The therapeutist 1937

René Magritte painted ‘The Therapist’ in Belgium at an unknown date, using oil on canvas. The artwork presents a figure seated by the sea with a birdcage concealing its head, evoking questions about concealment and inner freedom. Magritte was part of a generation of artists exploring the power of the unconscious mind. In the interwar period, a growing interest in psychology led to art that reflected on the complexities of human thought and the tensions between the inner self and outward appearance. As a surrealist, Magritte was interested in the public role of art and he critiqued social norms through imagery. He presents the ‘therapist’ as a figure that is itself captive, suggesting that the ability to help others may be compromised by one's own limitations. Understanding ‘The Therapist’ demands engagement with the social history of psychology, and the politics of imagery within the surrealist movement. By researching these contexts, we can better understand the painting's challenge to social norms, and its questioning of the institutions designed to address the human psyche.