The Empire of Light by René Magritte

E270809

The Empire of Light by René Magritte is a surrealist painting that juxtaposes a dark, nighttime street scene with a bright, daylight sky to create an uncanny, dreamlike atmosphere.

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Label Occurrences
The Empire of Light by René Magritte canonical 1

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf painting
surrealist painting
alsoKnownAs L’Empire des lumières
The Empire of Light
surface form: The Empire of Lights
artHistoricalSignificance canonical work of Surrealism
iconic example of Magritte’s exploration of perception
artStyle Magritte’s realistic rendering of impossible scenes
countryOfOrigin Belgium
creator René Magritte
depicts bright daylight sky
nighttime street scene
genre Surrealism
hasColorPalette dark greens and browns in the lower part
light blues and whites in the sky
hasEffect dreamlike atmosphere
uncanny atmosphere
hasLightingContrast artificial streetlight and natural daylight
hasMood mysterious
serene
unsettling
hasPart cloudy blue sky
row of houses
streetlamp
trees
hasPerspective street-level view
hasSeries Empire of Light
surface form: Empire of Light series
hasSubject illuminated windows
quiet residential street
hasSymbolism coexistence of opposites
subversion of natural order
tension between light and darkness
hasTemporalParadox simultaneous day and night
hasTheme ambiguity of reality
dream versus reality
juxtaposition of night and day
hasVisualContrast dark foreground and bright sky
influencedBy Magritte’s interest in the uncanny
intendedEffectOnViewer cognitive dissonance
heightened awareness of perception
inTheMediumOf oil paint
movement Surrealism
notableFor combination of night and day in a single scene
paradoxical lighting
originalLanguageTitle L’Empire des lumières
subjectMatter ordinary urban architecture in extraordinary light

Referenced by (1)

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Milwaukee Art Museum notableWorkInCollection The Empire of Light by René Magritte