Man in a Bowler Hat 1964

René Magritte made this painting, Man in a Bowler Hat, using oil paint on canvas. Magritte loves to throw us off balance, doesn’t he? The colour palette is muted, almost businesslike, and the brushwork is so smooth it practically disappears. But then, bam! A dove right in the face! Look at the way the wings are rendered; each feather seems carefully placed, like individual brushstrokes building up the form. The dove, so symbolic of freedom, paradoxically obscures the man's face, his identity. Is it a symbol of hope, or a visual gag? Maybe both! Magritte’s playing with ideas of visibility and concealment, what we see and what we don’t. It reminds me of de Chirico, but with a sly wink. There's no one "right" way to see this, and that's what makes it so great.