A political caricature by Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte has been auctioned in Brussels for 38,400 euro. The auction house Arenberg Auctions reports that the work fetched more than 14 times its starting price of 2,500 euro.
In the poster, the Belgian surrealist mocks the Francophone Belgian fascist party Rex and its leader Léon Degrelle. Mr Degrelle is depicted in the mirror as Adolf Hitler. The poster is René Magritte's only known politically inspired work.
Shortly before the Second World War, several thousand copies of the lithograph were printed, but almost the entire print run was destroyed for fear of the rise of National Socialism. Ultimately, only two copies are known to exist. One is stored in the City of Brussels, while the other has now been auctioned for 38,400 euro.
Henri Godts of Arenberg Auctions told journalists that “We are particularly proud that this lesser-known work by René Magritte has fetched such a high price. The auction of the lithograph was a great success. In these turbulent times, the poster's message is perhaps even more relevant than ever”.