Le coup de grâce 1947

René Magritte made this painting, Le coup de grâce, using oil on canvas, and boy, does it hit you. The building in the foreground is rendered with such evenness, but it's framed by this almost psychedelic rock formation. It's like he's saying, "here’s an illusionistic painting, but also, it's made of paint." Look at the texture of those rocks, so built up and layered. The whole scene is washed in this eerie, dreamlike light, almost like the world is breathing. It's hard to tell what kind of brushes he used, but you get the sense of a very physical, involved process. I keep coming back to the small green and blue landscape to the right of the building. It looks like the colours have been blended wet-in-wet, and it's so different from the way the building and rock formation have been painted. It feels like a key to the whole thing. Magritte reminds me a bit of Giorgio de Chirico, they both seem to be pulling from the same well of the uncanny. It's a reminder that art isn't about answers, it's about embracing the mystery and allowing for multiple interpretations.