The Portrait
Encyclopedia
The Portrait is a painting by the Belgian
surrealist
René Magritte
.
This painting is a classic example of the technique that often set Magritte apart from other surrealists. Artists like Dalí
and Ernst
usually depicted distorted and dreamlike representations of real forms mixed with abstract
shapes. Magritte is best known for his realistic depictions of ordinary things made surreal by context or their relationship to each other.
This painting depicts an almost photo-realistic table setting with a slice of ham in the center. The scene is made surreal by the presence of an eye
staring back at the viewer from the center of the ham.
This painting was once part of the private collection of the surrealist painter Kay Sage
. In 1956 she donated it as a gift to the Museum of Modern Art
in New York
.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
René Magritte
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
.
This painting is a classic example of the technique that often set Magritte apart from other surrealists. Artists like Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
and Ernst
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.-Early life:...
usually depicted distorted and dreamlike representations of real forms mixed with abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
shapes. Magritte is best known for his realistic depictions of ordinary things made surreal by context or their relationship to each other.
This painting depicts an almost photo-realistic table setting with a slice of ham in the center. The scene is made surreal by the presence of an eye
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
staring back at the viewer from the center of the ham.
This painting was once part of the private collection of the surrealist painter Kay Sage
Kay Sage
Katherine Linn Sage , usually known as Kay Sage, was an American Surrealist artist and poet.-Biography:...
. In 1956 she donated it as a gift to the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.