René Magritte  Perspective II. Manet's Balcony

Magritte's brand of Surrealism is one that incorporates quotations of many kinds. This work, for instance, is based on 'Le Balcon', a canvas by Edouard Manet. Precisely by these frequent references to other artists, Magritte manages to make art itself the subject of discussion. The idea of personalised coffins – actually, a metamorphosis – was conceived following a drawing of a sitting coffin. Subsequently, Magritte 'coffined' three well-known compositions from the history of art. This is one of them. The transformation comes across as both macabre and humorous.