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Opening of the Magritte museum

Magritte is the 20th century’s most important Belgian painter and one of the ten best-known in the world. As an internationally renowned artist, the Belgian painter, René Magritte, had to have a museum worthy of his oeuvre. That's why, since 2 June, a new museum is entirely dedicated to him in the heart of Brussels.



New Magritte Museum
© Suez

Wonderfully located on Place Royale, a stone’s throw from the Grand Place and the Royal Palace, the MAGRITTE MUSEUM (BRUXELLES), which expects 650,000 visitors a year, is from now on one of the cultural musts of Europe’s capital, indeed of the world.

Installed in the elegant, neo-classical Altenloh mansion, it houses the world’s largest collection of the great surrealist’s works.


Magritte, his life

René Magritte was born in Lessines, in Hainaut, on 21 November 1898. The family moved to Châtelet in 1910 (Visit the MAISON MAGRITTE (MAGRITTE HOUSE) (CHATELET)).

René was 14 when his mother threw herself into the river Sambre. She was found dead a few days later, her face covered by her nightdress. The terrible force of this image was to resurface time and again in Magritte’s work.


© Charly Herscovici, c/o SABAM-ADAGP, 2008

In 1917, René moved to Brussels. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts and married Georgette, She was to be his companion, model and Muse.

In the 20s, he met his fellow Surrealists. Magritte influenced by futurism and the work of Chirico was the only painter.

In 1930, the couple settled in Jette, where Magritte was to work for 24 years.

His house (RENÉ MAGRITTE MUSEUM (JETTE)), which has been open to the public since 1999, was also the headquarters of his Belgian surrealist friends.

The group also liked to meet at the LA FLEUR EN PAPIER DORÉ (BRUXELLES), a tavern run by an art-dealer friend of Magritte.

In 1954, René and Georgette moved to Schaerbeek, rue des Mimosas. It was there that he died in August 1967.


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