The familiar objects 1928

René Magritte painted ‘The familiar objects’ using oil on canvas. Looking at this painting, one might ask; what is real and what is not? Magritte was a key figure in the Surrealist movement, which challenged conventional ways of seeing and thinking in the interwar period. Here, five men in suits are disrupted by mundane objects. The men are all identical, suggesting the pressures of conformity in bourgeois Belgian society. But the objects – a seashell, a loaf of bread, a pitcher, a lemon, and a bow – replace or obscure parts of their bodies. These ‘familiar objects’ become uncanny, questioning our perception of reality and identity. Are the men seeing clearly or are they blind to the truth? Is Magritte critiquing the art world itself, offering an alternative to traditional portraiture? To gain a deeper understanding of Magritte’s imagery, we can consult his writings, the history of Surrealism, and social studies of Belgium in the 20th century. Art history relies on this interdisciplinary approach to understand the meaning and impact of art.