Magritte, René François Ghislain (1898-1967)
                                    

Belgian surrealist painter, born in Lessines. He studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts, Brussels. His first one-man exhibition was in Brussels in 1927. At that time Magritte had already begun to paint in the style, closely akin to surrealism, that was predominant throughout his long career.

                      

A meticulous, skillful technician, he is noted for works that contain an extraordinary juxtaposition of ordinary objects or an unusual context that gives new meaning to familiar things. This juxtaposition is frequently termed magic realism, of which Magritte was the prime exponent.

                       

In addition to fantastic elements, he displayed a mordant wit, creating surrealist versions of famous paintings, as in Madame Récamier de David (1949, private collection), in which an elaborate coffin is substituted for the reclining woman in the famous portrait by Jacques-Louis David. Magritte's work was first shown in the United States in New York City in 1936 and again in that city in two retrospectives, one at the Museum of Modern Art in 1965 (U.S. tour, 1966), and the other at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1992.

                            



                    

1898- November 21, René François-Ghislain Magritte is born in Lessines, Hainaut (Belgium).
1912- March 12. The body of Magritte's mother is fished out of the water. She threw herself into the river Sambre. The family leaves for Charleroi.
1913- Meets his future wife, Georgette Berger
1914- Enrols as pupil at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels
1918- The Magritte family moves to Brussels.
1921- Military service.
1922- June 28. Marries Georgette Berger. Works as graphic artist. He mainly draws motifs for wall-paper. He is deeply affected by "Song of love" by Giorgio de Chirico.
1923- Sells his first painting, a portrait of the singer Evelyne Brélia
1926- Paints his first surrealist work, "Le Jockey Perdu", and produces various advertising drawings.
1927- First exhibition in Brussels. Magritte exhibits 61 of his works at the gallery Le Centaure, Brussels. Meets the writer Louis Scutenaire. René and Georgette move to Perreux-sur-Marne near Paris. They make friends with Miró, Eluard, Breton and Arp.
1928- August 24, Magritte's father dies


                            

                            

1929- In Cadaquès, Spain, the Magritte family stays at the Dali's in the company of Paul and Gala Eluard. Magritte contributes to the final issue of the "Révolution Surréaliste". He paints the first version (in french) of his famous work: "The treachery of Images".
1937- Magritte paints large canvasses for Edward James in London. He gives a speech at the London Gallery.
1940- Magritte and his wife move to the south of France in Carcassonne
1943- Magritte tries out a new style of painting. This is his "Renoir" or "Solar" style which he continues until 1947 together with his customary style.
1947- First monograph on the artist by Louis Scutenaire. Beginning of the "cow period".
1948- Exhibition in the Galerie du Faubourg, in Paris. Magritte shows his new style, the public is startled. Magritte has to give up this new way of painting.
1952- Magritte becomes the director of a new publication: "La carte d'après nature".
1953- Murals for the casino at Knokke-le-Zoute.
1960- Visit to André Breton in Paris. Meeting with Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst and Man Ray.
1965- Stay in Ischia in Italy. Magritte's health declines. Visit to Rome. Departs for New York and the Museum of Modern Art where there is a retrospective of his work.
1966- Magritte and his wife spend their holidays in Cannes, Montecatini and Milan.
1967- Exhibition in the Galerie Iolas in Paris. Holiday in Italy. Retrospective in Rotterdam. Magritte retouches the wax models of his first sculptures
15 August 1967, René Magritte dies.