"The motive is one of the few truly iconic representations from the 20th century", writes Max Carter, at the auction firm Christie's, which arranged the sale, in an email to CNN.
The painting is part of a series of a total of 27 works, all under the name "L'empire des lumières" ("The Empire of Lights").
René Magritte, who was born in 1898 and died in 1967, worked with painting, drawing, graphics, and sculpture.
He became one of surrealism's most well-known names, known for his playful paintings that question established truths. One of his recurring motifs is men in bowler hats.
It was not until after World War II, in connection with a retrospective exhibition in 1965 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, that he received general recognition.
