Rene Magritte The Schoolmaster

Lithograph, 2011

Limited edition of 275 (154/275)

Published by: Artvalue (Luxembourg)

Printer: Philippe Moreno, Atelier Art-Lithographies (Paris)

60.00 cm × 45.00 cm (sheet size)

51.00 cm × 38.00 cm (image size)

Signed in the plate

Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity

Condition: Excellent

Based on the original work: 1955, "The Schoolmaster"

BFK Rives paper

With ADAGP and MAGRITTE Estate dry stamps

This work is held by our partner gallery in France. While the condition is described as good according to local (French) standards, please be aware that standards for evaluating the condition of aged items may differ between France and Japan. Please consider your purchase with the understanding that vintage items may show signs of age (such as stains, discoloration, creases, wrinkles, sun damage, etc.). Please note that we have not physically inspected the item. The artwork is currently stored in France, and delivery after your order will take more than two weeks. Due to the nature of the work, returns after purchase are not accepted.

Artwork Description

"The Schoolmaster" is a work by René Magritte that quietly questions the anonymity of human existence and the limits of perception through the iconic "man in a bowler hat" motif, which he depicted repeatedly.

The figure seen from behind in the painting is a typical presence that frequently appears in Magritte's works. Dressed in a black coat and a bowler hat, he appears as an ordinary urban gentleman. Yet, precisely because of his anonymity, he emerges not as a specific individual, but as a universal being reflecting all of us.

The figure stands quietly facing the urban landscape, but his expression cannot be seen.

This "invisible face" holds extremely significant meaning in Magritte's work.

A face typically reveals one's individuality, emotions, and inner self. However, here, this is completely denied.

Magritte avoids providing explanations or answers to the viewer, and instead, leaves only the question:

What can one truly know when facing the world?

The urban landscape the figure gazes at seems to symbolize the real world we live in, and a deep philosophical tension permeates this quiet confrontation.

"The Schoolmaster" is a quintessential Magrittean contemplative work, condensing the meaning of seeing, understanding, and existing into a simple composition.

This work is held by our partner gallery in France. While the condition is described as good according to local (French) standards, please be aware that standards for evaluating the condition of aged items may differ between France and Japan. Please consider your purchase with the understanding that vintage items may show signs of age (such as stains, discoloration, creases, wrinkles, sun damage, etc.). Please note that we have not physically inspected the item. The artwork is currently stored in France, and delivery after your order will take more than two weeks. Due to the nature of the work, returns after purchase are not accepted.

Title Explanation

The Schoolmaster

What is important in this work is that it does not literally depict a "teacher."

Magritte's titles are often given not to explain the image, but to challenge the viewer's interpretation.

Here, the word "Schoolmaster" evokes:

• Knowledge
• Reason
• Order
• Teaching

However, the figure in the painting, far from teaching anything, merely gazes quietly at the world.

Through this discrepancy, the title paradoxically suggests:

A world that remains inexplicable even when one attempts to know it.

In other words, this work contains a typical Magrittean intellectual paradox:

The teacher, who is supposed to be "a giver of knowledge,"
stands bewildered before an inexplicable world.