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List of the 3 Most Famous Paintings by Pierre Roy
Updated октобар 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 3 works by Pierre Roy in our catalogue
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The most widely known painting by Pierre Roy is Composition with Weights and Measures (1932), in the collection of the Izraelski muzej, Jerusalem. The next entries are Still Life (1938) and Invitation to the Voyage (Invitation au voyage) (1929). The catalogue documents 3 works by Pierre Roy; the 3 entries below are the best known, listed in rank order with date, holding museum and description.
1880 – 1950, Nantes
Surrealism
Most works: Izraelski muzej
Pierre Roy: the 10 principal paintings
Pierre Roy: holding museums
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Pierre Roy | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Izraelski muzej |
Jerusalem | 2 | Composition with Weights and Measures, Invitation to the Voyage (Invitation au voyage) |
 Art Institute of Chicago |
Čikago | 1 | Still Life |
Pierre Roy: principal paintings by year
The dated entries for Pierre Roy span 10 years, 1929 to 1938, approximately one decade, documented below year by year.
Works per year
Select a year to display its principal paintings.
Pierre Roy's paintings: reference questions
Which painting by Pierre Roy is the most widely known?Display the answer
Composition with Weights and Measures (1932), Izraelski muzej, Jerusalem. The following entries are Still Life (1938) and Invitation to the Voyage (Invitation au voyage) (1929).
What was the age of Pierre Roy when Composition with Weights and Measures was painted?Display the answer
52 years: Pierre Roy was born in 1880 and Composition with Weights and Measures is dated 1932.
How many works by Pierre Roy are documented?Display the answer
The catalogue records 3 works by Pierre Roy, dated between 1929 and 1938.
Which museums hold the best-known paintings of Pierre Roy?Display the answer
Principally in Izraelski muzej (Jerusalem) and Art Institute of Chicago (Čikago). The museum table above gives the full distribution.
Which are the earliest and latest dated works by Pierre Roy on this list?Display the answer
The earliest dated work listed here is Invitation to the Voyage (Invitation au voyage) (1929); the latest is Still Life (1938).
With which art movement is Pierre Roy associated?Display the answer
Surrealism, as documented by the works on this page.
Which works by Pierre Roy are in the collection of the Izraelski muzej?Display the answer
Composition with Weights and Measures and Invitation to the Voyage (Invitation au voyage) are among the 2 works on this page in the collection of the Izraelski muzej, Jerusalem.
Are reproductions of paintings by Pierre Roy available?Display the answer
Yes. Each work listed on this page can be ordered from its own entry as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, in a size of your choice.
Pierre Roy: biographical notes
The Life and Artistic Journey of Pierre Roy
Born in 1880, Pierre Roy was a French surrealist painter. He was the eldest of four children, born to the secretary of the management board of the Musée d'Arts de Nantes, and his siblings were all amateur painters. After obtaining his baccalauréat at a local school, he worked for a firm of architects before enrolling at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Following a period of disappointment with his studies, he left to work on designs for the 1900 Paris Exposition. In 1905, he committed himself to painting, beginning his exhibition history in 1906 at the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (SNBA).
Roy's career saw him exhibiting with the Société des Artistes Indépendants in 1907, 1908, 1913, and 1914. A significant moment in his career occurred in 1925 when he participated in the first exhibition of surrealist painters alongside figures such as Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst, and Pablo Picasso. He held his first solo exhibition in 1926 and was appointed as a naval artist for a five-year term in 1933. Beyond his canvas work, he created stage sets, advertising posters, and several covers for Vogue magazine.
Artistic Style and Notable Works
Roy is recognized for his surrealist compositions, characterized by the realistic painting of ordinary objects. His works often feature items such as:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Woolen reels
- Ears and seeds
- Eggs and ribbons
These objects are arranged in unexpected ways within his compositions. His work has been displayed in various international locations, including New York, London, and Hawaii. Notable pieces held in public collections include Danger dans l'escalier (Danger on the stairs) and L'Heure d'été (Daylight Saving Time) at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and A Naturalist's Study at the Tate Modern in London. Other works reside in the Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Musée des Beaux-arts in Nantes.