http://www.atara.net/magritte/




René François Ghislain Magritte, 1889-1967, was a Belgian surrealist painter greatly influenced by the dadaist movement. He was perhaps the most famous proponent of "magic realism", in which ordinary objects are put into strange and unrealistic contexts. His work, while undoubtedly strange and avant garde for its time, was done with such meticulous technical perfection that it has always been impossible to ignore. Indeed, we can look at Magritte's paintings solely as beautifully balanced works of art. But if we take a closer look we soon become captivated by the mystery that lies within - the paradoxes, illusions, and obscure symbols