The only explicitly politically motivated artwork by Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte was auctioned on Thursday for €38,400 – 15 times the starting price.
With the poster, the godfather of Belgian surrealism pokes fun at the fascist party Rex and its leader, Léon Degrelle.
"We are extremely proud that so much value is being placed on this lesser-known work by René Magritte," said auctioneer Henri Godts of Arenberg Auctions in a press release. "The auction of the lithograph has proven to be a great success. In these turbulent times, the poster's content is perhaps quite relevant again."
In 1935-1936, journalist and writer Léon Degrelle founded the 'Front populaire de Rex' in Belgium. While the party was initially a nationalist one close to Catholic circles, it quickly became a fascist party.
'The true face of Rex'
Alarmed by the party's fascist ideology, a group of Belgian artists and intellectuals joined the resistance, among them many who loved the surrealist art style.
They approached Magritte, a leading figure of the Brussels surrealists, and the artist created a poster. In it, he illustrated the "true face of Rex" by portraying Léon Degrelle holding a mirror, which reflects not his own face, but that of Adolf Hitler.
The poster was initially dated 1937 or 1939, but research revealed that the cartoon was already discussed in the press in October 1936.
