Slightly stunned to realise how little I knew about Magritte the person and his life, considering how fascinated I've been by his art. Kind of heartening to hear about someone whose life started out with so much trauma to find supportive love and acclaim as an artist before death.
His art is so smooth; the mention of "no brush strokes" was enlightening, as I had not paid attention to it's abcesnce in Magritte. Possibly because there is so much more to engage the mind, and that's its beauty. Every time I look at one of his pieces, another thought, another possibility, comes into existence. It is never the same, quite like poetry. You might read a poem one day, in one mood, and read it again another day and it feels like it isn't even the same poem. Very enticing, he must have been a fantastic advertiser!
In Houston, we have the second largest Magritte collection (second only to the museum in Brussels) at the Menil Collection. It’s free and they have so much of his art that it gets constantly rotated. It’s worth going frequently.
@@cutechiangels the de Menil family were rich patrons of the arts in Houston. Even though the city was built on oil money, there is a stunning amount of culture here because all the rich “society” people care and support the arts.
I always found Magritte's style oddly appealing, it's fascinating to learn how much of his work was directly affected by death of his mother. Amazing quality once again, thank you.
Thank you for this film! It’s amazing! I saw his paintings in Brussels when I temporarily lived. I’m Ukrainian refugee and live in Belgium since the war started. I have the opportunity to discover this artist for me. Thank for this explanation of his life and art.
I’ve lived in Lessines for all my life and that is so weird to hear the name of my small belgian town in one of your videos! Fun fact: the house in which Magritte was born still stands here (near the station), but they misplaced the commemorative plate indicating that event and put it on the neighbour’s house. I guess you could call that a surrealistic mistake Keep up the great work!
Funny detail ! I wonder if we then would say, this is Magrittes' birth house, (because it's on the wrong house) or not his birth house? Because it's only a name plate, in the end! 🤭
Great episode. Learning more about the man behind the paintings has me thinking about Magritte's influence on the fashion designer (and fellow Belgian) Martin Margiela, for whom concealment, disguise, and signifier are bedrock themes. Margiela sought new meaning from well-worn sartorial conventions, deconstructing found objects and putting them back together in unexpected and provocative new forms: shoes that resembled hooves, fur coats constructed from wigs. He experimented with extreme distortions of form and proportion, and used tromp l'oeil effects to create the appearance of objects that weren't really there. But perhaps the strongest influence borrowed from Magritte is the mask. During the height of the supermodel era, Margiela's models often wore shrouds and veils that obstructed their faces. It was a statement on the anonymizing effect of dressing for modern life, but also a reflection of the designer's deep and unwavering aversion to fame. He declined all interviews in his tenure as a designer, even at the height of his influence.
Honestly, I didn't concern myself with Magritte before watching this video. I appreciated his paintings, but there was nothing too interesting about the man behind them. Now, I need to know more about this artist and his work! I had no idea that he was influenced by Edgar Allan Poe or how he used surrealism in a way I didn't think was possible. Thank you for introducing me to Rene Magritte and his (now) fascinating art!
Extremely well done! I know Magritte, but not of his life and the roots of his influences. Always a great pleasure to watch your videos, so well explained and analyse. I truly appreciate all your efforts you put into your articulate and intelligent work!! Big thank you!!
In a modern world of the insipid, the mundane and the chasing of happiness that is always just beyond the horizon…… there is no greater joy than the mesmerising content and depth of thought of Great Art Explained Bravo to its creator, narrator and innovator! 🎉
Thanks to the gawdawful remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, which heavily features Magritte's art, I had to watch the infamous chess scene from the original film after watching this. 🍏😉 I'm so glad that you pointed out repeatedly that this artist didn't offer any clues to analyze his work. This burden lies with the audience, should they wish to traverse the unconscious feelings stirred by his art. I loved your inclusion of Magritte's word paintings, his dislike of the process, and the intentionally private life he led. Thank you!
I had no idea I knew so many of this man's images!! These are some of my very favorite pictures, but I always saw them in places where they weren't labeled or credited or anything. What a fascinating character! I laughed aloud at "Clairvoyance," that's exactly the kind of humor I love best. And it's just lovely that you can certainly look at his paintings and see the whimsy, then move on if you like. But the more you look, the more you start questioning, the less familiar everything becomes. Really makes you think!
This is one of my favorite RUclips channels, and I'm always excited when a new video arrives. I especially liked this one, and I plan to explore more of Magritte's art. Thank you!
These videos feel timeless to me. I don't know how they could be improved or replaced. As long as people continue to use this platform, there will be people watching them for a long time. They are very easy to pick up and are very informative. I imagine you're helping a lot of future artists and art historians by making them aware of the vast field many education systems neglect until university.
This was great. I am loving this channel. I have been wanting to learn more about famous works of art. Google knows what to throw at me and one of these videos was suggested. I'm glad I clicked on it
Another terrific video of an artist’s work I’ve always admired even though I appreciated it on a very superficial level. Thanks to you I now appreciated and understand it a bit more profoundly.
So good, you never miss- Magritte is hugely relatable as a person. His limitations of language screams Wittgenstein's Tractatus which was published in 1922. Now going to have to go and explore that and see if there is a link !
I really am fascinated by the fact that he uses plain and simple brush strokes just to make the scene itself even louder! Our minds can only process a limited amount of input at a time, so imagine if he chose complicated techniques and fancy strokes, the perceiver would be easily distracted from the blunt, core meaning of the imagery itself. This man is a genius.
The Magritte museum in Brussels doesn't even have this much insight into the artist. Fantastic video and thank you truly for your work. I had to leave art behind when I left school but it was always my favorite subject and you are the most insightful connection I still have to it.
I'm an artist who has been obsessed with Magritte for many decades. I found your evaluation well researched and presented and your commentary thoughtful and insightful. It's always a pleasure to see good art criticism.
I'm always amazed by how interesting each of you videos are. I'm an art idiot and feel comfortable consuming your videos and being able to digest your wonderful ideas. Thanks
Once again this channel has posted a fascinating and informative video that I will watch several times over. I’d like to express how appreciative I am to have access to such knowledge on great art and artists. I would never have been able to afford art classes or travel to see all of these masterpieces but through this channel I can still take part in these seminal achievements of humanity.
as someone who knows almost nothing about art but always finds it beautiful, i can’t explain to you how much I appreciate a channel that analyzes an artist’s background and motivations, their techniques and important works in a way that even someone who has no idea about art and art history can understand and appreciate it. despite it being so out of my expertise, it’s still feels as though I learned something new about the art world that I would’ve never gotten around to knowing otherwise. thank you for all the efforts you make to create these beautiful videos!
My art teacher in school taught us about artist’s works and lives. It always deepened my appreciation of the work. Truly fascinating. This brilliant series is so well done. Beautiful narration, concise, and informative. What a lovely thing to learn about, thank you to the creator for this effort.
That was great. Rob Gonsalves is probably my all time favorite artist and he took a lot of inspiration from René. And you can plainly see it in the examples in your video. Excellent work again.
I genuinely adore ‘The Treachery Of Images’ (1929) because it features all the things I believe the best art does. 1. It says something about us and art. It makes us question the relationship between objects, language and purpose, and subverts the standards of the surrealists. 2. It creates conversation, and leaves a lot of opportunity for audiences and critiques to negotiate differing interpretations of the meaning of his artwork. 3. It evokes interest in others to the point of inspiring them to Perdue art themselves, either as a profession or a hobby. It certainly has with me.
This is by far my favourite video from you, not only because Magritte is one of my favourite artists, but also because I saw so much love and devotion is poured in making this video, the old-timey film B-rolls, the editing and music, as well as your always top-notch storytelling and narrating make a story of a low-profile master becoming so vivid and interesting to dive into. Thank you for this and every video you have made, I really enjoyed it and am sharing with my fellow art-holic friends to watch it!!
Saying I was excited your next video was on Magritte would‘ve been an understatement! Your art analyses have been a joy to watch and have piqued my interest for art history. Thank you :)
Fantastic video as always James!🍏 Magritte is an artist I’ve often felt a deep affinity with. I’ve always loved his peculiar & yet profound concepts & how he brought them to life so vividly for the rest of us to share in. That said, until your video I never realised how much I relate to him as an actual person. I approach art in much the same way as he did & I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to hear that one of the great masters had the same work ethic as myself. It actually gives me a glimmer of hope!😂 Keep up the great work!👌👏👏👏
Magritte was a huge influence on Storm Thorgerson, and this is how I ended up watching your art history video (not the first I might add). I now have a deeper understanding where Thorgerson's creative work evolved from. Magritte's work was truely mind bending, influencial and inspiring. Thank you for the video, I truely enjoyed it and learned a lot.
I love this artist. Found out about him at school when I didn't have class and was allowd to sit in the art lesson of a friend. One year later I attended the art class of the same teacher and chos Magritte for my presentation. I visited the museum in Brussels and one day I'll return to see the other sights in the town where he worked and lived. The landscape must have been an inspiration in "The Matrix Reloaded". The image when Neo chases the Merowinger and he escapes through a door and Neo can't find him behind the door because suddenly a mountain appears, looks quite similar to the mountain of Magritte.
Taken alone, and with the knowledge you added of his fondness for detective stories and his familiarity of the darkness of life, Lovers II could be seen as the last moments of a couple, trapped by secret police as spies and not afforded judgement in court, shrouded and about to be executed.
I have to admit his work never really spoke to me before this. Fascinating. Thank you so much for sharing. Having lost my mother to suicide as a teen, I can honestly see how that deeply influenced his art in ways he was probably didn't want to discuss. I will come back and watch this at least once more, your videos are delightfully densely packed with excellent information. Thank you again.
This is such a great essay on one of my favorite artists. It gave me profound insight into his mysterious work. Thank you for spending the time to put this together.
I am so glad you picked him because I knew nothing about him yet his work clicked right away with me. Your narration is always so enjoyable. Your work helps me to understand and appreciate unfamiliar masterpiece of Art. After watching your channel they become very personal, likable and endearing. Thank you so much.
Thanks for your hard work! I’m 15 and you’ve sparked a love of art history in me. I’ve watched all your videos and look forward to your new channel’s videos!
I enjoyed your video so much! Magritte is my favourite artist! I've been looking forward to this video a long time, and you did not disappoint! Thanks for all your hard work! It's greatly appreciated! :)
Thank you for this; I find Magritte a master at subverting our expectations. Watching someone else express their interpretation of Magritte is fascinating. Thank you for the beautiful history lesson & additional insight into his background and influences. Personally, I was unaware of the Poe connection! Bravo
I can't thank you enough, every time, for the care and study you put into each one of your videos, which you then share with us. These videos have opened the eyes and mind to art for me. Thanks always. ❤❤❤
What a great video! The art reminds me of my own situation right now, being physically separated from my girlfriend by living on the other side of the planet. I can see ourselves in it, craving for this feeling of closeness, yet there are these masks between us (distance), which take away the pure emotion and intimacy of a kiss. I am really looking forward to the day on which these masks will be lifted and we can experience our relationship in person again.
Your videos keep getting better, I love the little touches you add here and there, like the music introducing a new chapter. It's such a pleasure to watch your videos. Thank you so much for your work!
This channel is *_chefs kisses_** And I just found out about your other channel! *Great Books Explained* Subscribed instantly. Literature and art are my 2nd and 3rd favorite things, music is #1.
Absolutely one of my favorite channels. It's also increidble how much the artist life comes up in all their paitings, and how much insight it can give even in some of the most known paintings
Thank you for giving me a new eye opening look into Magritte’s work and life. Much I did not know but do understand the struggle we artists go through even today….
Magritte has managed to connect emotionally with me so many times. I ❤ "The Dominion of Light" 3:13 the first one that I really connected with to the point of tears. The kiss paintkng sort of did the opposite. This video makes the man behind the painter more accessible. Brilliant documentary, as always. Thanks James!
Magritte is one of my favorite artist when I was young and atill is. We learned about him in school and since then I‘m stunned by the storys behind his paintings and the clearity of his painting style.
Thank you for these explanations. With Magritte specifically, I relate to his conflict of sometimes feeling unable to enjoy the painting process, yet having engaging ideas I'd like to explore. It can be especially challenging in an age where we are constantly overstimulated and distracted by consumer content. Your videos are exceptions of course, they are very inspiring. Keep it up 👏
Thank you so much for making this! I know it wasn’t specifically because of my comment, because lots of people suggested Magritte + there was a poll after that he won… but still, I suggested Magritte too because he’s one of my favorites, and definitely my favorite surrealist :) so I’m very happy to have this video!
Thank you so much for this video. Rene Magritte is an all time favourite artist of mine and I really enjoyed learning more about his work through your detailed perspective.
I saw a an exhibit a few years ago with Magritte’s works. 16th September intrigued me so much and i instantly fell in love with his works. So good to know more about the artist. Thank you :)
I love your videos. And, although I wouldn't have clicked on a video on this subject created by someone else, I can still appreciate and enjoy your excellent presentation. I hope you continue to create these videos for many years to come
Get an exclusive @Surfshark deal! Enter promo code GREATART for an extra 3 months free at surfshark.deals/greatart
I watch your videos over and over. ❤ I love them .
I believed great art is not created everyday everytime it just comes when the time is right and when it comes it comes
By far the best art history essayist on RUclips. Straight to the point, no dumb jokes or animations, just decisive information. Wonderful.
Best comment of the day -thank you 🙏
Agree
agree there are too many like inserts, visual memes and jokes out there
Exactly thank you.
Perfectly said. I wish more creators took a page out of his book.
Slightly stunned to realise how little I knew about Magritte the person and his life, considering how fascinated I've been by his art. Kind of heartening to hear about someone whose life started out with so much trauma to find supportive love and acclaim as an artist before death.
rené magritte: *paints his childhood trauma*
rené magritte: “this is not my childhood trauma”
''its a REPRESENTATION of my childhood trauma''
Much philosophy, many therapy
@@superpear64 please, even that he won't admit 😂
You have illuminated the world of art for me and taken me on a magical journey. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
@@GreatArtExplainedyes it was really really interesting….all your videos are.
True!!!!
🇧🇪
Please like and leave a comment - it really helps promote the film. I appreciate it!
You have helped me appreciate art more, so ima like and comment all day!
Here is your comment, sir. Thanks for the channel.
What a disarmingly polite and dignified request amidst desperate pleas for engagement by lesser video essayists on this website. Happy to help! Cheers
His art is so smooth; the mention of "no brush strokes" was enlightening, as I had not paid attention to it's abcesnce in Magritte. Possibly because there is so much more to engage the mind, and that's its beauty. Every time I look at one of his pieces, another thought, another possibility, comes into existence. It is never the same, quite like poetry. You might read a poem one day, in one mood, and read it again another day and it feels like it isn't even the same poem. Very enticing, he must have been a fantastic advertiser!
Very well put. 👌🙂
Excellent narration, analysis, and production. Thank you for gifting us this splendid form of education
Glad you enjoyed it!
One of my favorite artists! Thank you for covering him! 🙌🏻
My pleasure!!
In Houston, we have the second largest Magritte collection (second only to the museum in Brussels) at the Menil Collection. It’s free and they have so much of his art that it gets constantly rotated. It’s worth going frequently.
Thanks for sharing this. I now want to visit Houston.
Thanks for the information.👍 How did so much of his work land there? A collectioner?
@@cutechiangels the de Menil family were rich patrons of the arts in Houston. Even though the city was built on oil money, there is a stunning amount of culture here because all the rich “society” people care and support the arts.
I always found Magritte's style oddly appealing, it's fascinating to learn how much of his work was directly affected by death of his mother. Amazing quality once again, thank you.
very, very tragic paintimgs. One can feel his childhood pain via the paintings.
Thank you for this film! It’s amazing! I saw his paintings in Brussels when I temporarily lived. I’m Ukrainian refugee and live in Belgium since the war started. I have the opportunity to discover this artist for me. Thank for this explanation of his life and art.
Thanks for watching 🇺🇦 🇺🇦
Thinking of you and all those suffering from the war.
@@kathyjohnson2043Thank you!! We all pray for the Ukrainian’s Victory!!!
I admire your way of storytelling so much.
This is what RUclips videos are supposed to be. To inform us and keep us curious about our daily life.
Terrific content, as always! I did not know he had so little fame during his lifetime. It was good to see he got some measure of success at the end.
I’ve lived in Lessines for all my life and that is so weird to hear the name of my small belgian town in one of your videos!
Fun fact: the house in which Magritte was born still stands here (near the station), but they misplaced the commemorative plate indicating that event and put it on the neighbour’s house. I guess you could call that a surrealistic mistake
Keep up the great work!
That’s a great story thanks 🙏
Funny detail ! I wonder if we then would say, this is Magrittes' birth house, (because it's on the wrong house) or not his birth house? Because it's only a name plate, in the end! 🤭
Great episode. Learning more about the man behind the paintings has me thinking about Magritte's influence on the fashion designer (and fellow Belgian) Martin Margiela, for whom concealment, disguise, and signifier are bedrock themes. Margiela sought new meaning from well-worn sartorial conventions, deconstructing found objects and putting them back together in unexpected and provocative new forms: shoes that resembled hooves, fur coats constructed from wigs. He experimented with extreme distortions of form and proportion, and used tromp l'oeil effects to create the appearance of objects that weren't really there.
But perhaps the strongest influence borrowed from Magritte is the mask. During the height of the supermodel era, Margiela's models often wore shrouds and veils that obstructed their faces. It was a statement on the anonymizing effect of dressing for modern life, but also a reflection of the designer's deep and unwavering aversion to fame. He declined all interviews in his tenure as a designer, even at the height of his influence.
You help me love art even more with each video you create. Thanks so much!
I'm so glad!
Magritte was an excellent choice.
I could watch this all day long.
Great content again. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Honestly, I didn't concern myself with Magritte before watching this video. I appreciated his paintings, but there was nothing too interesting about the man behind them.
Now, I need to know more about this artist and his work! I had no idea that he was influenced by Edgar Allan Poe or how he used surrealism in a way I didn't think was possible.
Thank you for introducing me to Rene Magritte and his (now) fascinating art!
I'm a proud Belgian because of Magritte. Thanks for this amazing video❤
If I were a Belgian, I also would be one :) love Magritte!
One of my favourite channels on this platform. Just wonderful. Now on to tell my roommate about the meaning of her tattoo of the Lovers II!
Extremely well done! I know Magritte, but not of his life and the roots of his influences. Always a great pleasure to watch your videos, so well explained and analyse. I truly appreciate all your efforts you put into your articulate and intelligent work!!
Big thank you!!
In a modern world of the insipid, the mundane and the chasing of happiness that is always just beyond the horizon…… there is no greater joy than the mesmerising content and depth of thought of Great Art Explained
Bravo to its creator, narrator and innovator! 🎉
I’ve been patiently waiting for this one and am so happy to finally get to watch and listen. Thank you 🙏
Hope you enjoyed it!
You seriously do the best art analysis out there. So digestible and professional at the same time.
I never even realized that “the Lovers” and “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” are from the same artist! Thank you!
Thanks to the gawdawful remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, which heavily features Magritte's art, I had to watch the infamous chess scene from the original film after watching this. 🍏😉 I'm so glad that you pointed out repeatedly that this artist didn't offer any clues to analyze his work. This burden lies with the audience, should they wish to traverse the unconscious feelings stirred by his art. I loved your inclusion of Magritte's word paintings, his dislike of the process, and the intentionally private life he led. Thank you!
Such a pleasure to watch these videos. I haven’t find anything not even close to them in RUclips. Thanks Mr Payne!
This channel has single-handedly made me understand art on a level I previously thought unattainable to an art layman like myself
I had no idea I knew so many of this man's images!! These are some of my very favorite pictures, but I always saw them in places where they weren't labeled or credited or anything.
What a fascinating character! I laughed aloud at "Clairvoyance," that's exactly the kind of humor I love best. And it's just lovely that you can certainly look at his paintings and see the whimsy, then move on if you like. But the more you look, the more you start questioning, the less familiar everything becomes. Really makes you think!
Fantastic overview before visiting the first wonderful Magritte exhibition in Sydney Australia. Thank you James Payne 👏🙏
Your voice is like music to my ears. Thank you for this beautiful introduction ❤❤
So nice of you
This is one of my favorite RUclips channels, and I'm always excited when a new video arrives. I especially liked this one, and I plan to explore more of Magritte's art. Thank you!
These videos feel timeless to me. I don't know how they could be improved or replaced. As long as people continue to use this platform, there will be people watching them for a long time. They are very easy to pick up and are very informative. I imagine you're helping a lot of future artists and art historians by making them aware of the vast field many education systems neglect until university.
I’ve seen this one at the MoMA in NYC, and this one always puzzled me. Thanks for solving it!
Any time!
Magritte is a favorite of mine. Thank you very much.
babe wake up, James just uploaded
Ha!
Today’s the day this work stops mystifying me. Thank you Mr. Payne.
Such a nice comment thanks 🙏
This was great. I am loving this channel. I have been wanting to learn more about famous works of art. Google knows what to throw at me and one of these videos was suggested. I'm glad I clicked on it
Your work is so precious, so necessary and I am so grateful to have discovered this Chanel. Mille mercis ❤
Another terrific video of an artist’s work I’ve always admired even though I appreciated it on a very superficial level. Thanks to you I now appreciated and understand it a bit more profoundly.
A Magritte exhibition was the first time I genuinely had fun in a Museum as a child. Perfect video again, thank you!
Fantastic video! What a rich and humbly-lived life.
So good, you never miss- Magritte is hugely relatable as a person. His limitations of language screams Wittgenstein's Tractatus which was published in 1922. Now going to have to go and explore that and see if there is a link !
I really am fascinated by the fact that he uses plain and simple brush strokes just to make the scene itself even louder! Our minds can only process a limited amount of input at a time, so imagine if he chose complicated techniques and fancy strokes, the perceiver would be easily distracted from the blunt, core meaning of the imagery itself.
This man is a genius.
The Magritte museum in Brussels doesn't even have this much insight into the artist. Fantastic video and thank you truly for your work. I had to leave art behind when I left school but it was always my favorite subject and you are the most insightful connection I still have to it.
Love Rene Magritte
I've been waiting for this all week! ❤
Hope you enjoyed it!
I'm an artist who has been obsessed with Magritte for many decades. I found your evaluation well researched and presented and your commentary thoughtful and insightful. It's always a pleasure to see good art criticism.
I'm always amazed by how interesting each of you videos are. I'm an art idiot and feel comfortable consuming your videos and being able to digest your wonderful ideas. Thanks
Thanks 🙏
Once again this channel has posted a fascinating and informative video that I will watch several times over. I’d like to express how appreciative I am to have access to such knowledge on great art and artists. I would never have been able to afford art classes or travel to see all of these masterpieces but through this channel I can still take part in these seminal achievements of humanity.
as someone who knows almost nothing about art but always finds it beautiful, i can’t explain to you how much I appreciate a channel that analyzes an artist’s background and motivations, their techniques and important works in a way that even someone who has no idea about art and art history can understand and appreciate it. despite it being so out of my expertise, it’s still feels as though I learned something new about the art world that I would’ve never gotten around to knowing otherwise. thank you for all the efforts you make to create these beautiful videos!
My art teacher in school taught us about artist’s works and lives. It always deepened my appreciation of the work. Truly fascinating. This brilliant series is so well done. Beautiful narration, concise, and informative. What a lovely thing to learn about, thank you to the creator for this effort.
That was great. Rob Gonsalves is probably my all time favorite artist and he took a lot of inspiration from René. And you can plainly see it in the examples in your video. Excellent work again.
Thanks 🙏
I genuinely adore ‘The Treachery Of Images’ (1929) because it features all the things I believe the best art does.
1. It says something about us and art. It makes us question the relationship between objects, language and purpose, and subverts the standards of the surrealists.
2. It creates conversation, and leaves a lot of opportunity for audiences and critiques to negotiate differing interpretations of the meaning of his artwork.
3. It evokes interest in others to the point of inspiring them to Perdue art themselves, either as a profession or a hobby. It certainly has with me.
This is by far my favourite video from you, not only because Magritte is one of my favourite artists, but also because I saw so much love and devotion is poured in making this video, the old-timey film B-rolls, the editing and music, as well as your always top-notch storytelling and narrating make a story of a low-profile master becoming so vivid and interesting to dive into. Thank you for this and every video you have made, I really enjoyed it and am sharing with my fellow art-holic friends to watch it!!
Saying I was excited your next video was on Magritte would‘ve been an understatement! Your art analyses have been a joy to watch and have piqued my interest for art history. Thank you :)
Fantastic video as always James!🍏
Magritte is an artist I’ve often felt a deep affinity with. I’ve always loved his peculiar & yet profound concepts & how he brought them to life so vividly for the rest of us to share in. That said, until your video I never realised how much I relate to him as an actual person. I approach art in much the same way as he did & I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to hear that one of the great masters had the same work ethic as myself. It actually gives me a glimmer of hope!😂
Keep up the great work!👌👏👏👏
Wow! What great scholarship! Thank you so much for doing this!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Magritte was a huge influence on Storm Thorgerson, and this is how I ended up watching your art history video (not the first I might add). I now have a deeper understanding where Thorgerson's creative work evolved from. Magritte's work was truely mind bending, influencial and inspiring. Thank you for the video, I truely enjoyed it and learned a lot.
I love this artist. Found out about him at school when I didn't have class and was allowd to sit in the art lesson of a friend. One year later I attended the art class of the same teacher and chos Magritte for my presentation. I visited the museum in Brussels and one day I'll return to see the other sights in the town where he worked and lived.
The landscape must have been an inspiration in "The Matrix Reloaded". The image when Neo chases the Merowinger and he escapes through a door and Neo can't find him behind the door because suddenly a mountain appears, looks quite similar to the mountain of Magritte.
Taken alone, and with the knowledge you added of his fondness for detective stories and his familiarity of the darkness of life, Lovers II could be seen as the last moments of a couple, trapped by secret police as spies and not afforded judgement in court, shrouded and about to be executed.
The high quality of your films always brings me appreciation for the artists and their art that I would not achieve any other way.
The Lovers II is the album art for the Punch Brothers record The Phosphorescent Blues, which is incredible.
So good and so consistent…both Magritte and you! My appreciation of art has been dramatically improved by your channel. Thank you!
I have to admit his work never really spoke to me before this.
Fascinating. Thank you so much for sharing. Having lost my mother to suicide as a teen, I can honestly see how that deeply influenced his art in ways he was probably didn't want to discuss. I will come back and watch this at least once more, your videos are delightfully densely packed with excellent information. Thank you again.
This is such a great essay on one of my favorite artists. It gave me profound insight into his mysterious work. Thank you for spending the time to put this together.
My favorite RUclips channel by far. Can’t express enough all my gratitude ❤
I am so glad you picked him because I knew nothing about him yet his work clicked right away with me. Your narration is always so enjoyable. Your work helps me to understand and appreciate unfamiliar masterpiece of Art. After watching your channel they become very personal, likable and endearing. Thank you so much.
Thanks for your hard work! I’m 15 and you’ve sparked a love of art history in me. I’ve watched all your videos and look forward to your new channel’s videos!
I enjoyed your video so much! Magritte is my favourite artist! I've been looking forward to this video a long time, and you did not disappoint! Thanks for all your hard work! It's greatly appreciated! :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for this; I find Magritte a master at subverting our expectations. Watching someone else express their interpretation of Magritte is fascinating. Thank you for the beautiful history lesson & additional insight into his background and influences. Personally, I was unaware of the Poe connection! Bravo
I've always felt attracted to Magritte's work. It's great to know a bit more about his motivations and his personality. Thanks!
Beautiful work as ever James, my heart smiles when i have one of your new videos to watch. Thanks for all your efforts and everyone else involved.
I can't thank you enough, every time, for the care and study you put into each one of your videos, which you then share with us. These videos have opened the eyes and mind to art for me. Thanks always. ❤❤❤
I was a teenager when I first saw Magritte, late 90’s. Always saw him as a magician..or the grandad creating wonder and mystery.
I can watch these videos even if they are an hour long. Thanks for keeping my love for fine arts alive. 🙏🏼 ❤
Glad you like them!
Love your channel. Great explanation of each artist. Thank you. 💜
Thank you so much!
What a great video! The art reminds me of my own situation right now, being physically separated from my girlfriend by living on the other side of the planet. I can see ourselves in it, craving for this feeling of closeness, yet there are these masks between us (distance), which take away the pure emotion and intimacy of a kiss. I am really looking forward to the day on which these masks will be lifted and we can experience our relationship in person again.
Loved getting to watch this early on Patreon! Well done as always.
Thanks for supporting me - Much appreciated!
Magritte: a simple, modest man. One of my heroes from the art world. Loved the video, as usual ❤
Your videos keep getting better, I love the little touches you add here and there, like the music introducing a new chapter. It's such a pleasure to watch your videos. Thank you so much for your work!
Thank you very much!
This channel is *_chefs kisses_** And I just found out about your other channel! *Great Books Explained* Subscribed instantly. Literature and art are my 2nd and 3rd favorite things, music is #1.
Welcome aboard!
Thanks for the heads up!
Absolutely one of my favorite channels. It's also increidble how much the artist life comes up in all their paitings, and how much insight it can give even in some of the most known paintings
I didn't know anything about Magritte, only his most famous paintings! I learn so much with every video ! Thank you for your work !
Such an original and fresh explanation of Magritte's work. Very enjoyable. Love your videos!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I am so thankful you create these very engaging lectures. I have learned so much from your videos. Great job!!
Thank you for giving me a new eye opening look into Magritte’s work and life. Much I did not know but do understand the struggle we artists go through even today….
Magritte has managed to connect emotionally with me so many times. I ❤ "The Dominion of Light" 3:13 the first one that I really connected with to the point of tears. The kiss paintkng sort of did the opposite. This video makes the man behind the painter more accessible. Brilliant documentary, as always. Thanks James!
Magritte is one of my favorite artist when I was young and atill is. We learned about him in school and since then I‘m stunned by the storys behind his paintings and the clearity of his painting style.
Love the night/day paintings the most. So beautiful.
Another amazing video! I especially love this one since it includes my favorite painting ❤
Thank you so much 😀
Thank you for these explanations. With Magritte specifically, I relate to his conflict of sometimes feeling unable to enjoy the painting process, yet having engaging ideas I'd like to explore. It can be especially challenging in an age where we are constantly overstimulated and distracted by consumer content. Your videos are exceptions of course, they are very inspiring. Keep it up 👏
Thank you so much for the video! ❤️
You are so welcome!
Things like this channel are a big part of what the internet should be used for, in my opinion. Thanks for your great work.
Thank you so much for making this! I know it wasn’t specifically because of my comment, because lots of people suggested Magritte + there was a poll after that he won… but still, I suggested Magritte too because he’s one of my favorites, and definitely my favorite surrealist :) so I’m very happy to have this video!
Thank you so much for this video. Rene Magritte is an all time favourite artist of mine and I really enjoyed learning more about his work through your detailed perspective.
I saw a an exhibit a few years ago with Magritte’s works. 16th September intrigued me so much and i instantly fell in love with his works. So good to know more about the artist. Thank you :)
I love your videos. And, although I wouldn't have clicked on a video on this subject created by someone else, I can still appreciate and enjoy your excellent presentation. I hope you continue to create these videos for many years to come
I'm so glad!