Ceci N'est Pas Une Review
Who is René Magritte?
René Magritte is a Belgian surrealist painter who created most of his work around the 50's. He's widely known for the paintings of men in bowler hats and things like pipes with the words "This is not a pipe" underneath. Most people think his work is solely to confuse the eye (and the brain) of whoever is looking at it. However, Magritte had a large obsession with philosophy AND a tragic backstory, which both add to his strange array of subjects.
Magritte's mother was found drowned in a river near their home at the time and it is said that she had her nightgown tangled around her head, indicating suicide. This explains his dark subject matter and the works with people covered in sheets, like The Invention of Life (1928) and The Lovers (1928). Covering faces and bodies "was not so much to hide as to achieve an effect of alienation" (1) as Magritte so successfully created.
Along with his experiences, Magritte was really into philosophy and liked to make the viewer think rather than just admire a work of art. "Ceci N'est Pas Une Pipe" looks just like a pipe, so people may not understand why Magritte wrote "This is not a pipe" under what so clearly is. However, if you tried to smoke out of the pipe, you would be unable to. Magritte is merely stating that his painting is not a pipe- it is a picture of a pipe. It's this sense of humor that draws many people to his work, including myself.
Image Credit: Melissa Morrow
The Exhibition
I'm an art student who has a particular love for surrealism, so I absolutely loved the exhibit. However, this isn't something that only well-versed artists will understand if they go see it. It's tailored to the public, not to art students.
The first Sunday of every month is free entry, though normally tickets to the Centre Pompidou are 14 Euro. The exhibition is called "La Trahison Des Images" and is here from 21 September to 23 January. Much of Magritte's art repeats one of five motifs: curtains, shadows, words, flames, and bodies in pieces. These motifs are more or less separated into rooms at this exhibition and further explained. All of the pieces are metaphors for Magritte's life, thought process, writings, and work.
I went on Saturday (24 September) around noon. There was about a 40 minute wait to get upstairs to the front of the exhibit, and people were being let in gradually to decrease crowding.
There are more than 100 paintings, drawings, and documents in the exhibition, and I personally think it is worth the wait.
Image Credit: Melissa Morrow
The Rooms
The first room deals with Magritte as a philosopher and his "problems" he painted about. These "problems" concerned doors, windows, houses, the sea, etc, and Magritte painted these objects to solve the problems. This room has his timeline and his philosophy in writing, along with famous and unknown works alike.
Image Credit: Melissa Morrow
Wandering into the second room, the paintings all deal with words and images. He has paintings that don't seem to make sense, like one of a horse with the words "the door" written underneath. This room explores why he painted what he did and how it relates to his strong opinions in philosophy.
Room three is titled "The Invention of Painting." The paintings displayed concern shadows, candles, and outlines.
Image Credit: Melissa Morrow
Following the crowd slowly into room four, I see references Plato's The Allegory of the Cave written on the walls. Magritte supposedly took the elements of "fire" and "the view from within an enclosed space" and rearranged them into his paintings, all shown in this room.
Last but not least is room five. It displays paintings with curtains and trompe l'oeil (optical illusions). Here we see his paintings with such motifs, as well as his sculpture Megalomania (Folie des Grandeurs). Interpreting his works for yourself is the fun of going to see this exposition, and there was a lot of work I had never seen before and glad I got the opportunity to.
Image Credit: Melissa Morrow
Why Visit the Expo?
This comprehensive grouping of his work is like an art history lesson told in a fun way. You leave the rooms with more knowledge about Magritte, philosophy, and the two combined as one great tour de force.
Art is a way to connect to people, and I saw that at the Pompidou. Though my French is nowhere near fluent, people were pointing at paintings and smiling, laughing, and even trying to decipher the meaning together. Not only can you relate to the artist and others around you, but you can understand that his art wasn't just made to be pretty. It isn't all about looking nice or retelling Bible stories, like many Renaissance works. Magritte tried to explain his thoughts through paint, and this expo helps understand them clearly.
People of all ages have already flocked to see these paintings, and I suggest you join the masses to see it as well. This much effort hasn't been devoted to showing Magritte's work in nearly 40 years. Above everything, the people around me looked like they were having fun (which is not something you always see at an art museum). I saw older women pointing out hidden words to each other, couples deciphering paintings together, and even children admiring his paintings. It's a great way to get out and discover something you didn't know before, especially when it's free!
