René Magritte

Belgian painter who was among the greatest creators of poetic images while remaining at the same time consistently realistic. He started as a modernist but became one of the surrealist group with the belief that through ideas and conscious manner one became adept.

Prior to devoting himself to art, he worked as a civil servant.

His childhood was heavily traumatic with the death of his mother when he was 12; she drowned herself with no explanation.

In 1913, Magritte met his wife-to-be for the first time. The couple drifted apart, but eventually re-met in the early '20s and married. In 1927, they moved to Paris but three years later returned to Brussels where they spent the rest of their lives.

Magritte died on 15 August 1967 in Brussels, Belgium.