Author(s): Catherine Defeyt; Francisca Vandepitte; David Strivay (As told to); Elodie Herens (As told to); Joy Mazurek (As told to)

Artists & Styles

The Belgian artist René Magritte (1898-1967) is one of the most widely recognized Surrealists of the twentieth century. Much has been written about his choice of subject matter, artistic community, and significance within the history of modern art, but little has been documented regarding his process. Though he was reluctant to discuss his techniques and materials during his lifetime, practical concerns over medium and costs shaped his output and legacy. This volume examines fifty oil paintings made by Magritte between 1921 and 1967, and held at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. The technical study of his works using noninvasive scientific imaging and chemical analysis reveals the artist's painting materials, his habit of overpainting previous compositions, and the origins and mechanisms of surface and pigment degradation. Outlining Magritte's multilayered and dynamic artistic process, this book expands contemporary art historical and technical understanding of the artist's oeuvre and provides new and useful findings that will inform strategies for the future care of his works. This richly illustrated publication will interest conservators, scientists, curators, and enthusiasts of twentieth-century art.