Product Description
The ongoing relevance of Belgian painter Rene Magritte may lie in the semiotic character of his work and its ability to create chasms between the world, its surfaces and the signs we use to occupy it. Magritte's paintings offer a space for the viewer to contemplate the emptiness of signs and to locate that emptiness in a world we recognize--indeed, the artist relies on the props of normalcy in order to upend, invert and collapse them into the terra incognita where life leaves off and art begins. "The mind loves the unknown," he avowed, "it loves images whose meaning is unknown, since the meaning of the mind itself is unknown." In Attempting the Impossible we have a new definitive Magritte monograph, replacing David Sylvester's volume of the early 1990s. Featuring more than 300 works, it contains much unpublished material and includes chapters covering Magritte's photography, drawings and influence on German and American contemporary art. Each chapter opens with a close reading of a key work--such as "The Treachery of Images" ("This is not a pipe") of 1928-29--and a reconstruction of its intellectual and historical contexts. Art historian Siegfried Gohr examines Magritte's marriage and friendships, the phases of his work (from his sunlit Renoir period and his "periode vache" to his bright and visually arresting postwar work, which had such an influence on the advertising industry), the Belgian roots of his wit and sensibility and his word paintings and investigations into the paradoxes of representation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Addition to Any Library
Magritte is a personal favorite of mine.His sense of story-telling through such visual, vivid images haunts your memory long after you close the book.It's best to take it in little sections and savor the "story".

Brilliant writing, deserved better reproductions.
This hefty monograph was written by one of the most brilliant post-war German museum curators and art scholars and its publication coincides with the opening of the Magritte Museum in Brussels. It is an interesting study that follows a strictly chronological pattern with an original angle: each period is tackled through the in-depth examination of one key emblematic work (The Lost Jockey, 1926, The Treachery of Images, 1929, The Red Model, 1935, The Dominion of Light, 1954, etc). This methodological choice makes for enlightening reading and undoubtedly renders the text livelier and easy to read and grasp.

Now, the colored illustrations are numerous and often full-page but, unfortunately, the quality of the paper is mediocre and the pictures do not allow a glimpse into Magritte's technique and brushwork. The reproductions consequently appear dull and flat, which accounts for a three-star rating. ... Read more

Product Description
In his mysterious paintings, Rene Magritte shows us how to see normal things in a different way. Heavy stones become light and float in the sky like clouds, a country scene shatters into lots of different pieces and a steam train chugs out of a fireplace.Amazon.com Review
The books in Prestel's Adventures in Art series do a wonderfuljob of balancing respect for art with an understanding of what holds ayoung child's interest. Now You See It--Now You Don't is filledwith excellent reproductions of the paintings of René Magritte,carefully printed in color, with a lot of white space around eachone. Designed with confidence in a child's ability to find thepaintings fascinating, the layout is calm, and the text is full offun. "What a horrible meal!" reads the caption over thefamous image of the plate of ham with a human eye staring out from themiddle of the meat. Throughout the book such comments are written inthe same proper, school-board script Magritte himself used to captionsuch pictures as "This is not a pipe" (which depicts--ofcourse--a pipe). Of a painting of six everyday objects with wonkycaptions (such as an empty glass labeled "the storm,")titled The Key to Dreams, readers are asked, "What do youthink this picture could be called?" The book reproduces manyold, black-and-white, surrealist snapshots, and even introduces ManRay to the reader. This is the sort of multifaceted book that shouldenthrall the parent as well as the preschooler, and probably everyonein between. --Peggy Moorman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great kid's art book
I bought this at the Tate gallery shop for my kids, who surprise me time and again by pulling it off the shelf for me to read.They love the oddball art, which seems accessible to them presented in this format.I'm going to pick up some others in this series for an early childhood art history selection. It's so great to be able to share this kind of thing with my kids.

Gives a good explanation of the artist's work.
As an art teacher, I have been very impressed with this series of books for children.This volume, in particular, helps to explain some of the interesting and yet bizarre qualities of this surreal artist.I look forward to the next book in this series. ... Read more

Product Description
The illustrations in this work constitute a comprehensive catalogue of the visible thought of the artist. Taking the form of the body in painting or of the relations between image and word, this book presents the poetic enigmas of the Belgian surrealist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good insight to the artist
Excellent book into the thoughts of the artist! If you are a Magritte fan, you'll love this book.

ONE OF THE MASTERS OF SURREALISM
While surrealism is not everyone's cup of tea,RENE MAGRITTE is certainly one of it's most celebrated figure.What i like about that collection is that it's affordable, even if it can't have everything.You can not say you don't have your money's worth.MAGRITTE is basically a painter who thinks ,that's why his works is unique in a strange way.The visuals aspects of his sex oriented works are often quite funny.Rock fans will recognize the sleeve of JEFF BECK'S TRUTH a 1968 record who uses LA CHAMBRE D'ÉCOUTE(The green apple).Those BELGIAN artists MAGRITTE,DELVAUX and TANGUAY were really something else.

those apples look delicious
if asked to pick a favourite surrealist i would have to pick renémagritte, his images are so clean & refined. the apples, the bowlershat, and the floating crowd, all signatures of magritte have becomeembedded in mainstream culture because of the beauty of his works. so far ihaven't found a better source of magritte's artworks, this book is a mustfor your coffee table!

A Great Book For Anyone
This 89 page book is great for, artists, art fanactics, or anyone interested in Magritte or Surrealist art. This book goes through Magritte's life as an artist. I think its a great deal because there is so much of hisartwork included to go along with the text, and its all in color. I enjoyedthe chronology at the end of the book and the photographs of Magritte withhis family and other members of the Surrealist group.

A Great Book For Anyone
This 89 page book is great for, artists, art fanactics, or anyone interested in Magritte or Surrealist art. This book goes through Magritte's life as an artist. I think its a great deal because there is so much of hisartwork included to go along with the text, and its all in color. I enjoyedthe chronology at the end of the book and the photographs of Magritte withhis family and other members of the Surrealist group. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

The Magritte bible
Originally published in 1992, this is an updated version of the monumental monograph written by one of the best art critics of the XXth century, the late David Sylvester. Sylvester was the author of the Magritte catalogue raisonné and this book complements it with an encyclopedic text that is nevertheless easy to read and devoid of any pretentious cant. The author's style is concise, precise and elegant and I can't think of any better way to write about art: Sylvester describes without discoursing, explains without judging and always leaves it to the reader to make his or her own opinion about the work, based on the best possible knowledge of the artist.

The book is replete with hundreds of illustrations, many full-page (and full color), some thumbnails (a few of these in black and white)and some half-page. The only slight criticism I would dare to make is that there are no magnified details, but again, this should not keep this book from deserving 5 stars. ... Read more

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Presents a biography of René Magritte ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful book for kids
Absolutely wonderful presentation of an artist for kids ages 6-9. Short enough to keep a child' attention without boring him/her, fun illustrations, simple, but very informative presentation of the historical details at the child's level.

Excellent educational fun reading
I include these art books in my art kits and art lessons.They are great for students of all ages and for those school districts with Accelerated Reading---these are AR books! ... Read more

Product Description
All Aboard! Choo-choo! Where do you think we'll go...?

Journey through a fantastical land where anything is possible. From trees with faces to men raining from the sky, René Magritte's delightful artwork is sure to ignite the imaginations of the very youngest readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Eh.
My son (now 20 months) has never been interested in this book.He NEVER chooses it to read from his collection of about 30 books... But I think it's interesting.

great imaginative story
My 14-month old loves this book and requests that we read it over and over and over again each day. The images are inspiring, the text is sweet and catchy and the end makes it a great bedtime book as well.
My nieces (6 and 3 yrs old) also really enjoyed reading this book with us and loved talking about the paintings.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

No Color Illustrations
Perhaps I was naive, but I expected the illustrations for a catalog raisonne to be in color.All of the illustrations - every last one - is in black and white.Disappointing. ... Read more

Product Description
The Portable Magritte represents a new approach to the enjoyment and study of art in book form. With more than 400 color reproductions and a compact handheld size, this book manages to be affordable and comprehensive. It's like a catalogue raisonné that fits in a backpack. This accessible format is a perfect match for the paintings of René Magritte-one of the few twentieth-century painters whose works are immediately approachable and who has an enduring cultlike following. His surrealistic and mysterious visions always provoke introspective thought and imagination. All of Magritte's most characteristic and beloved motifs-the green apple, the bowler hat, and the dreamlike twilight hour-make their appearance, along with some surprising lesser-known paintings. The artist's method and meaning is explored in an intriguing essay by Robert Hughes, the art critic for Time magazine and acclaimed commentator on art and culture. A hip and current update on this timeless artist, The Portable Magritte makes an ideal gift for students as well as art lovers of any age. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent value
If you are in the market for comprehensive biographical information on Magritte, look elsewhere.But if you want a compact, high quality, incredibly rich compendium of Magritte's work, this book is a fabulous deal.It is a treasure trove of images by this uniquely clever, original and whimsical surrealist painter.I discovered many paintings of his previously unknown to me, and will enjoy having this collection as a constant source of inspiration.

What a collection!
Magritte, straight up - his pictures and almost nothing else.

It's an incredibly rich experience, and even better for its strict chronological order. I'm fascinated to see themes appear, endure, fade away, and recur. What are those silvery balls with the black bands? Why tubas? That nearly Impressionist phase in the mid 1940s was a remarkable depature, but one that didn't last.

Best of all, the time series lets me see his skills develop. I like his later figures much better than the earlier ones, for one thing. His landscapes and textures gained in subtlety, too. Most of all, he continued to develop his language of image throughout his life - "The Blank Signature" (Le Blanc-seign) expresses ambiguities that he seemed to have worked decades to achieve.

Except for a brief time-line at the end, there is no commentary. I like that, at least I like it better than un-helpful commentary. Hughes consciously leaves me and Magritte alone with each other. That's fine by me - Magritte spoke through his pictures, and I might not have appreciated the interruption.

The book is beautifully printed, but somewhat small. Given this book's quality of color, wealth of images, and modest cost, I can accept that. It's a great introduction to this Surrealist master, a book I keep coming back to.

//wiredweird

The Best Magritte Book out there!
You know how Time Life comes out with those informercials selling CD collections - claiming that if you tried to buy all the different albums for the songs that they have all in one set, you would spend hundreds of dollars?

Well, it's kind of the same deal with art books.I will wait YEARS if necessary to buy the right book of XYZ artist - and my search ended with the Portable Magritte.It is not a particularly LARGE book, but if you are looking for a favorite work, you are more likely to find it here than in other books!

Hi.
Good book.. All pictures of all Magritte's works. good coffee table book. ... Read more

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Product Description
Colorful paintings inspired by Magritte complement the story of a young boys's escape from boredom to the house of his neighbors, Rene+a7 Magritte and his wife, and the world they share with Salvador Dali+a7 and other artists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Dinner at Margritte's
Although Dinner at Magritte's is not a biography, it is a fun book for the whole family.The book tells you about two famous artists.One is Rene Magritte and the other is Salvador Dali.It is about a boy, named Pierre, who is bored, so he goes to the Magritte's for dinner.Dali also comes to dinner.They do fun things that will make you laugh.

The illustrations are as good as the writing because each one shows the kind of painting that Dali or Magritte would do, but also tells you the silly story.I would recommend this book to the young and old and artists and non-artists.It is enjoyable for everyone.

This Is Not A Book Review
Dinner At Magritte's by Michael Garland is a cool book and will evoke questions from any curious youngster.The story is simple: a bored young boy goes next door to his neighbors and the neighbors happen to be Mr. and Mrs. Rene Magritte.Salvador Dali shows up and the four spend the day together culminating in dinner and charades. However, the world the story takes place in is the surreal world of Dali's and Magritte's paintings.All the illustrations in the story except the first have surrealistic elements in them.Even after the story has been read over and over again, the pictures themselves will continue to provoke the young reader's mind.The book is a fun fantasy and a suprisingly good introduction to surrealism.I had the advantage of having parents who took me to art museums in every city we ever visited and I know that this exposure to a wide variety of art styles helped with the development of this science teacher's mind.Get this book and fire up your child's imagination.

An ingenius introduction for children to Magritte
Dinner with Magritte engages the reader at many levels.It is a visually stimulating book with a story that imagines a child's visit to his neighbor Magritte for dinner.Through the childs's eyes you are introduced to the strange & wonderful world of the artist.Many of the illustrations are variations on actual Magritte paintings delightfully interwoven into the plot of the story.You will recognize the bowler hat, blue sky with clouds and the walk through the woods from his actual works.I use the book as part of my volunteer artist awareness class.The book enchants the children from 1st grade through 6th.What a dissappointment to find it out of stock - I was going to buy two as gifts!

Absolutely FABULOUS!
This book is GREAT.If you know Rene Magritte's work, you will be absolutely delighted.A MUST for true art lovers!

Fantastic artwork, amusing story
Very fun book for lots of different ages. Little kids (3-4) will think the paintings are hilarious; older ones will laugh at the wordplay. A good addition to your child's library. ... Read more

Product Description
Magritte said his sole goal was to think in images and then to combine them. This luxury set is a remarkable work on the strange world of a great artist. ... Read more

Product Description
Over a period of four decades, Drs. Melvin Blake and Frank Purnell built a remarkable collection of works by some of the most prominent modernist and contemporary artists in Europe, North America, and Latin America. Guided by their personal taste and a clear preference for figurative art, they acquired over 100 distinguished works, almost none of which belongs to the abstract movements that dominated the art scene during these same years. Taken as a whole, the collection contains a wealth of contrasts and similarities, while the works taken individually are rewarding for their particular expressive features. A Singular Vision features 45 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and pastels from the collection, illustrated in full color, along with an informal discussion of the works independently and as a group. Among the masterpieces presented are works by Paul Delvaux, René Magritte, R. B. Kitaj, Fernando Botero, Larry Rivers, Domenico Gnoli, Lucien Freud, Claudio Bravo, Antonio López García, and many others. Each artist is working according to his or her own singular, provocative vision, but each finds a home, and a context, in the remarkable Blake-Purnell collection.Artists Include: Paul Delvaux, Balthus, R. B. Kitaj, Larry Rivers, Domenico Gnoli, Lucian Freud and René Magritte amongst others,

Essay by Cheryl Brutvan.

Paperback, 8 x 9.25 in., 88 pages, 45 color illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

MFA's Gift Creates a Stir in Boston
Melvin Blake and Frank Purnell were avid art collectors. At the time of their death, many of their art works were willed to Boston's Museum of Fine Art and have become part of the museum's permanent collection. To honor this gift, the museum had a special showing of their work and issued this book as a commentary and companion to the exhibit. Most of the pieces in the collection are twentieth century works. There is great variety in this collection. The collection has a number of nude works, but the people depicted in the paintings and sketches are hardly glamorous which adds a certain intrigue to them. Perhaps the most interesting work in the collection is Vanitas by Claudio Bravo. This work depicts a man from Tangier sleeping while his son blows bubbles. The man looks almost like a monk and the son a choir boy. A close second would be Antonio Lopez Garcia's Lavabo y Espejo which depicts a bathroom sink. The painting is both simple and striking.This book exposes people to these relatively unknown works of modern art and the written commentary of the book is very helpful an introduction to the artists featured as well as a testimony to the generosity of the Blake and Purnell estate. ... Read more

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This book reveals the many tantalizing guises of Magritte as painter, writer, Surrealist, thinker, chess player, graphic designer, advertising man, magazine editor, anti-Fascist, moviegoer, pulp mystery fan, and classical music lover. Finally you'll understand (and laugh at) the meaning of that train zooming out of the fireplace and the giant green apple that fills an entire room. Rich with background information about Dada and Surrealism; plentiful anecdotes and pertinent and poignant quotes A magnificent tour through Matisse's intensely rich world of color and line Smart, high-energy digest of Matisse's life and art Matisse's place within the Modernist movement brilliantly analyzed Rich with background information, anecdotes, and pertinent and poignant quotes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

OPTICAL ILLUSIONIST
A leader of the Surrealist movement, Belgian artist Magritte was a highly unique painter who combined the ordinary, the bizarre, and the erotic to startling effect.Using a repertoire of images which he repeated again and again, he remained true to his form throughout his productive life.

With a gift for optical illusion, Magritte has become an icon of pop culture - his influence evident in everything from corporate logos to advertising design.He is the artist who would have a locomotive steaming out of a fireplace, men in bowler hats floating in midair, and an enormous castle topped rock suspended above the ocean.

Suspend all preconceived notions to enjoy this non-tradiitonalist.And, when you do, it's fun! ... Read more