History Awareness Date: René Magritte

[The Son of Man, 1964]

Who was René Magritte?

Born on November 21, 1898 in Lessines, René Magritte began his creative career as an assistant designer for a wallpaper factory then as an advertisement designer until 1926 when he was granted to opportunity to paint full time under contract with Galerie la Centaure in Brussels. His first surreal painting, “Le jockey perdu” or “The Lost Jockey,” was showcased at his first exhibition, which was held in Brussels in 1927; unfortunately his exhibition was bombarded by criticism. A dejected René Magritte then escaped to Paris, submerging into the Parisian surrealist movement. After the Galerie la Centaure closed, he moved back to Brussels and continued his advertising job, but later continued fulfilling his passion for painting.

After a long series of events that influenced paintings like Le Principe du Plaisir or The Pleasure Principle, La Reproduction Interdite, Golconda and many more of his infamous surreal paintings, René Magritte died of pancreatic cancer on August 15, 1967. His art grew in popularity amongst pop culture, minimalist and conceptual art lovers in the 1960’s.

His artistic legacy lives on with organizations like The Magritte Foundation and The Magritte Museum in Belgium.

Want to learn more about the surrealism and René Magritte? You can always visit your local library or research a nearby museum that has his pieces on display.

Happy 110th birthday, René Magritte!