Happy 125th anniversary, René Magritte!

[Jim Easterbrook]

Today, 21st November 2023, is the 125th anniversary of the birth of René Magritte, the Belgian surrealist painter. To celebrate I've opened the bottle of Duvel "magritte" special edition beer I bought in Belgium this summer.


Duvel "magritte" beer by Jim Easterbrook, on Flickr


Duvel "Magritte" beer by Jim Easterbrook, on Flickr

[Ali Smith]

Ceci, ce n'est pas une bouteille de biere.

[joe cassidy]

Did you know the saxophone was invented by a Belgian ?

His name was Mr. Sax.

[Ali Smith]

First name Adolphe, I believe.

[Jim Easterbrook]

Did you know the saxophone was invented by a Belgian ?

His name was Mr. Sax.

First name Adolphe, I believe.

Yup. He was from Dinant where they have a bronze statue of him on a bench so visiting tourists can be photographed sitting next to him. (No I don't have such a photograph.)

Other famous Belgians include Egide Walschaerts.

Other eponymous instruments include the sousaphone, theremin, and ondes Martenot.

[Ali Smith]

More famous Belgians:

Alfred Belpaire (as in firebox)
Plastic Bertrand
Georges Simenon

and most famous of all Hercule Poirot. Unfortunately, being not only imaginary but the imagining of an Englishwoman, he doesn't really count.