Paysage 1920

René Magritte made this painting, Paysage, with oil paint in 1920. Looking at this surface, I imagine Magritte, brush in hand, building up the forms, and then stepping back, tilting his head, and deciding what to adjust. The canvas seems like a site of inquiry, each stroke a question asked and answered. The color palette here, the yellows, blues, greens, and reds, feel like a world trying to come into being. It’s as if Magritte is asking, "What if a landscape could be built from geometries, from these sharp, colorful shapes?" I love how a simple gesture, a line, or a curve, can communicate so much intention. It’s like he’s whispering, "Here’s how I see the world, come see it with me." Painters are always in conversation, riffing off each other, answering questions posed by the artists who came before, and maybe even anticipating the questions of those who will come after. We embrace ambiguity because sometimes the most profound statements are the ones that leave room for interpretation.