The Empty Mask
Encyclopedia
The Empty Mask is a painting
by Belgian surrealist René Magritte
.
In his essay Words and Images, published in 1929, Magritte observed that each image "suggests that there are others behind it". Viewed through a freestanding frame of irregular shape, these images are a sky, a lead curtain festooned with sleigh bells, a house façade, a sheet of paper cut-outs, a forest and a fire.
The title evokes the fear of the invisible which pervades the artist's work and reflects the surrealists' fascination with the subconscious
. The painting was purchased in 1973 and is usually on display in the National Museum of Wales.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
by Belgian surrealist René Magritte
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
.
In his essay Words and Images, published in 1929, Magritte observed that each image "suggests that there are others behind it". Viewed through a freestanding frame of irregular shape, these images are a sky, a lead curtain festooned with sleigh bells, a house façade, a sheet of paper cut-outs, a forest and a fire.
The title evokes the fear of the invisible which pervades the artist's work and reflects the surrealists' fascination with the subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
. The painting was purchased in 1973 and is usually on display in the National Museum of Wales.