The artwork titled “Cicero,” created by René Magritte in 1947 in Brussels, Belgium, employs oil on canvas as its medium. This piece, identified with the Surrealism movement, is housed in a private collection and measures 54 by 65 centimeters. It falls within the genre of symbolic painting.
The artwork exhibits a surreal and symbolic scene featuring anthropomorphic structures. The central figure possesses a human-like body but displays an unconventional, cylindrical head with a flame emerging from it, which suggests a melding of the organic and the inorganic. This figure holds a staff-like object topped with miniature buildings in its hand, further adding to the surrealistic motif. The backdrop features a cloudy sky with another similar figure in the background, dressed in a cloak-like garment and appearing to observe the central figure. The composition invokes contemplation of existential themes, much like other works in the Surrealism movement, showcasing Magritte’s skill in juxtaposing ordinary objects in extraordinary ways to provoke the viewer’s imagination.
