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A remarkable painting from the legendary avant-garde artist Magritte that has stayed in a single personal possession for over nine decades is scheduled to be sold in late October.

This Fascinating History Of the Painting

The painting was originally acquired through the relatives of Suzanne Spaak, a World War II resistance fighter that acted as Magritte's supporter during a period when Magritte had financial troubles economically and failed to sell any work over two years.

She was executed at the hands of the Gestapo in the French capital due to her efforts to help Jewish children reach security.

Auction Projections and Expectations

The auction house has projected which the artwork may sell for in the range of five million euros and seven million euros, however experts expect it to achieve a much higher value.

“It is the initial instance I have handled an important piece by Magritte that has stayed in the same household from it was painted,” remarked an high-ranking art market executive. “It is remarkable, as is the history of the family.”

The official also referred to the painting as the superstar of surrealism,” noting that “If you were to ask a group of schoolchildren to do a report about surrealism, this painting by itself could be sufficient to define the movement.”

Magritte's Early Struggles and Career Development

The Belgian artist first was employed as an artist at a wallpaper factory and produced commercial ads until the mid-1920s, when Magritte created his first surrealist piece.

The following year, he held his first show in Brussels, but the critics were savage and disheartened the artist relocated to France, in which he failed to establish a name for himself.

Magritte returned to his homeland in 1930 and established an advertising agency alongside his sibling Paul.

The artist's life was very difficult at this time. The economic crisis which began in the late 1920s in the US affected France in the early 1930s. Over a two-year span, between 1930 to 1932, he sold nothing and had no shows,” an specialist stated.

No one was buying paintings from surrealist artists. They were viewed as revolutionary troublemakers.”

This Influence of the Benefactors

The spouse, Claude, a well-known Belgian-born writer, knew the artist acting as a benefactor, commissioning portraits of Suzanne and their kids and arranging a monthly stipend for Magritte and his household.

By 1934, Suzanne Spaak’s sibling Alice, known as Bunny, bought La Magie Noire to celebrate the birth of her newborn alongside Emile Happe, a Belgian industrialist.

“The Spaak family was to Belgium like the Mountbattens were to the UK; like royalty and they helped Magritte out of difficulty,” an expert said. “It was bought to mark the arrival of a baby but it also marked a rebirth for the painter who was trying to recover financially.”

Painting Features and Meaning

The subject for the series was Magritte’s wife, Georgette, she is portrayed in a classic style like a marble statue placing her hand on a block of stone.

Her torso slowly merges into the sky behind her whereas her lower half retains its natural tone.

The artist went on to paint ten comparable works, most of which received distinct titles. In this work, the first in the series, Berger appears with a bird perched on her shoulder.

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

Suzanne Spaak’s Courageous Underground Activities

The couple resided in the French capital when war broke out in 1939.

Following the German takeover of Paris, she became part of the underground and served as a member in the intelligence network spy ring.

Spaak employed her considerable fortune to save 163 Jewish children from being deported, hiding a number of them at her home until they could be moved to secure locations.

Final Outcome with Historical Impact

In October 1943, German forces captured Spaak together with hundreds of the Red Orchestra.

On August 12, 1944, days before the freeing of Paris, Nazi agents killed her in captivity. She had been 38 and was later been honoured 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 is buried in Brussels.

Exhibition and Sale Timeline

This artwork, previously shown at the Magritte museum in Belgium, has been rarely seen outside Belgium in more than nine decades.

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