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An extraordinary painting by this legendary avant-garde painter Magritte that has stayed in a single personal collection for over 90 years will go to go sold later this month.

This Captivating History Behind the Artwork

The painting was originally acquired by the family of Spaak, an World War II underground fighter who acted as Magritte's supporter at a period where he was struggling financially and had failed to move a single piece over two years.

She was shot at the hands of Nazi forces in the French capital due to her efforts in helping young Jewish individuals find safety.

Sale Projections with Anticipations

The fine art firm has estimated that La Magie Noire may fetch between €5m and seven million euros, however many anticipate it to achieve a greater value.

This is the initial instance I’ve managed an important Magritte work that has remained in the same family since it was painted,” remarked a high-ranking auction house official. This is remarkable, just like the history behind the owners.”

He further described the painting by saying the superstar in surrealist art,” adding that “If you were to ask a group of students to do a presentation on surrealism, this painting alone would be sufficient to explain the movement.”

The Artist's Formative Struggles with Professional Growth

The Belgian-born artist first was employed as an artist in a wallpaper plant also produced advertising posters before 1926, when Magritte produced his first avant-garde piece.

A year later, he held his debut exhibition in the Belgian capital, however reviewers were savage so disheartened Magritte moved to France, in which he was unable to establish his mark.

Magritte went back to his homeland in 1930 and formed an advertising agency with his sibling Paul.

The artist's life was very difficult at this time. The Great Depression that started in the late 1920s in America affected France by the early 1930s. Over a two-year span, between 1930 to 1932, Magritte sold no works and had no shows,” the expert stated.

“Nobody was buying artworks from surrealist artists. They were viewed as radical troublemakers.”

This Role of the Benefactors

Spaak’s spouse, Claude, a well-known Belgian-born playwright, knew Magritte and a patron, ordering paintings of his wife and their kids while also arranging regular financial support for the artist and his family.

In 1934, Suzanne Spaak’s sibling Alice Lorge, known as Bunny, bought the painting to celebrate the birth of her newborn alongside Emile Happe, an industrial businessman.

“The Spaak family was to Belgium like the Mountbattens were for Britain; like royalty and they helped the artist through hard times,” an art specialist commented. The purchase was made to commemorate the arrival of a child but it was a rebirth for the painter as he was struggling to get himself back on his feet.”

Artistic Features and Meaning

The model in this series was his spouse, Georgette, who is portrayed in a classical manner resembling a sculpted figure resting her hand on a stone block.

Her upper body gradually blends into the sky behind her whereas her lower body retains its natural tone.

The artist later created 10 similar portraits, many of them received distinct titles. Here, the first in the series, Berger appears with a bird on her right shoulder.

One-third of the background shows a partially paneled interior wall.

Suzanne Spaak’s Heroic Resistance Activities

Suzanne and Claude Spaak resided in Paris at the outbreak of war in 1939.

Following the German takeover of the French capital, Suzanne joined the underground and was a participant in the “Red Orchestra” spy ring.

Spaak used her considerable fortune to save 163 Jewish children from deportation, sheltering a number of them in her residence until they could be moved to secure locations.

Final Outcome with Legacy

In October 1943, the Nazis arrested Spaak along with hundreds of the Red Orchestra.

On August 12, 1944, days before the liberation of Paris, the Gestapo killed her in her prison cell. She was 38 years old and was later been honoured by the state of Israel among the Righteous for her actions in saving Jewish lives.

Magritte died from cancer in August 1967 and is buried in Brussels.

Exhibition with Auction Schedule

The painting, previously shown in the Magritte Museum in Brussels, has been rarely seen outside Belgium in more than 90 years.

The piece will be shown in Paris between 17 and 23 October prior to the auction on 24 October.