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Lot Essay
In La pensée parfaite Magritte pays homage to nature in a beautiful depiction of the four seasons. Magritte believed that nature shows a generosity in creating beauty for those maddened by war, that nature provides a refuge for a world living in an atmosphere of destruction. In this painting Magritte conveys the idea that nature can engender in us a dream-like state which frees both the body and mind from everyday concerns. This freedom is similar to that which is experienced in dreams. "This freedom is a latent possession of the mind" he said "It was the magic of art that I had experienced in my childhood". (As quoted in D. Sylvester, René Magritte catalogue raisonné, vol. V, Antwerp 1997, p. 16).
The present work is thought to relate to an earlier painting, now lost, entitled La science des rêves, 1942, and is certainly close to a gouache of 1944-45 with a similar title (see fig. 1) with its representation of the seasons. Both the titles of these related works reinforce the notion that Magritte is attempting to capture, in the present work, the impossible reality - the simultaneous manifestation of four seasons - by presenting us with the irreality or surreality which we find in realm of dreams.
In the early 1940s Magritte adopted a more impressionist palette reminiscent of the paintings of Renoir. His calculated use of soft, almost pastel colour intensifies the charm of La pensée parfaite and the light created is delicate and fresh. Magritte has used the light to make the tree faintly visible, its existence only manifests in relation to the tree and the seasons. The use of light and the fragile hues of colour combine to create a subtle brilliance which captures the essential beauty, spirit and surprise of each season. We are seduced by the freshness and delicacy of the colours without always being aware that Magritte is subtly distorting our perception of reality and simultaneously opening up a world of dreams.
The present work is thought to relate to an earlier painting, now lost, entitled La science des rêves, 1942, and is certainly close to a gouache of 1944-45 with a similar title (see fig. 1) with its representation of the seasons. Both the titles of these related works reinforce the notion that Magritte is attempting to capture, in the present work, the impossible reality - the simultaneous manifestation of four seasons - by presenting us with the irreality or surreality which we find in realm of dreams.
In the early 1940s Magritte adopted a more impressionist palette reminiscent of the paintings of Renoir. His calculated use of soft, almost pastel colour intensifies the charm of La pensée parfaite and the light created is delicate and fresh. Magritte has used the light to make the tree faintly visible, its existence only manifests in relation to the tree and the seasons. The use of light and the fragile hues of colour combine to create a subtle brilliance which captures the essential beauty, spirit and surprise of each season. We are seduced by the freshness and delicacy of the colours without always being aware that Magritte is subtly distorting our perception of reality and simultaneously opening up a world of dreams.