Was Magritte a “proper artist”?

Magritte is not one of my favourite artists, and it was very much a matter of chance that I turned to a review of his recent biography, by Alex Danchev. Actually, it was Danchev’s name that provided the hook. A man of many parts, he and I jointly examined a Ph.D. thesis many years ago. One thing became clear from his account, and that is the fact that Magritte’s claim to be a “professional artist” would certainly be challenged by today’s purists.

Magritte was not the product of a prestigious art-school, and it seems to be doubtful that he was ever able to support himself from his painting, putting together a living from a mixture of advertising, textile design and any other opportunity that came along to turn a penny …. including the design of banknotes and even art forgery. Today nobody remembers these sides-lines, and he is justly remembered for his original contribution to the development of modern art.

Preparations for my Lincoln exhibition are going ahead well. I collected the posters today from the printer, and the miniature weasels arrived on which I will be displaying most of the signs.