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Rene Magritte

Rene Magritte

1 8.1
Belgian painter famous for strange pictures that make people question what is real
  • proper noun
  • /ˈrɛnə məˈɡrit/
: René Magritte
  • Rene Magritte is famous for paintings that blur the line between reality and illusion.

Examples

  • The influence of Rene Magritte can be seen in many contemporary surrealist artists.

  • An exhibition of Rene Magritte's work drew art lovers from around the world.

  • Look at Rene Magritte!

  • I admire Rene Magritte.

  • Rene Magritte is famous for paintings that blur the line between reality and illusion.

  • An exhibition of Rene Magritte's work drew art lovers from around the world.

  • The influence of Rene Magritte can be seen in many contemporary surrealist artists.

Synonyms

Magritte
vsRene Magritte
2 7.9

Belgian painter who paints strange, dreamlike pictures that make people question reality

is the full formal personal name used in complete identification

Surface Forms

Morphology

Rene + Magritte

This is a proper name referring to a specific person; the components 'Rene' and 'Magritte' are names rather than compositional lexical items, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not be able to derive that it denotes a Belgian surrealist painter. Recognition of the referent requires prior cultural or encyclopedic knowledge rather than transparent morphological composition, making it unpredictable across languages and learners.

Etymology

Rene Magritte was a Belgian painter who put everyday objects in strange places, like a man with a green apple in front of his face. These surprising images make us ask what is 'real' and what is 'illusion', so his name is remembered for clever pictures that change how we see the world.