Le Sabbat 1959

René Magritte, sometime during his career, made “Le Sabbat,” a painting with oils. It is a painting of a painting on an easel. The sky is like a stage set, the trees behind like a backdrop. The clouds are soft and dreamy, setting a mood. Magritte’s mark-making is so smooth. He doesn't let the seams show. Look closely at the apples. They’re so round, yet the paint whispers across them. And that goblet, upside down? It's like a tiny bell ringing in a silent movie. I can’t help but think of de Chirico, another lover of mystery, but where de Chirico feels haunted, Magritte is more like a playful riddle. In Magritte's work, there's always room to wonder, to laugh a little, and to ask, what if?