in New York on November 13, lot 12 A.
The friends of the artist are enthusiastic and Magritte makes many variants on order over the years. An Empire des lumières 100 x 80 cm painted in 1952 was sold for $ 11.5 million by Christie's on May 7, 2002.
Nobody dared questioning if the Empire des lumières was not just a clumsy twilight. Magritte himself brings a disturbing continuation much later with La Fin du monde. Over the same place the sky has become black and in a better logic the horizon is still bright. The signature head with the bowler hat appears as a threat amidst the black silhouettes of the trees. This oil on canvas 82 x 100 cm painted in 1963 was sold for $ 7M including premium by Christie's on November 1, 2011.
With its title designed by Paul Nougé, L'Empire des lumières reached a similar notoriety. The theme is commonplace : a night view of a suburb inspired by the Brussels district where Magritte resides.
The inhabitants are not visible but we imagine them behind the lighted windows. A lamppost illuminates the street with a questionable effectiveness. Beside these few glows the shadows are saturated. No contradiction of scale comes to puzzle the viewer.
Above this peaceful night the sky is blue, dotted with white clouds. The artist asks a poetic question for which he knows that there is no answer : are day and night incompatible or are they two complementary elements of real life?
The first variant of the Empire des lumières was completed in 1949. This oil on canvas 49 x 59 cm is estimated $ 14M for sale by Christie's in New York on November 13, lot 12 A.
The friends of the artist are enthusiastic and Magritte makes many variants on order over the years. An Empire des lumières 100 x 80 cm painted in 1952 was sold for $ 11.5 million by Christie's on May 7, 2002.
Nobody dared questioning if the Empire des lumières was not just a clumsy twilight. Magritte himself brings a disturbing continuation much later with La Fin du monde. Over the same place the sky has become black and in a better logic the horizon is still bright. The signature head with the bowler hat appears as a threat amidst the black silhouettes of the trees. This oil on canvas 82 x 100 cm painted in 1963 was sold for $ 7M including premium by Christie's on November 1, 2011.
1952 L'Empire des Lumières by Magritte
2002 SOLD for $ 12.7M including premium by Christie's
Link to catalogue.
1956 Deceptively Simple
2017 SOLD for $ 13.6M including premium
René Magritte plays with day and night and their transitions, dawn and twilight. Acclaimed as a masterpiece of surrealism, L'Empire des Lumières conceived in 1949 has no fantastic elements. The career of Magritte is launched since the previous year by his contract with Iolas and this supreme subtlety escapes the art critics.
Magritte is also playing with Sun and Moon. By ignoring the third dimension, the crescent moon appears as posed on the character's hat. One of the simplest variants is titled Le Maître d'Ecole. A small gouache 33 x 25 cm made in 1955 was sold for $ 6.8M including premium by Sotheby's on November 5, 2015 over a lower estimate of $ 3M.
In 1956 the artist has a new find, a "trouvaille" in his own words. Why are Moon and Sun always in the background at the risk of being hidden by the landscape ?
Le Banquet shows a common wood edge in front of the redness of sunset. The bright red Sun of great sharpness is at the exact center of the picture ahead of the big tree. In the same year the Moon performs a similar feat in Le Seize Septembre.
One of the earliest examples of Le Banquet, painted in 1956 or perhaps in 1957, oil on canvas 75 x 121 cm, was sold for $ 6.8 million including premium by Christie's on May 9, 2007. It is estimated $ 12M for sale by Sotheby's in New York on November 14, lot 36.
Magritte is also playing with Sun and Moon. By ignoring the third dimension, the crescent moon appears as posed on the character's hat. One of the simplest variants is titled Le Maître d'Ecole. A small gouache 33 x 25 cm made in 1955 was sold for $ 6.8M including premium by Sotheby's on November 5, 2015 over a lower estimate of $ 3M.
In 1956 the artist has a new find, a "trouvaille" in his own words. Why are Moon and Sun always in the background at the risk of being hidden by the landscape ?
Le Banquet shows a common wood edge in front of the redness of sunset. The bright red Sun of great sharpness is at the exact center of the picture ahead of the big tree. In the same year the Moon performs a similar feat in Le Seize Septembre.
One of the earliest examples of Le Banquet, painted in 1956 or perhaps in 1957, oil on canvas 75 x 121 cm, was sold for $ 6.8 million including premium by Christie's on May 9, 2007. It is estimated $ 12M for sale by Sotheby's in New York on November 14, lot 36.
1957 Le Seize Septembre by Magritte
2019 SOLD for $ 19.6M including premium by Christie's
Link to catalogue.
1959 Skittle Set in Bowler Hats
2021 SOLD for £ 10M including premium
Magritte's art is a permanent opposition between the simplicity of the figures and the complexity of their relationships. He enjoys when the viewer seeks and finds some meaning where there is none. At the end of the 1950s, he manages to retain an increasingly demanding and jaded public by adding more mystery. The titles of the works are assigned collegially in Sunday meetings between friends.
Since 1926, the basic elements have not much changed. At the very beginning, the watcher of the world was the skittle, better for this role than chess because the pins are not differentiated. The skittle early gave way to the man in suit, tie and bowler hat, most often seen from behind. When seen from the front, he looks like the artist. Or, it is the artist himself who plays to resemble him.
Painted in 1959, Le Mois des Vendanges is emblematic of the diversification of interpretation : it is only the second example of an infinite multiplication of the man with the bowler hat, after the flying men of Golconde in 1953. This oil on canvas 128 x 160 cm is a very large format for the artist. The selection of the title by Magritte and his friends was filmed.
The scene is built around an open window in a dark gray wall. Under the cloudy sky, the men in bowler hats are lined up in three tight rows interrupted by the edges of the window. They are all the same. Each individual is looking at us, but he is nothing more than a pin. The wavy line of the horizon is not a landscape : it is only formed by the upper edges of the hats. That's all. Ceci n'est pas l'humanité.
Le Mois des Vendanges is estimated £ 10M for sale by Christie's in London on March 23, lot 107.
Since 1926, the basic elements have not much changed. At the very beginning, the watcher of the world was the skittle, better for this role than chess because the pins are not differentiated. The skittle early gave way to the man in suit, tie and bowler hat, most often seen from behind. When seen from the front, he looks like the artist. Or, it is the artist himself who plays to resemble him.
Painted in 1959, Le Mois des Vendanges is emblematic of the diversification of interpretation : it is only the second example of an infinite multiplication of the man with the bowler hat, after the flying men of Golconde in 1953. This oil on canvas 128 x 160 cm is a very large format for the artist. The selection of the title by Magritte and his friends was filmed.
The scene is built around an open window in a dark gray wall. Under the cloudy sky, the men in bowler hats are lined up in three tight rows interrupted by the edges of the window. They are all the same. Each individual is looking at us, but he is nothing more than a pin. The wavy line of the horizon is not a landscape : it is only formed by the upper edges of the hats. That's all. Ceci n'est pas l'humanité.
Le Mois des Vendanges is estimated £ 10M for sale by Christie's in London on March 23, lot 107.
1960 The Mystery of the Opposites
2017 SOLD for £ 14.4M including premium
In his deeply original way René Magritte is the less hermetic of the surrealists. His art is nothing more than lines and colors. His exegetes are far more complicated than himself. His themes disconcert by the incongruous mingling of the opposites : day and night, flesh and rock, animal and vegetable, or an object that floats freely in the sky.
In 1960, Magritte is looking for new themes involving the four primordial substances : water, air, earth, fire. The cloud, which is altogether immaterial and opaque, perpetually malleable, is a major figure of his Olympus.
On February 28 in London, Christie's sells La Corde sensible, oil on canvas 114 x 146 cm which is a large size for this artist, lot 110 estimated £ 14M. Let us remind that the title of a work by Magritte is always a result of chance without a meaningful connection with the image.
The well-centered cloud is at its normal position in the sky above a landscape. It appears as laying and slightly entering into a monumental crystal coupe.
The mystery is multiple : Is the glass empty or full ? Is the cloud the cream of a cocktail ? What Gulliver will approach his lips onto this impossible vapor ? What is the true distance to the glass ? What is the reality of the landscape? What is the reality of our own world ? By its absence of animal or human being, La Corde sensible provides no mark.
In 1960, Magritte is looking for new themes involving the four primordial substances : water, air, earth, fire. The cloud, which is altogether immaterial and opaque, perpetually malleable, is a major figure of his Olympus.
On February 28 in London, Christie's sells La Corde sensible, oil on canvas 114 x 146 cm which is a large size for this artist, lot 110 estimated £ 14M. Let us remind that the title of a work by Magritte is always a result of chance without a meaningful connection with the image.
The well-centered cloud is at its normal position in the sky above a landscape. It appears as laying and slightly entering into a monumental crystal coupe.
The mystery is multiple : Is the glass empty or full ? Is the cloud the cream of a cocktail ? What Gulliver will approach his lips onto this impossible vapor ? What is the true distance to the glass ? What is the reality of the landscape? What is the reality of our own world ? By its absence of animal or human being, La Corde sensible provides no mark.
1962 Collusion with the Moon
2020 SOLD for £ 19M including premium
Magritte's surrealism is an incongruous juxtaposition of easily recognizable ordinary elements. After the war, he is famous and spectators are looking for surrealist interpretations. When there is none, as in L'Empire des lumières, the artist reaches another dimension. He becomes a poet.
The Moon is a recurring element in the art of Magritte. Full or in crescent, it shines at dusk or at night. In 1955 Le Maître d'école is an example of the new preponderance of poetry in his art. In a soft twilight, the man with the bowler hat turns his back to us for looking at a wasteland bordered by a few houses. The bright crescent is just above the hat. A 33 x 25 cm gouache was sold for $ 6.7M including premium by Sotheby's on November 5, 2015.
The Moon is the king of the dark night. In 1956 Le Seize septembre shows the crescent above a meadow centered by a large tree. In a closer inspection, the Moon is in the middle of the tree instead of being in the sky. A 162 x 130 cm version painted in 1957 was sold for $ 19.6M including premium by Christie's on November 11, 2019.
There is nothing impossible in A la rencontre du plaisir, oil on canvas 46 x 55 cm painted in 1962, without relation to previous works of the same title. Probably composed for his circle of friends, this painting brings together several traditional elements of the artist. It is estimated £ 8M for sale by Christie's in London on February 5, lot 32.
The full moon shines above a glade in the still blue sky of a much advanced twilight. The man with the hat is in the same position as in Le Maître d'école, but almost indistinguishable in this atmosphere which is even darker than in L'Empire des lumières. On the left, the composition is completed by the theater curtain, symbol of a fake world.
The Moon is a recurring element in the art of Magritte. Full or in crescent, it shines at dusk or at night. In 1955 Le Maître d'école is an example of the new preponderance of poetry in his art. In a soft twilight, the man with the bowler hat turns his back to us for looking at a wasteland bordered by a few houses. The bright crescent is just above the hat. A 33 x 25 cm gouache was sold for $ 6.7M including premium by Sotheby's on November 5, 2015.
The Moon is the king of the dark night. In 1956 Le Seize septembre shows the crescent above a meadow centered by a large tree. In a closer inspection, the Moon is in the middle of the tree instead of being in the sky. A 162 x 130 cm version painted in 1957 was sold for $ 19.6M including premium by Christie's on November 11, 2019.
There is nothing impossible in A la rencontre du plaisir, oil on canvas 46 x 55 cm painted in 1962, without relation to previous works of the same title. Probably composed for his circle of friends, this painting brings together several traditional elements of the artist. It is estimated £ 8M for sale by Christie's in London on February 5, lot 32.
The full moon shines above a glade in the still blue sky of a much advanced twilight. The man with the hat is in the same position as in Le Maître d'école, but almost indistinguishable in this atmosphere which is even darker than in L'Empire des lumières. On the left, the composition is completed by the theater curtain, symbol of a fake world.
1962 L'Arc de Triomphe by Magritte
2020 SOLD for £ 17.8M including premium by Christie's
Link to catalogue.
1962 The Remote Side of the Curtain
2020 SOLD for $ 14M including premium
In a surrealist universe, objects can replace living beings and plants. The stage curtain opens onto a fictitious world. In 1960 with Les Mémoires d'un Saint, Magritte reveals that the back of the curtain is his signature blue sky populated with small white clouds. He will use this new duality quite extensively.
Also in 1960, with La Joconde, a figure in the form of a cordless curtain in an indeterminate material is inserted between two stage curtains to give visibility to the cloudy sky.
In 1962 the curtains become blue, by mimicry. With La Peine perdue, the scene is transposed outside and the central figure is doubled. Painted in the same year Le Beau Monde, 100 x 81 cm, whose preparation title had been Le Jardin d'Orphée, was sold for £ 7.9M including premium by Sotheby's on February 5, 2014.
On October 28 in New York, Sotheby's sells L'Ovation, oil on canvas 89 x 116 cm painted in 1962, lot 109 estimated $ 12M.
The two curtains and their sky-filled ersatz are placed on a beach with the sea on the horizon. The clouds of the false drape seem to be in continuity with the clouds of the real sky until we notice that the false sky crosses the horizon. Magritte's titles rarely have a meaning, but this ovation could be an allusion to a theatrical performance.
Also in 1960, with La Joconde, a figure in the form of a cordless curtain in an indeterminate material is inserted between two stage curtains to give visibility to the cloudy sky.
In 1962 the curtains become blue, by mimicry. With La Peine perdue, the scene is transposed outside and the central figure is doubled. Painted in the same year Le Beau Monde, 100 x 81 cm, whose preparation title had been Le Jardin d'Orphée, was sold for £ 7.9M including premium by Sotheby's on February 5, 2014.
On October 28 in New York, Sotheby's sells L'Ovation, oil on canvas 89 x 116 cm painted in 1962, lot 109 estimated $ 12M.
The two curtains and their sky-filled ersatz are placed on a beach with the sea on the horizon. The clouds of the false drape seem to be in continuity with the clouds of the real sky until we notice that the false sky crosses the horizon. Magritte's titles rarely have a meaning, but this ovation could be an allusion to a theatrical performance.
1962 This is not a Beautiful World
2014 SOLD 7.9 M£ including premium
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
The message of the Surrealists is hermetic. Even when the interpretation of a work is unique for the artist, it is not always understood by the observer.
Magritte provides fun, and he enjoys providing it. In the early 1960s, he is prolific, endlessly rearranging the elements of his artistic vocabulary. His parallel universes are dominated by a cheerful blue sky.
On February 5 in London, Sotheby's sells Le Beau Monde, oil on canvas 100 x 81 cm painted in 1962, estimated £ 4M. Other works of the same period received the same title.
In 1929, his Treachery of Images created a doubt between what is and what is not a pipe. Le Beau Monde may enable a similar reading.
On a fully neutral base, two curtains and a mirror stand up into his usual beautiful cloudy sky. The mirror is fragmentary, separating the sky into two disjoint areas. The curtains are interrupted like the broken columns in an atheist cemetery. The apple does not comfort us, it is only a signature.
The proposed interpretation by the auction house is different.
Magritte was a great Surrealist because his message eludes us.
I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's.
POST SALE COMMENT
This good example from the creativity of Magritte at the end of his career was sold for £ 7.9 million including premium.
The message of the Surrealists is hermetic. Even when the interpretation of a work is unique for the artist, it is not always understood by the observer.
Magritte provides fun, and he enjoys providing it. In the early 1960s, he is prolific, endlessly rearranging the elements of his artistic vocabulary. His parallel universes are dominated by a cheerful blue sky.
On February 5 in London, Sotheby's sells Le Beau Monde, oil on canvas 100 x 81 cm painted in 1962, estimated £ 4M. Other works of the same period received the same title.
In 1929, his Treachery of Images created a doubt between what is and what is not a pipe. Le Beau Monde may enable a similar reading.
On a fully neutral base, two curtains and a mirror stand up into his usual beautiful cloudy sky. The mirror is fragmentary, separating the sky into two disjoint areas. The curtains are interrupted like the broken columns in an atheist cemetery. The apple does not comfort us, it is only a signature.
The proposed interpretation by the auction house is different.
Magritte was a great Surrealist because his message eludes us.
I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's.
POST SALE COMMENT
This good example from the creativity of Magritte at the end of his career was sold for £ 7.9 million including premium.
1964 The Truncated Man
2019 SOLD for £ 18.4M including premium
René Magritte transforms any object into an illusion. The mystery of the composition must attract and maintain the observer, but there is no explanation. There is the same relationship between the real world and the painting as between an object and its advertising.
Magritte patiently built his universe with images of objects that intersect, merge, overlap, repeat in an endless game. In real life, he blends into the banality by wearing the suit, the tie and the bowler hat of Mr. Everybody.
The man and the woman have different roles. The woman is naked, full front, ready to merge into an antique marble. Unlike her, the man with the bowler hat very rarely displays his face, hidden by the invading flight of an apple or a bird. There are no self-portraits, except when this theme has been explicitly ordered by a client, because the artist has abolished any difference between himself and the others.
On February 27 in London, Christie's sells as lot 108 Le Lieu commun, oil on canvas 100 x 81 cm painted in 1964. The press release of November 5 announced an estimate between £ 15M and £ 25M. Please watch the video prepared by the auction house.
In a composition cut up like disparate strips of wallpaper, the man with the bowler hat appears twice. On the left he is in front with his banal face fully visible. On the right, limited to the nape of the neck, the ear and the back of the jacket, he leaves the stage.
The man is there but he is nowhere. The right portion scrolls smoothly between the edge of the wall and the landscape, but the left portrait is truncated by the same piece of landscape in front of a similar wall. If we re-assemble these two pieces, the head would be complete.
Like Escher and his impossible figures, Magritte abolishes the three-dimensional logic. At the same time, he is preparing his masterpiece of this kind, titled Le blanc-seing, showing a horse and its riding woman cut by the forest.
Magritte patiently built his universe with images of objects that intersect, merge, overlap, repeat in an endless game. In real life, he blends into the banality by wearing the suit, the tie and the bowler hat of Mr. Everybody.
The man and the woman have different roles. The woman is naked, full front, ready to merge into an antique marble. Unlike her, the man with the bowler hat very rarely displays his face, hidden by the invading flight of an apple or a bird. There are no self-portraits, except when this theme has been explicitly ordered by a client, because the artist has abolished any difference between himself and the others.
On February 27 in London, Christie's sells as lot 108 Le Lieu commun, oil on canvas 100 x 81 cm painted in 1964. The press release of November 5 announced an estimate between £ 15M and £ 25M. Please watch the video prepared by the auction house.
In a composition cut up like disparate strips of wallpaper, the man with the bowler hat appears twice. On the left he is in front with his banal face fully visible. On the right, limited to the nape of the neck, the ear and the back of the jacket, he leaves the stage.
The man is there but he is nowhere. The right portion scrolls smoothly between the edge of the wall and the landscape, but the left portrait is truncated by the same piece of landscape in front of a similar wall. If we re-assemble these two pieces, the head would be complete.
Like Escher and his impossible figures, Magritte abolishes the three-dimensional logic. At the same time, he is preparing his masterpiece of this kind, titled Le blanc-seing, showing a horse and its riding woman cut by the forest.
