“The break in the clouds (The calm)” is an artwork created by the renowned Surrealist artist René Magritte in 1941, while he was in Carcassonne, France. Executed using oil on canvas, the piece is currently housed at the Brachot Gallery in Brussels, Belgium. This symbolic painting, measuring 65 by 100 centimeters, is a fine example of the Surrealism movement’s exploration of the uncanny and the imaginative.
The artwork portrays three nude female figures standing in front of an expansive, calm seascape. The figures are draped with sheer fabrics, and each holds a different object: the left figure extends her arm with an open hand from which a white dove appears to take flight, the middle figure is seen gesturing upward, and the right figure delicately holds a pink flower. These serene figures are framed by heavy blue drapery, which opens to reveal the tranquil scene behind them. The composition is characterized by a sense of calmness and serenity, which is accentuated by the delicate, dreamlike atmosphere and the balanced arrangement of the elements within the piece.
