Project of poster "The center of textile workers in Belgium" 1938

René Magritte painted this poster design for the "Center of Textile Workers in Belgium" at an unknown date. Those flat, graphic blocks of color, especially that stark red flag, feel so loaded. I wonder what Magritte was thinking when he made this; his visual language so cool and precise, yet somehow brimming with hidden meanings. Did he see those sharp lines as tools for change? There’s this playful contrast here between the industrial and the handmade. That spindle of thread looks like a strange feather, set against the hard edges of the factory. Then there's that pen – is it mightier than the sword? Or in this case, the factory? Painters are always having a conversation with each other across time, borrowing ideas, and remixing them. Ultimately, painting is about embracing ambiguity, allowing for multiple readings and meanings, rather than getting stuck on one fixed interpretation.