In 1938, René Magritte gave a lecture at the KMSKA about his vision of reality. He discussed the origins and development of his art, as well as the history of the Surrealist movement in Belgium. Under the title La Ligne de Vie, this lecture — the second after the International Surrealist Exhibition in London — was the most important one Magritte ever gave about his work.

This catalogue accompanies the exhibition Magritte. La Ligne de vie (KMSKA, from 15 November 2025 to 16 January 2026), in which the artist, as it were, takes on the role of curator himself. Central to the show are the works he discussed during his historic lecture — paintings that partially reveal their mysteries, yet at the same time raise new questions.

In addition to offering an in-depth look at his oeuvre, the publication also highlights Magritte’s role as a bridge figure between Brussels and Antwerp Surrealism. The exhibition — and this book — show how he was in dialogue with contemporaries such as Marcel Mariën and Léo Dohmen, and how his influence helped shape Belgian art for generations. Magritte himself put it strikingly during his lecture La Ligne de Vie:

“The Ladder of Fire gave me the privilege of experiencing what was felt by the first men who made fire by rubbing two stones together. In turn, I let flames emerge from a sheet of paper, an egg, and a key.”