“The Return of the Flame” is an artwork created by René Magritte in 1943 while he was in Carcassonne, France. The medium used is oil on canvas, and it is a product of the Surrealism art movement. The dimensions of the artwork are 65 x 50 cm, and it falls within the genre of symbolic painting. Currently, the artwork is held in a private collection.
The artwork depicts a surreal and striking scene dominated by a figure dressed in a black suit and top hat, wearing a black mask that intensifies the mysterious aura. The figure is shown in motion, seemingly flying or stepping across a vividly colorful, fiery red and orange background that represents an otherworldly sky. In the figure’s extended right hand, a bright flame burns, symbolizing perhaps enlightenment, passion, or destruction. Below the soaring figure lies a dreamlike, abstracted cityscape, suggesting an urban environment. The contrast between the dark, enigmatic figure and the vibrant, intense background heightens the dramatic and symbolic essence of the painting, a hallmark of Magritte’s surrealist approach.
