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An notable artwork by this renowned avant-garde painter René Magritte that has remained in a single personal collection for over 90 years is scheduled to go auctioned this October.

This Captivating Story Of this Artwork

La Magie Noire was first purchased by the relatives of Suzanne Spaak, a Second World War underground heroine that served as Magritte's benefactor at a time where Magritte faced difficulties economically and been unable to move any work over two years.

Spaak was shot by the Gestapo in the French capital for her actions to help young Jewish individuals reach safety.

Sale Projections with Anticipations

This fine art firm has projected that the artwork could fetch between five million euros to seven million euros, however experts anticipate it to achieve a greater price.

“It is the initial instance I’ve managed an important piece by Magritte which has stayed with one family from it was painted,” remarked an senior auction house executive. This is remarkable, as is the story behind the owners.”

He also described the painting as “the Taylor Swift of surrealism,” noting that “If you were to ask some schoolchildren to do a presentation on the surrealist movement, this painting alone could be enough to define the movement.”

The Artist's Early Challenges with Professional Development

This Belgian-born painter first was employed as a designer in a wallpaper plant also produced advertising posters until the mid-1920s, when he produced his debut surrealist piece.

A year later, he had his debut exhibition in the Belgian capital, however reviewers were harsh and disheartened Magritte moved to Paris, in which he failed to establish his mark.

Magritte returned to Belgium in 1930 where he established an advertising agency with his sibling Paul Magritte.

“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. Over a two-year span, from 1930 and 1932, he sold nothing and had no exhibitions,” the expert explained.

“Nobody purchased artworks from surrealist artists. They were considered revolutionary troublemakers.”

The Influence of the Patrons

Spaak’s spouse, Claude Spaak, a celebrated Belgian playwright, was acquainted with the artist and a benefactor, commissioning portraits of his wife and children while also organizing regular financial support for Magritte and his household.

By 1934, Suzanne Spaak’s sister Alice, called Bunny, acquired the painting to mark the birth of her newborn with Emile Happe, a Belgian businessman.

This family represented for Belgium like the Mountbattens were for Britain; almost aristocratic and they helped Magritte out of difficulty,” an expert said. “It was bought to commemorate the arrival of a baby but it also marked a rebirth for the painter who was trying to recover financially.”

Painting Details with Meaning

The model in this series had been Magritte’s wife, Georgette Berger, who is depicted in a classical manner like a sculpted figure placing her hand on a block of stone.

Her torso gradually blends into the sky in the background whereas her lower body maintains its realistic coloring.

The artist went on to paint 10 similar works, most of which received different names. In this work, the initial of the series, Berger appears with a dove perched on her shoulder.

One-third of the backdrop shows a semi wood-panelled interior wall.

Her Courageous Resistance Activities

Suzanne and Claude Spaak were living in Paris when war broke out in 1939.

After the German takeover of Paris, she joined the underground and served as a participant of the “Red Orchestra” intelligence unit.

She employed her wealth to save over 160 Jewish youngsters from deportation, hiding a number of them in her residence before they could be moved to secure locations.

Final End and Historical Impact

By late 1943, the Nazis arrested Spaak along with hundreds of the Red Orchestra.

On August 12, 1944, days before the freeing of Paris, Nazi agents killed her in her prison cell. She was 38 years old and was later been honoured by the state of Israel among the Righteous for her actions in saving Jewish people.

The artist passed away from cancer on 15 August 1967 and rests in the Belgian capital.

Display with Sale Schedule

This artwork, which has been displayed in the Magritte Museum in Brussels, has been rarely seen outside Belgium in more than nine decades.

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