Rachel Baes (1 August 1912 – 8 June 1983) was a Belgian surrealist

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

. The growth of the women's movement in the late 20th century led to renewed interest in women artists and brought greater appreciation of her work. In 2002 the Koninklijk Museum in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

featured Baes and

Jane Graverol Jane Graverol (1905–1984), was a Belgian surrealist painter of French extraction. Life Jane Graverol was born in Ixelles on 18 December 1905 to Alexandre Graverol and Anne-Marie Lagadec. After a traditional education, she enrolled in the Bruss ...

in an exhibition: ''voor Schone Kunsten''.

Early life and education

Born in 1912 in Brussels to the landscape painter and portraitist Émile Baes and his wife, Rachel Baes was encouraged in her artistic efforts from an early age, although she never studied art formally.

Career

In 1929, at age 17, Baes achieved her first recognition as an artist when she exhibited works at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris. There she was one of the members of the Surrealist group around René Magritte. She came to know

André Breton André Robert Breton (; 19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism. His writings include the first ''Surrealist Manifesto'' (''Manifeste du surréalisme'') o ...

, Jean Cocteau, Max Ernst,

Georges Bataille Georges Albert Maurice Victor Bataille (; ; 10 September 1897 – 9 July 1962) was a French philosopher and intellectual working in philosophy, literature, sociology, anthropology, and history of art. His writing, which included essays, novels, ...

Irène Hamoir Irène Hamoir (25 July 1906 – 17 May 1994) was a Belgian novelist and poet, the leading female member of the Belgian surrealist movement. Her poetry was published under the pen name Irine, and she appeared as Lorrie in the writings of her h ...

, and Paul Éluard. Between 1936 and 1940, Baes had an affair with Joris Van Severen, leader of the extreme rightist Verdinaso party in Belgium. In 1940 Van Severen was summarily executed by French troops without trial, the incident clouded his reputation. Baes published a biography of Van Severen—''Joris Van Severen, une âme''—in 1965. After 1961, Baes retired from public life and lived alone in Bruges. She was buried at Abbeville, alongside Van Severen.

References

* Rachel Baes, ''Empreintes, l'Imprimerie des Sciences'', Bruxelles, 1951 * R. Baes, ''Joris Van Severen, Une Âme'', Zulte: Editions Oranje, 1965 * Patrick Spriet, ''Een Tragische Minnares (Rachel Baes, Joris Van Severen, Paul Léautaud en de surrealisten'', Vanhalewijck, 2002 * M. Janssens, P. Spriet, S. van Loo, J. ''Chénieux-Gendron en X. Canonne, Gekooid verlangen (Jane Graverol, Rachel Baes en het surrealisme ...)'', Antwerpen: Gynaika/KMSKA, 2002 * Dupont, Pierre-Paul, "BAES Rachel (1912–1983)", in E. Gubin, C. Jacques, V. Piette & J. Puissant (eds), ''Dictionnaire des femmes belges: XIX^e et XX^e siècles.'' Bruxelles: Éditions Racine, 2006. * Xavier Canonne, ''Het Surrealisme in België, 1924-2000'' ("Rachel Baes": 268–271), Brussel: Mercatorfonds, 2006 {{DEFAULTSORT:Baes, Rachel 1912 births 1983 deaths 20th-century Belgian women artists 20th-century Belgian painters Belgian surrealist artists Belgian women painters People from Ixelles Women surrealist artists