Le seize septembre 1957

Rene Magritte's “Le seize septembre” is an oil painting, likely rendered with brushes on canvas – straightforward materials used with exceptional skill. What’s most striking about Magritte is how smooth the surface is, almost like a billboard. This mechanical reproduction aesthetic can be seen as a reflection of early-20th-century industrialism and its impact on the art world. The surrealists were deeply interested in the unconscious, and the dreamlike quality of this work could be achieved in other mediums, but the very deliberate materiality of this work brings a certain sense of banality to the painting. In essence, Magritte was pushing the boundaries of what painting could be by bringing in the influence of mass production. He presents a paradox; using his craft to create dreamlike imagery, but at the same time, it is rendered with a commercial aesthetic in mind. This helps us to see the work in a new way, challenging the traditional idea of the artist as a singular genius and emphasizing the impact of material culture on creative expression.