René Magritte

René Magritte (Belgian, 1898–1967). René Magritte’s cerebral, enigmatic paintings and prints helped define the imagery and philosophy of the Surrealist movement. His most famous works, including The Treachery of Images (1929) and The Son of Man (1946), explore the illusory power of art and juxtapose mundane and fantastical iconography. Magritte was born in Belgium. After a stint at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and employment as a designer and draftsman, he moved to Paris and became involved with the Surrealist trailblazer André Breton. In the late 1940s, Magritte made a series of “vache” (“cow”) paintings that embraced bright Fauvist hues and pushed the limits of good taste. His work has been exhibited at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, Centre Pompidou, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museo Reina Sofía, Tate Britain, Kunstmuseum Basel, and many others, and belongs to the collections of many more. His work has sold for tens of millions on the secondary market.