Paysage de Baucis (Landscape of Baucis) 1966

René Magritte made this print, Paysage de Baucis, with etching, using a range of parallel lines to create a sense of depth and volume. It’s as if the image emerges through a process of meticulous construction. Up close, you can see how the lines vary in thickness and spacing, creating subtle tonal shifts that define the man in a suit. The hat, the eyes, the nose, the mouth, and the suit are all rendered with such care, and the negative space around them is just as important. There's a stillness in the composition and the way the lines stop, creating a feeling of quiet contemplation. It reminds me of Giogio Morandi's etchings of bottles and jars. Magritte offers us a puzzle, an invitation to look beyond the surface and question the nature of perception itself. His art reminds us that reality is not fixed, but rather a fluid and ever-changing construct.