Rene Magritte 1898–1967: Thought Rendered Visible

It is impossible to overlook the influence of Rene Magritte (1898–1967) on contemporary art. His surrealistic painting turns the usual order of things ironically on its head, thus restoring mystery to a world that has lost its magic. His work typically conveys a sense of the amazing, the surprising, and the ridiculous-but also the unsettling. Without a specific message, Magritte’s paintings nonetheless speak to us, creating a connection between opposites on an associative level. Thus a dinner roll can, with complete naturalness, fly past a barred dungeon opening. In discussing his art, Magritte spoke of “inspired thoughts”: he was indeed a painter-philosopher who thought in pictorial form and moved with seemingly playful lightness in the exalted atmosphere of his own imagination.