Perspective: Madame Récamier de David 1950

René Magritte's 1950 oil on canvas painting, "Perspective: Madame Récamier de David," is a surrealist work that parodies Jacques-Louis David's iconic neoclassical portrait, "Madame Récamier." Magritte's painting, rendered in a realistic style, depicts a coffin, transformed into a chair, in place of the chaise longue in David's original. This substitution creates a jarring and humorous juxtaposition, prompting viewers to contemplate the themes of death, immortality, and the manipulation of perspective.