Magritte Folon
This publication compares the works of two major Belgian artists - René Magritte and Jean-Michel Folon- their common grounds and their language in painting. Magritte depicts the mystery that emanates from the everyday life, while Folon opts for dreaminess and stylisation. Folon replaces Magritte's pigeon with a refined bird, drawn in a single stroke; he prefers a rectangular parallelepiped to the surrealist's well-described house. When he was 18, in 1953, Folon recalls discovering Le Domaine enchanté, the series of murals Magritte had just painted for the Knokke casino. It was a revelation. Although the two artists never met and 36 years separated them, Folon has acknowledged to be indebted to the master of Belgian surrealism -whom he considers "one of the fathers of his generation"- throughout his career. Magritte, by opening up the paths of mystery in painting, laid the foundations for Folon's art, which would never cease to explore the paths of poetry.
Michel Draguet holds a doctoral degree in Art History. Marie Godet holds a doctoral degree in Art History and works as a researcher. Stéphanie Angelroth is director of the Fondation Folon. Isabelle Douillet de Pange is curator of the Fondation Folon.