René Magritte (1898-1967) was a Belgian surrealist painter known for his striking paintings. With the use of everyday objects as protagonists and the creation of totally surreal environments, he stood out in the world of the arts.
His life was full of ups and downs, here are some of the most interesting facts about his artistic and personal life:
His mother committed suicide when he was 14 years old.
The suicide of his mother was one of the most defining moments of his life. Regina Magritte had numerous psychological problems, constantly suffered from anxiety and depression. She decided to kill herself by jumping into the river, she died drowned and René saw her mother’s inert body being taken out with a handkerchief covering her head (a reference that appears constantly in her paintings.
His early works were Cubist and Futurist
He studied arts at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts, but his artistic career did not begin immediately. He worked in an advertising agency where he created advertisements and posters.
save7 Quotes from René Magritte on his Birthday | artnet Newsartnet NewsRené Magritte, The False Mirror (1928). Rene Magritte (1898 – 1967) More At FOSTERGINGER @ Pinterest
He was an excellent forger
In his spare time he used to recreate paintings by great artists such as Picasso, Titian and Chirico and with that he survived between 1940 and 1944 when he was in extreme poverty due to the war.
His first exhibition was a complete failure
Magritte’s particular style and his fascination with common objects (such as hats and pipes) was not very well received by the surrealist society of Belgium.
His first exhibition was in Brussels in 1927 and it was terribly criticized, so René decided to move to Paris where he met André Breton, who is considered the father of surrealism. This meeting helped him consolidate his style and regain his confidence.
saveColorartyfacebook.com-TITLE: The lovers – Rene Magritte Gallery: Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA -YEAR: 1928 -Why do you like it? I like it because it is about how beautiful love is. what it gives me to understand is that what matters is the interior and it is not necessary to fall in love with physical affection.
His passion was surrealism, but he liked to experiment with all kinds of trends
The artist known for his surreal works was fascinated by experimenting with all kinds of artistic movement. Mainly impressionism.
He loved giving critics what to talk about
After his first failure the relationship between art critics and Magritte deteriorated. With the confidence he developed in his work and his talent, the artist made eccentric works and published them with the purpose of making critics speak.
He met the love of his life at age 15
In the middle of an emotional crisis over the recent suicide of her mother, she met Georgette Berger and the two fell madly in love. They were too young to formalize the relationship so they separated shortly after meeting.
Years later they met again and married in 1922, Georgette became Magritte’s muse and main confidant and they were together for the rest of their lives.
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He once hired a friend to distract his wife so he could have a mistress.
Magritte was deeply involved with his wife Georgette Berger whom he married in 1922. But when the artist Sheila Legg appeared who became a huge temptation for Magritte.
In order to spend time with his lover, Magritte hired his friend Paul Colinet to distract his wife, she discovered the plan soon after and asked for separation, but in the end they reconciled.
Magritte was Agnostic
An agnostic person does not deny the existence of God but does not believe that man is capable of proving that he exists. It differs from atheism in that it does not deny the possibility that there is a God, it only emphasizes the impossibility of proving his existence.
He died of Pancreatic Cancer
He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1963, and died at the age of 68 on August 15, 1967.
