New Magritte Museum is a hot ticket in Brussels
“This is not a pipe.”
That’s the caption that René Magritte gave to his painting of a pipe, “Treachery of Images” (1928-29). No one knows exactly what it means, but like other works by the Belgian Surrealist, it makes you laugh and wonder.
Other memorable Magritte images include “The Return” (1940), above; a house lighted up at night under a sunny blue sky (”Empire of Light, ” 1953-54); and two people kissing with sheets over their heads (”The Lovers,” 1928).
Now Brussels, the city where Magritte spent most of his life, has given its iconic painter a museum of his own. The new Magritte Museum opened earlier this month in a handsomely restored 19th century building on Place Royale, near the Sablon district and the Grand Place. It has five floors filled with 250 paintings by Magritte, making it the largest collection of the artist’s work in the world.
For now, this is a hot ticket in Brussels, so it’s best to reserve online. Tickets are 8 euros, or about $11; discounts for students, seniors and groups.
— Susan Spano, Los Angeles Times staff writer
[Photo:"The Return" (1940) by René Magritte. Credit: Charly Herscovici, with his kind authorization- c/o SABAM-ADAGP, 2009]
2 Comments on “New Magritte Museum is a hot ticket in Brussels”
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June 23rd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Great idea, but the website’s not working…for those not willing to wait/keep trying over and over, here’s a site with basic info:
http://www.belgique-tourisme.net/informations/tourist_attractions_bruxelles__magritte_museum/en/V/55690.html
the problem with the site could be too many people trying to access it…
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:06 pm
You say that “no one” understands the meaning of the caption for “The Treachery of Images,” but the significance of the text in Magritte’s paintings is actually well-charted territory. Michel Foucault wrote a book about that painting alone, which presents several ideas about art and post-structuralist philosophy.
Its unfortunate that you see fit to trivialize a significant artist.