Advertisment for "Norine" 1925

This is an advertisement for "Norine" created by René Magritte; it's got this understated, almost naive quality in its execution, right? The colours are muted, the forms are simplified. It feels like Magritte is playing with the idea of making a quick sketch, like a spontaneous thought jotted down. I’m drawn to the way the paint is applied in thin washes, creating these semi-transparent layers. Look at how the cityscape in the background is rendered with these simple, geometric shapes. The buildings are just these black and gray blocks, punctuated by small dots that suggest windows. And then, those dramatic beams of light slicing through the sky, like theatrical spotlights. It's as though he's saying, “Here's the essence of a city, distilled down to its most basic forms.” Magritte's work reminds me a lot of Giorgio de Chirico's uncanny scenes. There's a similar sense of mystery and unease, a feeling that something is just slightly off. And yet, it's this very ambiguity that makes his work so compelling. It invites us to question our assumptions about reality and to see the world in a new light.