Painting the Mundane: An Examination of the Life and Career of René Magritte
Abstract
This thesis explores the important role René Magritte's biography plays in relation
to his work as a painter. His works were primarily inspired by his middle class lifestyle
and upbringing, something that was uncommon among the Surrealists. He is largely
associated with the Surrealist movement of the 20th century, although he primarily
worked without specific allegiance to an artistic group.
A thorough examination of his life sheds light on his uncharacteristically un-avant
garde lifestyle. His rejection of luxury and excess were in contrast to the fortune and
notoriety sought by some of his contemporaries. While other Surrealists desired to live
the bohemian, artistic lifestyle expected by the public, Magritte rebuffed the notion and
aimed to live as an anonymous bourgeois man.
The effect Magritte's biography had on his work is examined through his career as
a commercial artist, his use of the Bowler-Hatted man, and his influence on the 1960s
Pop Art movement. The relationship between biography and work is made by René
Magritte's own words, those of his colleagues and contemporaries, and several noted
scholars of Magritte
Table of Contents
Abstract -- List of illustrations -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Overview -- Magritte and advertising -- The Bowler-hatted man -- Magritte and pop art -- Conclusion -- Images -- Bibliography and works consulted
Degree
MA (Master of Arts)
Thesis Department
Rights
Open Access (fully available)
Copyright retained by author