Le Manteau de Pascal 1954

Here we have René Magritte's 'Le Manteau de Pascal', which looks like it was made with ink or gouache, maybe, but I'm struck by the simplicity of its palette. The interplay of light and shadow creates a sense of depth, almost like a stage set. The floating coat is painted in a very deliberate way; if you look closely, you can see the textures he’s created, building up thin layers, and using these to define the form with a sort of surreal precision. This coat hangs in space, punctuated by absences. Those dark voids against the lighter coat pull me in – like portals or windows into the unknown. Magritte is doing that thing so characteristic of surrealism: unsettling the familiar, making the ordinary strange. It puts me in mind of Giorgio de Chirico and the way he used shadow to create a sense of unease, transforming mundane objects into enigmatic symbols. This piece is a reminder that art isn't always about answers, but about embracing the mystery.