Reclining nude 1925

René Magritte made this Reclining Nude, in 1943, with oil paint. It's a very controlled kind of painting. Look at the way the body and the red cloth are defined with a tight outline. The paint has been applied very evenly, without much sense of brushstroke. Except maybe in the shading around the figure. The texture of the paint creates a very matte surface. I think this is intentional. Magritte is showing us something familiar but simultaneously holding us at arms length. Look at the way the black background creates a stark contrast with the figure. The figure looks so vulnerable, but also so posed. It's like she's performing a role, or acting out a dream. Isn't that what painting is? Like a waking dream? Maybe Magritte was thinking about Manet, who was also interested in the space between reality and representation. It's an ongoing conversation.