Surrealism in Belgium : the discreet charm of the bourgeoisie

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For the general public, the work of René Magritte and that of Paul Delvaux alone embody surrealism in Belgium, to such an extent that for a long time they cast a shadow on the other actors of a movement that developed over three quarters of the twentieth century and whose spirit still influences many artists today.

Belgian surrealists were active at the same time as their Parisian counterparts, and yet from the start they distinguished themselves from the latter. Published in 1924, the same year as André Breton's Surrealist Manifesto, the Correspondance tracts that marked the beginning of surrealism in Belgium stand out through their more intimate tone and a desire for discretion, and even anonymity, that characterized the attitude of René Magritte and Paul Nougé.

Unlike the Paris group, the Belgian surrealists never relied on a founding manifesto but proceeded rather through a series of texts and collective declarations that steered the movement. It is through the close observation of everyday language and images that they wanted to radically transform the world.