Studied law at the Free University of Brussels (now split between the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and was a criminal lawyer from 1931 to 1944.
Was a close friend of René Magritte. Depicted in several of his paintings, including as one of the falling man on "Golconde". Scutenaire died twenty years to the hour after Magritte, just after watching a television program on the latter.
Was a poet, anarchist, surrealist and civil servant.