Belgian painter René Magritte went through several phases in his career. The phase and style for which he is most noted is associated with Surrealism, but might be best though of as “magic realism”.
Magritte spent some time in Paris, where he met Surrealist leader André Breton, and became part of the Surrealist circle, though he was never really a good fit with the group.
Magritte was not a facile painter, like Dalí,or an innovative experimenter with technique, like Max Ernst. Magritte was a painter of ideas, and in his approach emphasized clarity in conveying them, however enigmatic the ideas themselves may have been.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York has mounted an exhibition of his work from a twelve year period in which his works most associated with Surrealism were developed. It includes several of his most iconic paintings.
There is an interactive associated with the exhibition. Unfortunately, it is hampered by an interface that seems to be deliberately designed to make browsing images a wretched experience.
Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary, 1926-1938 will be on display at the MoMA until January 12, 2014. From there it moves to The Menil Collection in Houston for a run from February 14 – June 1, 2014, and then to the Art Institute of Chicago from June 25 – October 12, 2014.
See my previous posts on Rene Magritte (and here).
