MAGRITTE RENE: (1898-1967) Belgian surrealist artist. A.L.S., Mag, closely written to ...

MAGRITTE RENE: (1898-1967) Belgian surrealist artist. A.L.S., Mag, closely written to the verso of a colour picture postcard depicting an eagle perched on a tree stump, Villa Le Mas, Cannes, 24^th June 1966, to Louis and Irene Scutenaire (‘Chers Scut et Irine’), in French. Magritte states that he hopes his postcard of yesterday reached his correspondents despite the insufficient stamp, remarking ‘je l'apprends aujourd'hui par un marchand de cartes au courant des usages’ (Translation: ‘I learned about it today from a card dealer familiar with the practices’; ironically the present postcard has had its original postage stamp removed, although three-quarters of the cancellation is still present) and continues to write ‘Vous saurez deja que notre voyage a dure pres de neuf heures, sans wagon restaurant. Nous voyons Cannes d'une hauteur (le soir c'est tres beau et la journee aussi). En descendant pres de la mer, le jugement sur Cannes est a reviser: nous sommes enchantes et preferons la croisette a la promenade des Anglais. Peut-etre est-ce le cote "bon enfant" - plus provincial de Nice - qui plait a nos besoins d'aventures moderes ainsi qu'il en soit, au point de vue somatique aucun desordre a signaler malgre une chaleur tres forte’ (Translation: ‘You will already know that our trip lasted almost nine hours, without a restaurant car. We see Cannes from a height (in the evening it is very beautiful and during the day too). Going down near the sea, our judgement on Cannes needs to be revised: we are enchanted and prefer the Croisette to the Promenade des Anglais. Perhaps it is the “good-natured” side – more provincial than Nice – which pleases our needs for moderate adventures as well, from a somatic point of view no disorder to report despite very strong heat’). Also signed (‘Georgette’) at the conclusion by Magritte’s wife, model and muse, Georgette Berger, who has also addressed the card in her hand. A good letter with excellent association. VG

Louis Scutenaire (1905-1987) Belgian poet, anarchist, surrealist and civil servant, a close friend of Magritte and a central figure in the Belgian surrealist movement. Scutenaire was invited by Magritte to give titles to his paintings and is also the model for the figure in Magritte’s Universal Gravitation.

Irene Hamoir (1906-1994) Belgian novelist and poet, wife of Louis Scutenaire. Hamoir’s poetry was published under the pen name Irine.