Surrealism

René Magritte

René Magritte was a surrealist artist who described his paintings in this quote: "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." René was most interested in the surrealist movement as it fit his manner of depicting mystery.

Golconda - 1953

https://www.renemagritte.org/golconda.jsp

The image depicts identical men dressed in black, positioned in hexagonal grids to look like heavy rain against a backdrop of buildings and a blue sky. The men get smaller in size the further back they are. The buildings are suburban, a depiction of where Magritte lived. 

This piece fits the motto of surrealism, as it channels the power of imagination, imagining the man instead of the raindrops. This piece also fits the aspect of having dream-like visuals, channeling the unconscious mind.The motto of surrealism, written  by André Burton, speaks of  “living under the reign of logic” Imagination “on the point of reasserting itself, of reclaiming its rights”. Imagination is a key aspect of the Surrealist movement, stating in the manifesto “Beloved imagination ,what I most like in you is your unsparing quality.”