The meaning of night 1927

René Magritte made this curious oil on canvas, *The Meaning of Night*, conjuring a scene that’s both familiar and totally strange. It's like he's mixed the everyday with a dream. Look at those two guys in their bowler hats and overcoats. They're like stand-ins for every ordinary man, but there's something off, right? One's facing us, eyes closed, while the other has his back turned. I imagine Magritte, with his own bowler hat, contemplating the mysteries of identity and existence. The paint is so smooth, it’s almost like you could reach out and touch those coats. And then, there’s this woman draped in what looks like a giant bird-like thing. It’s bizarre. What’s she doing there? Maybe Magritte was thinking about the hidden, unconscious parts of ourselves. Maybe, he was in conversation with other surrealists, like Dalí, playing with the absurd to get at some deeper truth. I think it's a puzzle that keeps you guessing. Artists are always riffing off each other, you know? It's all one big, ongoing conversation.