Philosophy in the bedroom 1947

René Magritte painted Philosophy in the bedroom with oil on canvas. The smoothness of the surface is so seductive, isn't it? The traditional realism is just bizarre and funny. It’s a way of using painting to play with the ideas of representation. The color palette is muted, almost like an old photograph, which adds to the uncanny feeling. Look closely at the dress and the nipples, how they’re rendered with such delicate shading, a kind of hyper-realism that makes the image all the more surreal. And then there are the shoes with feet inside, placed on a table, not worn but displayed. I keep thinking about the gesture of the hand of the painter making this painting. Magritte reminds me of a modern day painter like Lisa Yuskavage, who also challenges our ideas of beauty and sexuality. Art is always a conversation, and Magritte’s work continues to spark dialogue and debate about what it means to see and to represent the world around us. It's less about answers, and more about the questions we ask.