Magritte - Biography



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1898

November 21, René François-Ghislain Magritte is born in Lessines, Hainaut (Belgium).
Adeline Magritte with her son René, 1899

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.
René et Georgette Magritte, 1920

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.
Song of love, 1922, 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.
Casino of Knokke-le-Zoute (Belgium)

1960

	Visit to André Breton in Paris. Meeting with Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst and Man Ray.
René Magritte, Marcel Duchamp Max Ernst and Man Ray (Paris, 1960)

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.

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