Renné Magritte was finalizing one of his paintings, when his maid, who wasn’t allowed to enter his atelier while he was working, decided to open the door to call him.
‘Sir Renné...,’ she said, ‘you’ve received a letter from the National Museum.’ The artist went mad.
‘Charlotte, how many times do I have to say it? Not even those assassins of art have the dignity to make me stop working!’
‘I’m sorry, sir, I’ll return later…,’ as she was starting to leave the room… ‘Oh, my god… What’s that, sir…?’
‘I believe that is my new painting.’
She had never seen one of his pieces of art unfinished and uncovered; and he had never done such an explicit portrait. It showed a man and a woman kissing, which was truly offensive at the time. As she closed the door scandalized, she decided to report him to the authorities.
The next day, before sunrise, the police knocked on the painter’s house.
‘We’re sorry to disturb you, sir,’ the officer said ‘but we were informed that you are in the possession of a censored picture. Unless we burn it, criminal charges will be made against you.’
Magritte had a friend in the ministry, so he had been advised the night before to turn the painting into a blank canvas. He wasn’t capable of doing it, instead he drew a sheet over the lovers, and that’s how the famous painting was born and how Magritte escaped a life in prison.
‘Sir Renné...,’ she said, ‘you’ve received a letter from the National Museum.’ The artist went mad.
‘Charlotte, how many times do I have to say it? Not even those assassins of art have the dignity to make me stop working!’
‘I’m sorry, sir, I’ll return later…,’ as she was starting to leave the room… ‘Oh, my god… What’s that, sir…?’
‘I believe that is my new painting.’
She had never seen one of his pieces of art unfinished and uncovered; and he had never done such an explicit portrait. It showed a man and a woman kissing, which was truly offensive at the time. As she closed the door scandalized, she decided to report him to the authorities.
The next day, before sunrise, the police knocked on the painter’s house.
‘We’re sorry to disturb you, sir,’ the officer said ‘but we were informed that you are in the possession of a censored picture. Unless we burn it, criminal charges will be made against you.’Magritte had a friend in the ministry, so he had been advised the night before to turn the painting into a blank canvas. He wasn’t capable of doing it, instead he drew a sheet over the lovers, and that’s how the famous painting was born and how Magritte escaped a life in prison.
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