The blank page 1967

René Magritte painted "The Blank Page," sometime in the mid-twentieth century, using oil on canvas. Look at how Magritte builds up the colour in this scene with thin, even layers. The paint is so smooth, it almost disappears. It’s like he’s trying to trick us into thinking this dreamscape is real. The blue sky, so flat and unbroken, feels infinite, right? But then, those leaves up top, each vein meticulously rendered, and the tiny, glowing windows of the houses below. It’s a push and pull between meticulous detail and vast, untouchable space. That white circle, hovering among the leaves, like a full moon, but also like a thought bubble waiting to be filled. I'm reminded of Edward Hopper, who was exploring similar themes of loneliness and mystery in the everyday, but with a starker, more American sensibility. Both artists make paintings that linger in your mind long after you’ve seen them.