The Light Of Coincidences Rene Magritte
In the Artwork The Light of Coincidences, Rene Magritte utilizes space, balance, and high contrast to expose a quiet and eerie feel of the two-dimensional composition. Magritte, a Belgian artist, created this oil painting in the year 1933 . It is currently located in the James H. and Lillian Clark Galleries of Twentieth Century Art at the Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas, Texas. The work is small in scale, roughly two feet on each side with a gold distressed frame, and is made up of just three objects. Taking up most of the left side of the composition is a wooden framed painting of a classical female sculpture with the arms, legs and head missing. The torso is likely meant to represent marble and sits on a deep-red colored ground. In the forefront
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and opposite side of the composition is a small candle and candlestick that sits on the only visible corner of a table extending out and in front of the lower right side of the framed painting. The three-dimensional sculpted torso is depicted as a two-dimensional image, which creates an illusion that allows the whole composition to read in a very lifelike but dreamlike manner. Additionally, the work’s title suggests that the position of the candle is coincidentally lighting the painting and casting a projected shadow onto the painting of the sculpture.
The large amount of negative space in the artwork gives emphasis to the largely scaled framed torso painting positioned on the left side of the composition. The negative space is painted black and lacks texture or value, giving an impression that the painting could be floating in an infinite oblivion. Aside from the dark setting, the artist draws attention to the focal point by framing the sculpted torso within the context of the full composition. This “frame within a frame” technique leads the viewer in, generating intrigue into this rather simple composition. With just three objects in view, the ambiguous shadows on the torso lead you to question where the shadows are coming from.
Though the large painting within the artwork takes up the majority of the composition, the artwork is generally asymmetric in balance. The brightly lit candle leads your eye to the right of the artwork and the corner of the table guides you back to the focal point. The black background and vivid white objects add to the harmonious counteracting weight within the work. The warmth of the candle and the intense red base of the painting complement each other as well, creating a strong and intriguing composition. All of the objects are brought boldly to the forefront, demanding to be noticed. The painting reads as a shared secret that is only exposed by peering into a hole in the wall to view a small hidden room. I can almost hear the crackling of the candle and feel the heat reflecting off the sculpture and the red ground. If I gaze long enough, I imagine the light from the candle swaying behind the painted sculpture.
The work encompasses a multitude of contrasting extremes where the relationship between color, shape, light and dark, and tension and harmony enhances the mood of the painting.
For example, the table’s corner and the frame of the painting are geometric, robust and hard edged. I perceive these shapes to be more masculine in contrast to the voluptuous and soft form of the subject in the painting and the silhouette of the candle holder. The corner, sharp and abrupt, threatens to pierce the surface of the framed painting as it points directly and boldly so. However, the position seems necessary for unity as a whole. The female body with limbs missing contributes to a dreamlike narrative that makes me think of desire, creativity, and decay. Magritte also uses high contrast of light and shadow that evokes a powerful wave of emotions and silence. Though the painting seems quiet, the striking red ground creates a disruptive sound that overshadows the limited color palette in the rest of the composition. The candle is the only light source, which reminds me of a chiaroscuro painting from the late Sixteenth Century where the form of the objects are prominent and the details are heightened to give a true three-dimensional
appearance.
Magritte's use of positive and negative space allows the viewer to focus on the simple objects within a visceral and intimate setting. The dark and subdue background pulls you in and leaves you emotional and contemplative. The mood is further enhanced with Magritte’s use of balance, which energizes each side of the composition, creating an interesting relationship between the objects. The candlelight could be casting a shadow on the painted torso to reflect this response of harmony. In fact, the position of the objects are at just the right angle. This coincidence of lighting engages the bipolar nature of real space and spacial illusion that further explains the relationship between the objects and ambiance.
and opposite side of the composition is a small candle and candlestick that sits on the only visible corner of a table extending out and in front of the lower right side of the framed painting. The three-dimensional sculpted torso is depicted as a two-dimensional image, which creates an illusion that allows the whole composition to read in a very lifelike but dreamlike manner. Additionally, the work’s title suggests that the position of the candle is coincidentally lighting the painting and casting a projected shadow onto the painting of the sculpture.
The large amount of negative space in the artwork gives emphasis to the largely scaled framed torso painting positioned on the left side of the composition. The negative space is painted black and lacks texture or value, giving an impression that the painting could be floating in an infinite oblivion. Aside from the dark setting, the artist draws attention to the focal point by framing the sculpted torso within the context of the full composition. This “frame within a frame” technique leads the viewer in, generating intrigue into this rather simple composition. With just three objects in view, the ambiguous shadows on the torso lead you to question where the shadows are coming from.
Though the large painting within the artwork takes up the majority of the composition, the artwork is generally asymmetric in balance. The brightly lit candle leads your eye to the right of the artwork and the corner of the table guides you back to the focal point. The black background and vivid white objects add to the harmonious counteracting weight within the work. The warmth of the candle and the intense red base of the painting complement each other as well, creating a strong and intriguing composition. All of the objects are brought boldly to the forefront, demanding to be noticed. The painting reads as a shared secret that is only exposed by peering into a hole in the wall to view a small hidden room. I can almost hear the crackling of the candle and feel the heat reflecting off the sculpture and the red ground. If I gaze long enough, I imagine the light from the candle swaying behind the painted sculpture.
The work encompasses a multitude of contrasting extremes where the relationship between color, shape, light and dark, and tension and harmony enhances the mood of the painting.
For example, the table’s corner and the frame of the painting are geometric, robust and hard edged. I perceive these shapes to be more masculine in contrast to the voluptuous and soft form of the subject in the painting and the silhouette of the candle holder. The corner, sharp and abrupt, threatens to pierce the surface of the framed painting as it points directly and boldly so. However, the position seems necessary for unity as a whole. The female body with limbs missing contributes to a dreamlike narrative that makes me think of desire, creativity, and decay. Magritte also uses high contrast of light and shadow that evokes a powerful wave of emotions and silence. Though the painting seems quiet, the striking red ground creates a disruptive sound that overshadows the limited color palette in the rest of the composition. The candle is the only light source, which reminds me of a chiaroscuro painting from the late Sixteenth Century where the form of the objects are prominent and the details are heightened to give a true three-dimensional
appearance.
Magritte's use of positive and negative space allows the viewer to focus on the simple objects within a visceral and intimate setting. The dark and subdue background pulls you in and leaves you emotional and contemplative. The mood is further enhanced with Magritte’s use of balance, which energizes each side of the composition, creating an interesting relationship between the objects. The candlelight could be casting a shadow on the painted torso to reflect this response of harmony. In fact, the position of the objects are at just the right angle. This coincidence of lighting engages the bipolar nature of real space and spacial illusion that further explains the relationship between the objects and ambiance.