Belgian collector lends rare René Magritte work to Israel Museum during painting restoration

The Israel Museum is currently exhibiting a rare gouache work by Belgian artist René Magritte, generously lent by an anonymous private collector. This temporary display allows visitors to appreciate Magritte's art while his iconic oil painting, "The Castle of the Pyrenees," undergoes essential restoration.

The original 1959 masterpiece suffered accidental damage approximately two months ago. A five-year-old visitor, during a family visit, pushed a pinecone towards the canvas, causing a small tear. The museum promptly initiated its emergency art conservation procedures, carefully removing the painting to its laboratory for stabilization and repair.

Specialists are meticulously working to mend the canvas fibers under a microscope and restore the paint layers using advanced conservation materials and techniques. "The Castle of the Pyrenees" is a celebrated work in the Israel Museum's collection, donated in 1985 by Harry Torczyner, a close associate of Magritte and a museum benefactor who acquired the painting directly from the artist.

The lent gouache, created by Magritte in 1962, depicts a similar surreal image of a castle suspended above a rocky outcrop in the sky. This smaller work was previously exhibited at the Israel Museum in 2022. The loan ensures that the public can continue to engage with Magritte's significant artistic contributions during the conservation period of the original oil painting, which is expected to return to display soon.

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The generous gesture allows our visitors to encounter one of the most important artists of the 20th century while his iconic original work receives comprehensive treatment and will soon return to display.