Belgian painter René Magritte (21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) is best known for his Surrealist art. But before he relocated from Brussels to Paris in 1927 and began hanging out with André Breton (19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) and other Surrealists, Magritte worked as a commercial artist. Typically of the period, that meant working in the Art Deco style.
In 1924 Magritte began working for designer for avant-garde Belgian fashion company Norine, run by Honorine “Norine” Deschrijver (1887-1977) and her husband Paul-Gustave Van Hecke (1887-1967). As luck had it, Van Hecke also owned art galleries, notably Galerie L’Epoque in Brussels, and was an early fan of surrealism. Magritte agreed that Van Hecke would pay him to paint and market his work.
Magritte also designed 40 sheet music covers, most of them also in the Art Deco style.
The presentations of Couture Norine collections were society events, often embellished by jazz music. For example, on Saturday, July 25, 1925, they organized the Gala des Choses en Vogue, or the gala of fashionable things, in the Kursaal of Ostend. There, Evelyne Brélia sang the song Norine Blues (above). The lyrics for the song were written by Georgette and René Magritte, and the music was composed by his brother Paul Magritte. René Magritte also illustrated the score of the song. – Momu
René MAGRITTE art deco covers 1927
