Alogism, absurdity, a combination of incongruous, paradoxical visual variability of images and figures - this is the basis of the foundations of surrealism. The founder of this trend is considered Andre Breton, who at the heart of surrealism saw the embodiment of the theory of the subconscious Sigmund Freud. It was on this basis that many representatives of the direction created masterpieces that did not reflect objective reality, but were merely the embodiment of individual images inspired by the subconscious. The paintings painted by the surrealists could not be the product of either good or evil. All of them evoked different emotions in different people. Therefore, we can confidently say that this trend of modernism is quite contradictory, which contributed to its rapid dissemination in painting and literature.
Surrealism as an illusory trend in painting and literature of the 20th century
Salvador Dali, Paul Delvaux, Rene Magritte, Jean Arp, Max Ernst, Frida Kahlo, Giorgio de Chirico, Yves Tanguy, Michael Parkes and Dorothy Tuning - these are the pillars of surrealism that arose in France in the 20s of the last century. This area was not geographically limited to France, spreading to other countries and continents. Surrealism greatly facilitated the perception of cubism and abstractionism.
One of the main tenets of the surrealists was the identification of the energy of the creators with the human subconscious, which manifests itself in a dream, under hypnosis, in delirium during an illness or accidental creative insights.
Distinctive features of surrealism
Surrealism is a complex direction in painting, which many artists understood and understand in their own way. Therefore, it is not surprising that surrealism developed in two conceptually different directions. The first branch can be safely attributed to Miro, Max Ernst, Jean Arp and Andre Masson, in whose works the main place was occupied by images that smoothly turn into abstraction. The second branch takes as its basis the embodiment of the surreal image generated by the human subconscious, with illusory accuracy. In this direction, worked Salvador Dali, who is an ideal representative of academic painting. Precisely the transmission of chiaroscuro and a careful manner of writing are inherent in his works - dense objects possess tangible transparency, solid objects spread out, massive and voluminous figures acquire lightness and weightlessness, and incompatible ones can combine together.
Biography of Rene Magritte
Along with the works of Salvador Dali is the work of Rene Magritte - a famous Belgian artist who was born in the city of Lesin in 1898. In the family, except for Rene. there were two more children, and in 1912 there was a misfortune that affected the life and work of the future artist - the mother died. This was reflected in Rene Magritte's painting, “In Memory of Mack Sennet,” which was written in 1936. The artist himself claimed that circumstances did not affect his life and work.
In 1916, Rene Magritte entered the Brussels Academy of Arts, where he met his future muse and wife Georgette Berger. After graduating from the Academy, Rene worked on the creation of promotional materials, and was rather dismissive of this. Futurism, Cubism and Dadaism had a huge impact on the artist, but in 1923 Rene Magritte first saw the work of Giorgio de Chirico “Song of Love”. This moment was the starting point for the development of the surrealist Rene Magritte. At the same time, the formation of a current began in Brussels, of which Rene Magritte became a representative along with Marcel Lekamt, Andre Suri, Paul Nouge and Camille Gemansem.
Creativity Rene Magritte.
The works of this artist have always been ambiguous and attracted a lot of attention.
At first glance, the picture of Rene Magritte is filled with strange images that are not only mysterious, but also ambiguous. Rene Magritte did not address the issue of form in surrealism, he put his vision into the meaning and significance of the picture.
Many artists pay particular attention to names. Especially Rene Magritte. Pictures with the names “This is not a pipe” or “Son of man” awaken the thinker and philosopher in the viewer. In his opinion, not only the picture should prompt the viewer to manifest emotions, but the name should surprise and make you think.
As for the descriptions, many surrealists gave a brief annotation to their canvases. Rene Magritte is no exception. Pictures with a description have always been present in the artist's promotional activities.
The artist himself called himself "magical realist." His goal was to create a paradox, and the public should draw conclusions herself. Rene Magritte in his works has always clearly drawn a line between a subjective image and real reality.
Painting "Lovers"
Rene Magritte wrote a series of paintings "Lovers" in 1927-1928 in Paris.
The first picture shows a man and a woman who merged in a kiss. Their heads are wrapped in white cloth. The second canvas depicts the same man and woman in white cloth, who are looking from the picture at the public.
White fabric in the artist's work provokes and provoked heated discussions. There are two versions. According to the first, white cloth in the works of Rene Magritte appeared in connection with the death of a mother in early childhood. His mother jumped from the bridge into the river. When her body was taken out of the water, a white cloth was found wrapped around her head. As for the second version, many knew that the artist was a fan of Fantomas - the hero of a popular movie. Therefore, it may be that white fabric is a tribute to cinema enthusiasm.
What is this picture about? Many people think that the painting “Lovers” represents blind love: falling in love, people stop noticing someone or something other than their half. But people remain mysteries for themselves. On the other hand, looking at the kiss of lovers, we can say that they lost their heads from love and passion. The picture of Rene Magritte is filled with mutual feelings and experiences.
"Son of man"
Rene Magritte’s painting “The Son of Man” became the hallmark of “magical realism” and a self-portrait of Rene Magritte. This work is considered one of the most controversial works of the master.
The artist hid his face behind an apple, as if to say that everything is not as it seems, and that people constantly want to get into the soul of a person and understand the true essence of things. Rene Magritte’s painting hides and reveals the essence of the master himself.
Rene Magritte played an important role in the development of surrealism, and his work continues to excite the consciousness of more and more generations.