René Magritte - The Empire of Lights

A dark street at night against the backdrop of a blue sky illuminated by the morning light: with the paradoxical combination of day and night, René Magritte wants to create a shocking effect on the viewer, which, as he himself says, "can surprise and enchant. I call this power poetry." If the disquiet that a work of art evokes is poetry, then this painting is pure poetry. The title also aims at this effect: it is enigmatic, it does not define the image depicted and leads the viewer to become alienated from reality. ©c.H./ADAGP, Paris 2022