Rene Magritte (1898 – 1967) was a groundbreaking Surrealist who combined wit and illusion. Magritte, who originally designed wallpaper, posters and ads, began painting full time after receiving a gallery contract. In Magritte’s signature style, he places ordinary objects in unexpected contexts, often blocked faces with floating objects to challenge preconceptions about the unknown. Despite harsh initial criticism of his work, he became one of the world’s most significant artists. Public awareness of Magritte escalated when his art was featured on 1960’s album covers, and it still remains provocative and highly influential.