''The Masterpiece or The Mysteries of the Horizon'' () is a 1955

Surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

oil painting by

René Magritte René François Ghislain Magritte (; 21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgium, Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature ...

. It is held in a private collection. The painting depicts three seemingly identical men in

bowler hat The bowler hat, also known as a Coke hat, billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849 and commissioned by ...

s. They are in an outdoor setting at twilight. Though they appear to be sharing the same space each one also seems to exist in a separate reality. Each is facing a different direction. In the sky above each figure is a separate waxing crescent moon. Men in bowler hats appear frequently in Magritte's work starting with his 1926 painting ''The Musings of a Solitary Walker''. They are represented as having undefined or identical personalities. Magritte himself is often seen wearing a bowler hat in photographs. Magritte made a gouache in 1964 with the same subject matter, also titled ''Le Chef-d'Oeuvre ou les Mystères de l'Horizon (The Masterpiece or the Mysteries of the Horizon)''David Sylvester (ed.), Sarah Whitfield and Michael Raeburn, ''René Magritte, Catalogue Raisonné, Gouaches, Temperas, Watercolours and Papiers Collés'', London, 1994, vol. IV, no. 1547, illustrated p. 264 The painting has been parodied many times, including by surrealist comedy group

the Firesign Theatre The Firesign Theatre (also known as the Firesigns) was an American surreal comedy troupe who first appeared on November 17, 1966, in a live performance on the Los Angeles radio program ''Radio Free Oz'' on station KPFK FM. They continued app ...

on the cover of their 1977 album '' Just Folks... A Firesign Chat''. On the parody, each member of the Firesign Theatre appears wearing a different tie but identical suits and hats. Something strange is happening to three of the four hats: one is on fire; only one has the crescent Moon above his head, and he is smoking a pipe; another's hat appears to be floating above his head. One smiles at the viewer, and there is nothing unusual about his hat.

References

* ''The Mystery of Magritte'' CD-ROM by Shend Bunjaku {{DEFAULTSORT:Mysteries of the Horizon, The Paintings by René Magritte Surrealist paintings 1955 paintings Moon in art

See also

References