Circle of Time 

Michael Cheval painted "Circle of Time," which visualises surrealist ideas. It suggests that our perception of time may be more like a performance on a stage. The setting evokes the court of the French Ancien Régime and the image creates meaning through these cultural references. The masked figure and the antiquated costume suggest a society where appearances were everything and where the rules of courtly behavior could be used to control an individual's destiny. The artist seems to be drawing on this cultural history, and perhaps critiquing the institutions that shape our behavior. To better understand the artwork, we might research the history of the French court and the role of performance in shaping social relations. We might also look at the history of surrealism and the ways in which artists have used dreams and fantasy to critique the social order.