![René Magritte - Night Life (Vie Nocturne) [1923]](http://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5817/30936905362_7a39841fd4_b.jpg)
This work by Magritte, painted towards the end of 1923, is one of the artist’s last abstract canvases. At the beginning of the 1920s, Magritte joined the group 7 Arts that defended pure art, as much in painting as in the decorative arts. At the same time, Magritte was painting everyday objects (folding screens, chairs, wallpaper etc.) whilst earning a living through publication and illustration projects. He thus made several covers for music scores, having been introduced into the music field by his musician brother Paul Magritte. The title Vie Nocturne is therefore an allusion to a real or imaginary score, even a tribute to Erik Satie, the composer of five Nocturnes.
[Sotheby’s, Paris - Oil on canvas, 50.1 x 40.2 cm]