🔗 Share this article

An extraordinary painting by the legendary avant-garde painter René Magritte which has remained in one personal possession for over nine decades is scheduled to go sold in late October.

The Intriguing Background Of the Artwork

La Magie Noire was originally acquired through the family of Spaak, a World War II underground heroine who served as Magritte's supporter during an time where he had financial troubles economically and had been unable to sell any piece over two years.

Spaak was shot by the Gestapo in the French capital for her efforts in helping young Jewish individuals find safety.

Auction Estimates with Expectations

This fine art firm has projected which La Magie Noire could fetch in the range of €5m to €7m, but many anticipate that it will reach a greater value.

“It is the first time I’ve managed an important piece by Magritte that has stayed in the same household from it was painted,” remarked a senior auction house official. This is remarkable, just like the history of the family.”

The official further described this work as “the Taylor Swift of surrealism,” adding how “If you were to ask some students to do a presentation about surrealism, this painting alone would be enough to explain it.”

The Artist's Early Challenges and Career Growth

The Belgian-born painter first worked as a designer in a wallpaper plant and created advertising posters before the mid-1920s, at which point he created his debut avant-garde piece.

A year later, he held his first show in the Belgian capital, however the critics were savage and a dismayed the artist moved to Paris, in which he failed to make a name for himself.

Magritte went back to his homeland in 1930 where he established an advertising agency with his sibling Paul.

“Life for Magritte was very difficult during that period. The economic crisis that started in 1929 in the US hit France by the early 1930s. For two years, from 1930 and 1932, Magritte sold no works and held no exhibitions,” the expert explained.

“Nobody was buying paintings by surrealists. They were considered revolutionary troublemakers.”

The Role of the Benefactors

Spaak’s spouse, Claude, a well-known Belgian-born writer, knew Magritte acting as a patron, ordering paintings of his wife and their kids while also arranging regular financial support for Magritte and his household.

In 1934, Suzanne Spaak’s sibling Alice Lorge, known as Bunny, acquired La Magie Noire to celebrate the birth of her first child alongside Emile Happe, an industrial businessman.

“The Spaak family represented for Belgium what the Mountbattens were to the UK; almost aristocratic and they helped the artist through hard times,” an art specialist commented. “It was bought to commemorate the arrival of a baby but it was a rebirth for Magritte as he was trying to recover financially.”

Artistic Details with Symbolism

The model in this series was his spouse, Georgette Berger, who is depicted in a classic style like a marble statue placing her hand on a stone block.

Her upper body slowly merges with the sky behind her whereas her lower half retains its natural tone.

The artist later created 10 similar works, most of which were given distinct titles. Here, the initial of the series, Georgette appears with a bird on her right shoulder.

A portion of the background shows a semi wood-panelled interior wall.

Her Heroic Underground Activities

The couple were living in Paris at the outbreak of war in 1939.

Following the Nazi occupation of the French capital, Suzanne became part of the resistance and was a participant of the “Red Orchestra” intelligence unit.

She used her considerable fortune to save over 160 Jewish youngsters from deportation, sheltering a number of them in her residence until they could be moved to safety.

Final End and Legacy

By late 1943, the Nazis arrested her together with 600 members of the network.

On August 12, 1944, just before the liberation of the city, Nazi agents killed Spaak in her prison cell. She was 38 and has since been honoured by the state of Israel among the Righteous Among the Nations for her actions in saving Jewish people.

The artist died from cancer on 15 August 1967 and rests in Brussels.

Display and Sale Timeline

This artwork, which has been displayed at the Magritte museum in Brussels, has seldom been exhibited outside Belgium in more than nine decades.

The piece will be shown at the French capital between 17 and 23 October before its sale on October 24.