Rene Magritte has always been one of my favorite artists! His images are striking and for me thought provoking. Magritte used symbolism in his surrealist paintings to great effect. And like others in the surrealist movement he became known for using certain symbols or objects like his bowler Hat.
The video below gives us an excellent review of Magritte's works and his methods.
Rene Magritte and His Paintings
Rene Magritte (November 21, 1898 - August 15, 1967) was an internationally acclaimed surrealist artist of all time, yet it was not until his 50s, when he was finally able to reach some form of fame and recognition for his work. Rene Magritte described his paintings saying, "My painting is visible images which conceal nothing; they evoke mystery and, indeed, when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question, 'What does that mean?' It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing, it is unknowable."
Rene Magritte was born in 1898, to a wealthy manufacturer father. In 1912, his mom was found drowned in the River Sambre. She had committed suicide, and the family was publicly humiliated because of it. From 1916 to 1918, Rene decided to study at the Academie des Beaux-Art, which was located in Brussels. He left the school, because he thought that it was a waste of time. All his paintings afterward reflect cubism, the movements which were introduced by Pablo Picasso and was very popular at the time. In 1922 he married Georgette, and took a number of small jobs, including painting cabbage roses for a wallpaper company, in order to be able to pay the bills..." from the website: renemagritte.org
Video from Types of Spiritual Experience
"René Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist. Surrealism is Symbolism but with no attempt to make a coherent picture from the symbols. Instead the symbols are placed in surreal surroundings. In this video we provide examples of his work and explain the symbols he used, for example - the door, fish, the bowler hat, sea, stones and rain." from video introduction
Rene Magritte: A collection of 376 paintings (HD)
Video from LearnFromMasters
"Rene Magritte: A collection of 376 paintings (HD) Description: "René Magritte was born in Belgium in 1898. After attending art school in Brussels, he worked in commercial advertising to support himself while he experimented with his painting. In the mid 1920s he began to paint in the surrealist style and became known for his witty and thought-provoking images and his use of simple graphics and everyday objects, giving new meanings to familiar things. With a popularity that increased over time, Magritte was able to pursue his art full-time and was celebrated in several international exhibitions. He experimented with numerous styles and forms during his life and was a primary influence on the pop art movement. He died in 1967." from the video introduction