🔗 Share this article Magritte's Iconic Surrealist Masterpiece Set for French Auction A extraordinary artwork from this famed avant-garde painter René Magritte that has stayed in one private collection for more than 90 years will go to be auctioned later this month. This Captivating Background Of the Painting The painting was originally purchased by the family of Spaak, an Second World War resistance heroine that acted as the artist's supporter during a period when he was struggling economically and had been unable to move a single work over two years. Spaak was shot by Nazi forces in the French capital due to her actions in helping young Jewish individuals reach security. Sale Projections and Anticipations The auction house has estimated that La Magie Noire could sell for in the range of five million euros and seven million euros, but experts anticipate that it will reach a much greater value. This is the initial instance I’ve managed an important Magritte work which has stayed in the same family from its creation,” remarked a high-ranking auction house official. This is extraordinary, just like the story of the family.” The official further described this work by saying the superstar of surrealism,” noting that Were you to ask a group of schoolchildren to do a report about surrealism, this painting alone would be enough to define the movement.” The Artist's Early Challenges and Professional Development The Belgian-born painter first worked as an artist in a wallpaper factory also created commercial ads until the mid-1920s, when he created his first surrealist work. The following year, he held his first show in the Belgian capital, but reviewers were harsh so a dismayed Magritte relocated to France, where he failed to make his mark. He returned to Belgium in 1930 and established an advertising agency with his brother Paul. “Life for Magritte was very difficult during that period. The Great Depression which began in 1929 in America affected the French economy in the early 1930s. Over a two-year span, from 1930 to 1932, Magritte sold nothing and had no shows,” the expert explained. “Nobody purchased paintings by surrealists. These artists were considered revolutionary agitators.” The Influence of the Benefactors Spaak’s husband, Claude, a well-known Belgian-born playwright, was acquainted with the artist and a benefactor, ordering paintings of his wife and their kids while also arranging a monthly stipend for Magritte and his family. In 1934, the sister Alice, known as Bunny, bought La Magie Noire to celebrate the birth of her newborn with Emile Happe, an industrial industrialist. “The Spaak family represented for Belgium what the Mountbattens were to the UK; like royalty and they helped the artist out of difficulty,” an art specialist said. “It was bought to commemorate the arrival of a baby but it also marked a rebirth for Magritte as he was struggling to get himself back on his feet.” Artistic Features and Meaning The subject in this series had been Magritte’s wife, Georgette, she is depicted in a classical manner like a sculpted figure resting her hand on a block of stone. Her upper body gradually blends into the sky in the background while her lower half maintains its realistic coloring. The artist later created ten comparable works, most of which received distinct titles. In this work, the initial of the series, Berger appears with a dove on her right shoulder. One-third of the background shows a partially paneled interior wall. Her Courageous Resistance Activities The couple resided in Paris when war broke out in the late 1930s. After the German takeover of Paris, Suzanne joined the underground and served as a participant of the “Red Orchestra” spy ring. Spaak used her considerable fortune to save over 160 Jewish youngsters from being deported, sheltering a number of them at her home before they could be moved to safety. Tragic Outcome with Historical Impact In October 1943, the Nazis captured her along with hundreds of the network. On August 12, 1944, days before the freeing of the city, Nazi agents executed Spaak in captivity. She was 38 and was later been honoured by Israel as one of the Righteous for her efforts to save Jewish lives. Magritte died from cancer on 15 August 1967 and rests in Brussels. Display with Auction Schedule The painting, which has been displayed in the Magritte Museum in Brussels, has seldom been exhibited abroad in more than nine decades. The piece will be exhibited in Paris from 17 and 23 October prior to the auction on 24 October.