Rachel Baes Belgian, 1912-1983

Rachel Baes was a Belgian surrealist painter, born on August 1, 1912, in Brussels, Belgium. Daughter of the academic painter Émile Baes, she was introduced to the world of art from an early age. Largely self-taught, she began painting in her teens and developed a style marked by symbolic, dreamlike imagery and psychological depth.

In the 1930s, Baes became associated with the Surrealist movement, joining the vibrant circle of Belgian surrealists that included René Magritte, Paul Nougé, and Louis Scutenaire. She also exhibited with the Parisian Surrealists connected to André Breton. Her work often featured solitary, mysterious female figures in haunting, introspective environments. Through these images, she explored themes such as identity, alienation, and inner emotion.

In the late 1930s, Baes began a personal and romantic relationship with Joris Van Severen, a prominent figure in Belgian public life at the time. Their relationship ended tragically during World War II, when Van Severen was arrested by French authorities and executed in 1940 under unclear circumstances. This event deeply marked Baes and influenced her life and artistic trajectory.

She gradually withdrew from the public eye, though she continued painting. 

Rachel Baes died on June 8, 1983, in Bruges. For many years, her work remained relatively underappreciated, but recent interest in women artists of the Surrealist movement has led to a renewed recognition of her unique contribution to 20th-century art.