Kickin’ It Old School: The Classic Surrealism of René Magritte

For the most part, my Thursday Art posts have featured artists who represent a new brand of “pop surrealists.” Modern day artists like Michael Sowa, Hsiao-Ron Cheng, Paul Barnes and Hillary White all adhere closely to the basic tenants of surrealism while bringing their own unique perspectives and influences to the table. But to see how these artists got to where they are, sometimes we need to revisit the past, and where better than with the work of legendary surrealist artist René Magritte.

Born in Belgium in 1898, Magritte kicked around the French art world, influenced by Impressionist, Cubist and Futurism styles, before returning to Belgium in 1930. It was following this period that he created his best known works while becoming one of the most influential of the surrealists. Rene Magritte died in 1967 at the age of 68.

Magritte’s calling card as a surrealist was his ability to cause viewers to question what they were seeing. He’s a master at playing with pre-existing perceptions of reality, and of giving new meaning to familiar things by placing them in unusual contexts. He often played with the perception of an image and the fact that the painting of the image could never actually be the object. Magritte points out that no matter how naturalistically we depict an object, we never do catch the essence of the item itself. That may look like an apple, but it’s not an apple.

Even people who are not familiar with his art are probably aware of Magritte’s more classic paintings, particularly “The Son Of Man’ (above) and “Golconde.” Fans of The Beatles will also no doubt recognize the iconic green apple of “The Listening Room.” His work continues to influence today’s pop culture.

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get reacquainted with the timeless art of René Magritte.

La Thérapeute

Intermission

The Good Omens

The Nightingale

The Listening Room

L’Invention De La Vie

The Son Of Man

Homesickness

The Lovers

Presence Of Mind

The Empire Of Lights 1967

Meditation

The Key To The Fields

La Durée Poignardée

The Secret Player

The Magician (Self-Portrait With Four Arms)

La Lunette d’Approche (The Telescope)

False Mirror

The Menaced Assassin

Clairvoyance

The Tempest

The Lost Jockey

Without Title

The Great War

A Page On A Horse

The Glass Key

The Discovery Of Fire

The Empire Of Lights

Call Of The Peaks

Golconde

Human Condition

The Acrobat’s Exercises

The Big Family

The Cicerone

Panorama Populaire

Le Beau Monde

The Pleasure Principle (Portrait of Edward James)

Rene Magritte

Time Transfixed