Attempt of the impossible by René Magritte

This work entitled “Attempt of the impossible” demonstrates how René Magritte explores the boundaries between reality and artistic representation. The painting fits into the Surrealist tradition that questions the nature of art and the creative power of the painter. The composition stages a metamorphosis in progress between the pictorial world and the real world. ::::: A man in a dark suit, probably representing the artist himself, stands to the right holding a wooden palette with colored pigments and a brush in his right hand. He seems to be painting a nude woman who stands facing him, but she already possesses a three-dimensionality and tangible physical presence that distinguishes her from a simple representation. The woman presents fine features with short brown hair, flesh tones with nuanced colors, and a rigid posture. The interior presents pinkish-beige walls with classical paneling and a brown parquet floor. ::::: Magritte’s genius lies in the ability to render the strange familiarity of the scene with a precise technique that blurs the boundaries between illusion and reality.