Le Sens Propre 1925

René Magritte made this puzzling painting with oils on canvas, sometime during his career. The tight rendering of the wood grain on the door is incredible, a real tour de force of trompe l'oeil painting. But the big question is, what's up with that floating comb? The comb, hovering there, feels like a thought bubble, a surreal accessory to the hyper-real space. I find myself wondering about the texture of the comb. Is it smooth plastic? Or rougher, like wood or bone? The graphic red and black motif, like stylized flames or feathers, feels both decorative and slightly menacing against the otherwise muted palette. It reminds me a little of Giorgio de Chirico, another artist who messed with the uncanny. In the end, Magritte seems to be saying that art, like a dream, doesn't always have to make sense. It just has to make you look.