The cultivation of Ideas 1927

René Magritte painted ‘The Cultivation of Ideas’ with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is the puzzle he sets for us, making us question what we see, and how. Look at the trees, how they emerge from the top of a stone wall, which is also the top of someone’s head. It’s as if the painting is alive and growing. The shapes, the color, it's all so considered. I can almost imagine Magritte standing here, brush in hand, eyes darting back and forth, trying to make sense of the world and how we see it. The paint looks quite thin, which makes you think he reworked some areas again and again to try and find some kind of truth, or perhaps reveal an uncertainty. It reminds me of other surrealist painters, like Salvador Dalí, who sought to capture the realm of dreams and the subconscious. Perhaps Magritte wants us to explore the strangeness that lies just beneath the surface of our everyday existence. These artists are always inspiring each other, across time. Making art is a constant dialogue. And isn't that wonderful?