The Symbolism and Interpretation of Rene Magritte's Painting

Homesickness by Rene Magritte was painted in 1940. It is an 80 x 60 cm. oil on canvas, and is currently located in the Galerie Isy Brachot in Brussels. In the painting, there is a man wearing black clothes with wings standing on a bridge on the right side. There is a lion standing behind him. In the background there is a lamp post, and the faint silhouette of buildings.

Contrast, line, and space help to move the viewers around the painting. The lion is the focal point of the painting. Contrast draws your eyes there first because it is different than the rest of the painting. Also it is more vibrantly colored than the rest of the painting. Then, space brings your eyes to the man because he is closest to the lion. The bridge creates a line that takes you from the man to the background of the painting.

Magritte uses the bridge in the painting because his mother committed suicide by jumping off a bridge over the Sambre River. Also Magritte had a desire to “change life” which explains why the man in the painting has wings. Magritte liked to place objects in situations that were unfamiliar to the viewer. The black clothing on the man conveys the sadness that he felt about his mother’s death. The wings on the man show that he wished he could have changed what happened. The lion shows the confusion he felt about his mother’s death, and it tells the viewer that he never fully understood it because the viewer isn’t supposed to understand it.

Magritte’s painting helps to bring us into his mind, and it shows us how he felt throughout his lifetime. He conveys his emotions through the colors he uses. Also the surrealism characteristics that he uses, like absurd juxtaposition and irrational content help to get his point across about the sadness he felt about his mother.