La perspective amoureuse 1936

René Magritte made this painting, titled La perspective amoureuse, sometime in the 20th century with watercolor and gouache. The painting depicts an open door, or rather a door with a big irregular hole torn in it. Through the gap we see an outdoor scene with a green tree, a building, and a blue sky. I wonder what Magritte was thinking when he made this artwork. As a painter, I think a lot about how we see things in the world, and how to see them through a painting. It’s like Magritte is asking us to reconsider our perspective and question our perception of reality. We think that doors are ways into other places, but here, that function has been totally upended. What I love about painting is the way that artists can talk to each other across time, inspiring new ways of thinking and being. Like a good painting, love is like looking through a doorway to discover something new.