Artist
René Magritte Belgian, 1898–1967
CultureBelgian
Titles
- The Kiss (Le Baiser)
Date1951
PlaceFrance
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions24 x 30 3/8 in. (61 x 77.2 cm)
Credit LineGift of an anonymous donor
Object number91.1997
Not on view
Explore Further
Department
Modern and Contemporary ArtObject Type
of his work, “People who look for symbolic
meanings fail to grasp the inherent poetry
and mystery of the image. No doubt they
sense this mystery, but they wish to get rid
of it. They are afraid. By asking ‘what does
this mean?’ they express a wish that everything be understandable. But if one does not
reject the mystery, one has quite a different
response. One asks other things.”
ProvenanceNancy Morris Collie and MFAH, December 1991, until her d. 2004; given to MFAH, 2004.
Exhibition History"El Mundo Invisible De René Magritte," Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, March 11–July 11, 2010.
"René Magritte: The Pleasure Principle," Tate Liverpool, June 24–October 16, 2011; Albertina, Vienna, November 9, 2011–February 28, 2012.
"René Magritte: The Fifth Season," San Francisco Museum of Art, May 19–October 28, 2018.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Marked on verso canvas upper right: "LE BAISER 1951" (see photocopies of inscription before re-lining)
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
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René Magritte
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Etching and aquatint in colors on Japan nacre paper, edition 122/150
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