Pure reason 1948

René Magritte made “Pure Reason” with oil on canvas, and the way he lays down these flat colors and hard edges, it's like he's constructing a puzzle rather than depicting a scene. Take the blue trees, for instance. Each one is so neatly defined, so distinctly blue, that they almost become abstract shapes. You could get lost in the repetitive pattern, like a child's drawing, yet they suggest a dreamlike landscape. And then, bam! This enormous horse head appears, soft and flowing. I think it's interesting how he contrasts the smoothness of the horse with the starkness of the trees. It's like he's saying, "Here are two realities, side by side, coexisting." It reminds me of some of de Chirico’s dreamscapes. Ultimately, “Pure Reason” isn't about finding answers but about embracing the questions and the endless possibilities of interpretation.