Georgette Magritte 1934

René Magritte painted this portrait of his wife Georgette, sometime in the mid-20th century, although the exact date and medium are not specified. The portrait is an interesting study in the social role of women in art. On one hand, the image is quite traditional. There is the classic female gaze, and the romantic curls evoke old Hollywood glamor, so the portrait participates in the familiar male gaze. However, the cigarette is a surprising attribute for a female portrait of this era, when smoking was only just becoming acceptable for women in some circles, and was still frowned on in many others. Was Magritte taking a progressive stance by depicting his wife with a cigarette? It’s hard to know without having more information about the artist’s social and cultural milieu. In order to better understand this work, one would need to research the norms around gender and smoking in Europe at this time, as well as studying Magritte’s biography and other works. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social context.