The Portable Magritte represents a new approach to the enjoyment and study of art in book form. With more than 400 color reproductions and a compact handheld size, this book manages to be affordable and comprehensive. It's like a catalogue raisonné that fits in a backpack. This accessible format is a perfect match for the paintings of René Magritte-one of the few twentieth-century painters whose works are immediately approachable and who has an enduring cultlike following. His surrealistic and mysterious visions always provoke introspective thought and imagination. All of Magritte's most characteristic and beloved motifs-the green apple, the bowler hat, and the dreamlike twilight hour-make their appearance, along with some surprising lesser-known paintings. The artist's method and meaning is explored in an intriguing essay by Robert Hughes, the art critic for Time magazine and acclaimed commentator on art and culture. A hip and current update on this timeless artist, The Portable Magritte makes an ideal gift for students as well as art lovers of any age.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
"By the standards of Surrealist bohemia and Surrealist chic, [Magritte] might as well have been a grocer," writes Time art critic Robert Hughes in his brief introduction to The Portable Magritte, a glossy, compact collection of 400 works spanning the career of the phlegmatic Belgian painter. Familiar images like the clouded iris of The False Mirror, the seamlessly conjoined canvases and landscapes of The Human Condition and all the men in bowler hats are supplemented by lesser known experiments in cubism, impressionism and expressionism.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a collection!,
By wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: The Portable Magritte (Portables) (Paperback)
Magritte, straight up - his pictures and almost nothing else.
It's an incredibly rich experience, and even better for its strict chronological order. I'm fascinated to see themes appear, endure, fade away, and recur. What are those silvery balls with the black bands? Why tubas? That nearly Impressionist phase in the mid 1940s was a remarkable depature, but one that didn't last. Best of all, the time series lets me see his skills develop. I like his later figures much better than the earlier ones, for one thing. His landscapes and textures gained in subtlety, too. Most of all, he continued to develop his language of image throughout his life - "The Blank Signature" (Le Blanc-seign) expresses ambiguities that he seemed to have worked decades to achieve. Except for a brief time-line at the end, there is no commentary. I like that, at least I like it better than un-helpful commentary. Hughes consciously leaves me and Magritte alone with each other. That's fine by me - Magritte spoke through his pictures, and I might not have appreciated the interruption. The book is beautifully printed, but somewhat small. Given this book's quality of color, wealth of images, and modest cost, I can accept that. It's a great introduction to this Surrealist master, a book I keep coming back to. //wiredweird
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent value,
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This review is from: The Portable Magritte (Portables) (Paperback)
If you are in the market for comprehensive biographical information on Magritte, look elsewhere. But if you want a compact, high quality, incredibly rich compendium of Magritte's work, this book is a fabulous deal. It is a treasure trove of images by this uniquely clever, original and whimsical surrealist painter. I discovered many paintings of his previously unknown to me, and will enjoy having this collection as a constant source of inspiration.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Magritte Book out there!,
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This review is from: The Portable Magritte (Portables) (Paperback)
You know how Time Life comes out with those informercials selling CD collections - claiming that if you tried to buy all the different albums for the songs that they have all in one set, you would spend hundreds of dollars? Well, it's kind of the same deal with art books. I will wait YEARS if necessary to buy the right book of XYZ artist - and my search ended with the Portable Magritte. It is not a particularly LARGE book, but if you are looking for a favorite work, you are more likely to find it here than in other books!
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