La Magie Noire

Black Magic is a captivating work in which a woman stands against a block of stone. The woman is no ordinary woman however as she is Magritte’s... more

by Rene Magritte

Title

La Magie Noire

Artist

Rene Magritte

Medium

Painting

Description

Black Magic is a captivating work in which a woman stands against a block of stone. The woman is no ordinary woman however as she is Magritte’s model, muse, and wife, Georgette Berger. In this work, Georgette’s upper body appears to be celestial, while her lower body remains earthly.

One interpretation of her split form is that as humans we often have our heads elsewhere while our bodies remain firmly rooted in reality. With her hand resting upon the stone, “one idea is that the stone is associated with an attachment to the earth” (Meuris, p. 76 1994). Perhaps the connectivity her body feels to the stone is what keeps her grounded, but with the gorgeous sprawling blue skyline against the calm sea in the background, her body must want to enjoy its perceived surroundings. This can be seen in the tilt of her body away from the stone, with her head looking out onto the side, as if there’s a longing to be far from reality.

Uploaded

January 18th, 2017