The promise 1966

René Magritte made this painting, The Promise, probably with oil on canvas. It's a very flat painting in a way, the blue background seems applied evenly, no variation in the tone. It’s the kind of painting where the concept is more important than the brushstroke, you know? The cloudscape inside the dove is intriguing, but it also feels a little literal. The way Magritte applied paint feels very different to someone like de Chirico, who also worked with surreal themes. De Chirico was more interested in the materiality of the paint, and he'd often leave visible brush marks. Magritte, though, doesn’t want us to get hung up on the painting itself. He wants us to think about what it means. It reminds me a little of James Rosenquist, in that way. Both were interested in signs, symbols and how images circulate. Both were involved in advertising before becoming painters, so you can see that interest in their work.