The lost Jockey by René Magritte

This fascinating work is part of the fundamental research of surrealism concerning movement, space, and the metamorphosis of nature. The great Belgian master René Magritte orchestrates here a memorable composition named “The lost Jockey” which overthrows traditional spatial references. Through this unusual juxtaposition of dynamic elements and stylized plant forms, the creator arouses a lasting sensation of poetic bewilderment in the viewer.:::::At the center of a winter landscape, a miniature rider mounts a black horse launched into a frantic gallop on ground entirely covered with white snow. This race takes place in the midst of monumental trees whose crowns assume the geometric shape of giant leaves, revealing a complex network of bare branches like veins. In the background, other rows of similar trees repeat in an orderly manner, progressively fading into a misty distance. The upper sky displays a uniform pale yellow hue, creating a strange and unreal luminous atmosphere. The diffuse light erases the cast shadows, accentuating the suspended and theatrical appearance of this fantastic ride. The composition plays on disproportions to create a sense of infinity.:::::The painter’s remarkable craftsmanship manifests itself through the surgically precise drawing of the tree branches. The art of detail and the mastery of gouache or oil make it possible to give a striking graphic structure to this woodland universe. This technical virtuosity magnifies the dreamlike quality of the scene by giving it a nearly photographic clarity.