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An extraordinary painting by this legendary avant-garde painter Magritte which has remained within one personal collection for more than nine decades is scheduled to be auctioned in late October.

This Intriguing Story Of this Artwork

The painting was first purchased through the family of Suzanne Spaak, an Second World War resistance fighter that served as Magritte's benefactor during a period when Magritte had financial troubles economically and had failed to sell any work for two years.

Spaak was executed by the Gestapo in Paris due to her actions to help Jewish children reach safety.

Auction Projections and Anticipations

The fine art firm has projected that La Magie Noire may sell for between €5m to €7m, however many anticipate it to achieve a much higher price.

“It is the initial instance I have handled a major piece by Magritte which has stayed with one family since its creation,” stated a senior auction house executive. This is remarkable, just like the history of the family.”

The official further described the painting by saying “the Taylor Swift in surrealist art,” adding that “If you were to request some students to prepare a report about the surrealist movement, this painting alone could be sufficient to define the movement.”

The Artist's Formative Struggles and Professional Development

This Belgian artist first worked as an artist in a wallpaper factory and created commercial ads until 1926, when he created his debut surrealist piece.

A year later, he held his first exhibition in Brussels, however the critics were harsh so a dismayed Magritte moved to France, in which he failed to establish a name for himself.

Magritte went back to Belgium in 1930 where he formed an advertising agency alongside his brother Paul Magritte.

The artist's life was quite hard during that period. The economic crisis which began in the late 1920s in America affected the French economy in the early 1930s. Over a two-year span, from 1930 and 1932, he sold no works and held no shows,” the expert stated.

“Nobody purchased paintings from surrealist artists. These artists were viewed as radical troublemakers.”

This Role of the Benefactors

The spouse, Claude, a well-known Belgian playwright, knew Magritte acting as a benefactor, commissioning paintings of his wife and children while also organizing a monthly stipend for the artist and his family.

By 1934, Suzanne Spaak’s sibling Alice, called Bunny, acquired the painting to celebrate the birth of her first child alongside Emile, a Belgian industrialist.

This family was to Belgium what the Mountbattens were for Britain; almost aristocratic and they pulled the artist through hard times,” an expert commented. “It was bought to commemorate the birth of a child but it was a rebirth for Magritte as he was trying to recover financially.”

Painting Features with Symbolism

The subject for the series had been Magritte’s wife, Georgette Berger, she is portrayed in a classical manner like a sculpted figure resting her hand on a block of stone.

Her upper body gradually blends with the sky in the background whereas her lower half retains its realistic coloring.

Magritte later created ten comparable works, most of which received distinct titles. In this work, the first of the series, Berger is portrayed with a bird perched on her shoulder.

A portion of the backdrop shows a partially paneled interior wall.

Her Heroic Resistance Activities

The couple resided in the French capital at the outbreak of war in the late 1930s.

Following the Nazi occupation of the French capital, Suzanne joined the underground and was a participant of the intelligence network intelligence unit.

Spaak used her considerable fortune to rescue over 160 Jewish youngsters from being deported, sheltering several of them in her residence before they could be moved to secure locations.

Tragic End with Legacy

By late 1943, German forces captured Spaak along with hundreds of the network.

On August 12, 1944, days before the freeing of Paris, Nazi agents killed her in captivity. She had been 38 years old and has since recognized by Israel as one of the Righteous Among the Nations for her efforts in saving Jewish lives.

Magritte died of pancreatic cancer on 15 August 1967 and rests in Brussels.

Display and Sale Timeline

This artwork, which has been displayed in the Magritte Museum in Belgium, has been rarely seen outside Belgium over 90 years.

La Magie Noire will be shown at the French capital from October 17-23 prior to the auction on 24 October.