Yves Tanguy | Items for sale, auction results and history

Yves Tanguy (1900–1955) was a French surrealist painter renowned for his distinctive and enigmatic landscapes. Born in Paris, Tanguy’s early life showed little indication of his future as an artist. He briefly pursued a career in the merchant navy and then worked various jobs before a chance encounter with Giorgio de Chirico’s painting Child’s Skull (1914) inspired him to take up art in 1923.

Tanguy had no formal training, but his natural talent and unique vision quickly distinguished him in the Surrealist community. He joined the Surrealist movement in 1925 and became closely associated with André Breton, the movement’s leader. Tanguy’s early works were heavily influenced by De Chirico’s metaphysical style, but he soon developed his own distinctive approach.

Yves Tanguy paintings are known for their vast, desolate landscapes filled with strange, organic forms and abstract shapes. His meticulous technique and attention to detail create a sense of hyperrealism, even as the scenes themselves are fantastical and otherworldly. Tanguy’s use of soft, blended colours and smooth textures enhances the dreamlike quality of his work, drawing viewers into his mysterious and enigmatic worlds. Christie’s sold Tanguy’s L’Extinction des espèces II in London in 2019 for £3,131,250. This work is one of the finest of the artist’s paintings, made during the last full year that he spent in Europe.

Tanguy’s personal life was as intriguing as his art. In 1938, he met American Surrealist painter Kay Sage, who would become his wife and a significant influence on his work. The couple moved to the United States in 1940, where they became central figures in the American Surrealist scene. They settled in Woodbury, Connecticut, where Tanguy continued to create his haunting and beautiful landscapes.

Tanguy’s work is often associated with themes of isolation, existential angst, and the subconscious. His paintings have a timeless quality, capturing a sense of infinite space and the unknown. This thematic depth, combined with his technical precision, has made Tanguy’s work highly influential in the Surrealist movement and beyond.