Last week, Sotheby's in Paris held an auction dedicated exclusively to Surrealism for the first time.

The expectation for the 25 lots was 30 million euros.

"Surrealism and Its Legacy" finally brought in 27 million euros;

two lots were withdrawn before the auction, one work by Wilfredo Lam remained unsold.

There were hardly any surprises.

Many lots achieved their lower estimate at best, which is surprising given the quality of the works.

However, one of the four works by René Magritte doubled his estimate: "Le paysage fantôme" belongs to the series of so-called word paintings.

The portrait of a stern-eyed woman in brown tones is titled “montagne” and thus alienated into the absurd.

The hammer fell at 1.75 million euros (estimate 700,000 to 1 million).

Magritte's magnificent painting "Le palais de la courtisane", on the other hand, disappointed at 1.6 million euros (2/3 million).

The sculpture "La Joconde" was sold at 1.4 million euros (1.5/2.5 million).

Six bidders competed for the top lot, the poetic painting “Pavonia” by Francis Picabia.

The hammer price of 8.5 million euros (6/8 million) is a new auction record for Picabia.

His back act "Nu de dos" from the late work, however, got stuck at 2.7 million euros (3/5 million euros).

The Czech surrealist Toyen surprised, because 1.2 million euros was offered for "Chambre secrète sans serrure" (400,000/600,000).

Dorothea Tanning's "Melées nocturnes" was valued at 450,000 euros (300,000/400,000).

The André Mourgues collection with works of surrealism and post-war modernism was very successful at Sotheby's in Paris.

Mourges was the life partner of the legendary art dealer Alexandre Iolas in the 1960s and 1970s.

He collected many of the artists the gallery supported: Victor Brauner and René Magritte, Max Ernst and Man Ray, but also Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, Niki de Saint-Phalle and Jean Tinguely.

All 80 lots changed hands, and the total proceeds doubled expectations at 7.8 million euros.

For Max Ernst's sculpture "La Plus Belle", a homage to Dorothea Tanning, the hammer fell at 2.1 million euros (1/1.5 million).

For René Magritte's subversive drawing "Le viol" - a portrait as a female nude - the upper estimate was almost tripled when it was sold at 850,000 euros.