the silent woman

“Magritte’s mother was unhappy during his childhood and attempted suicide a number of times. In 1912, when Magritte was 14 his mother left the house and drowned herself in the river. When her body was pulled from the river many days later her face was covered by her night dress. Young Magritte saw the corpse bare with the face wrapped and this image, disturbing and erotic was left in his memory. Magritte made many paintings about death by drowning and tragedy in water, as well as disturbing images of faces draped with a cloth.”