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A remarkable painting from the famed avant-garde artist René Magritte which has remained in one private collection for over nine decades is scheduled to be sold in late October.

The Captivating History Of this Artwork

The painting was first acquired through the family belonging to Suzanne Spaak, an Second World War resistance fighter that acted as the artist's patron at an period when he had financial troubles economically and been unable to sell any piece over two years.

She was executed by Nazi forces in Paris due to her actions to help Jewish children find security.

Sale Projections and Anticipations

The auction house has estimated that La Magie Noire may sell for in the range of five million euros to seven million euros, but many expect that it will achieve a much greater price.

“It is the first time I’ve managed a major Magritte work which has stayed with one household since its creation,” remarked a senior art market executive. This is remarkable, just like the story behind the owners.”

The official further described this work as “the Taylor Swift in surrealist art,” noting that Were you to ask a group of schoolchildren to prepare a presentation about surrealism, this artwork by itself could be enough to explain the movement.”

The Artist's Early Struggles with Career Growth

This Belgian-born painter first worked as an artist in a wallpaper factory and created advertising posters before the mid-1920s, at which point he created his first avant-garde piece.

A year later, he had his first show in the Belgian capital, however the critics were savage so a dismayed Magritte relocated to Paris, where he was unable to make a name for himself.

He returned to his homeland in 1930 where he formed a commercial art business with his brother Paul.

“Life for Magritte was quite hard during that period. The Great Depression which began in 1929 in America hit the French economy in the early 1930s. For two years, from 1930 to 1932, he sold no works and had no shows,” an specialist stated.

No one was buying artworks from surrealist artists. They were viewed as radical troublemakers.”

The Role of his Patrons

The spouse, Claude Spaak, a well-known Belgian-born playwright, was acquainted with the artist acting as a patron, ordering portraits of his wife and children and arranging a monthly stipend for Magritte and his household.

In 1934, the sister Alice, known as Bunny, acquired La Magie Noire to celebrate the birth of her first child alongside Emile, a Belgian industrialist.

“The Spaak family represented for Belgium what the Mountbattens were for Britain; like royalty and they helped the artist through hard times,” an expert commented. “It was bought to mark the birth of a baby but it was a rebirth for the painter who was struggling to get himself back on his feet.”

Artistic Details and Meaning

The subject in this series had been his spouse, Georgette, who is depicted in a classic style resembling a sculpted figure placing her hand on a block of stone.

Her upper body slowly merges with the sky in the background whereas her lower body maintains its realistic coloring.

Magritte later created ten comparable portraits, many of them were given different names. Here, the first of the series, Berger is portrayed with a dove on her right shoulder.

A portion of the backdrop displays a semi wood-panelled interior wall.

Suzanne Spaak’s Courageous Resistance Activities

The couple resided in Paris when war broke out in 1939.

After the German takeover of Paris, Suzanne joined the underground and served as a member of the intelligence network spy ring.

Spaak employed her considerable fortune to rescue 163 Jewish children from being deported, hiding a number of them at her home until they were relocated to safety.

Final End with Historical Impact

By late 1943, German forces arrested Spaak together with hundreds of the Red Orchestra.

On 12 August 1944, days before the liberation of the city, the Gestapo executed her in captivity. She had been 38 years old and was later been honoured by the state of Israel among the Righteous for her efforts to save Jewish people.

The artist died of pancreatic cancer on 15 August 1967 and rests in the Belgian capital.

Display with Sale Timeline

This artwork, which has been displayed in the Magritte Museum in Belgium, has seldom been exhibited abroad over 90 years.

La Magie Noire will be shown in Paris between October 17-23 prior to the auction on October 24.