“Clairvoyance (Self Portrait),” an oil painting on canvas by René Magritte, exemplifies the Surrealist movement. Completed in 1936 in Brussels, Belgium, the artwork is a self-portrait and currently resides in a private collection.
The artwork depicts the artist himself engaged in painting a bird on a canvas. The intriguing aspect of the work lies in the juxtaposition between the real and the imagined: while the actual model, an egg, rests on a table beside the painter, Magritte’s brush transforms it into a fully formed bird in flight on the canvas. The painter is shown in the act of creation, holding a palette and a brush, poised in the process of bringing the bird to life. The background is minimalist, drawing attention to the creative act and emphasizing the theme of transformation and the artist’s imaginative powers.
