Seung Wai Lam (William) talks on René Magritte: Time Transfixed (1938)

Artist: Rene Magritte

Title: Time Transfixed (La durée poignardée)

Year: 1938

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 147 x 98.7 cm

The English title of this artwork is Time Transfixed and was painted by Renè Magritte. The original French text is La Durée poignardée , which means “Time stabbed by a dagger”, which is quite similar to the English translation but Magritte seems didn’t like it. This is an oil on canvas painting made at 1938, its height 147cm and width 98.7cm. Its style of course is belonging to Surrealism.

Surrealism is an art movement mainly began in 1920’s, following and influenced by Dada.

As same as Dada, Surrealists got inspiration from the First World War. There were plenty of high-tech weapons that caused large damages and deaths within a few seconds, and this impact shocks the people greatly, causing trauma and depression. They then discovered that sensibility, such as common sense or rational thinking, is no match with sense, which means emotions or feelings, the true thought.

Therefore, one of the leading people of Surrealism Andre Breton believes that our thinking was limited by our conscious mind, limiting our creativity, our freedom of thought. The unconscious mind should be the real and origin of thought, where the strongest creativity would be lying within. This led to the aim of surrealists which is get access to the unconscious mind.

As they thought that dream is the closest place to unconscious mind, many surrealist artists got inspiration from dream, or imagination of dream.

Their works then usually contains unexpected, irrational things. Therefore the images always look like a dream world, where there is no rules and order. Also those works usually have some contradicted scenario between reality and dream, maybe this can emphasize how sensibility is limiting sense.

Furthermore, despite these points, Jacques Meuris stated that one of the features of Magritte is mystery. From his book, Renè Magritte, he said that “the key word is ‘mystery’ ”. We can observe these features in Magritte painting by the following analysis.

In Time Transfixed, the focus point of the painting would definitely be the locomotive, which is the head of the train. Because it is placed at the middle, more importantly is that it is the only thick and solid horizontal line that intersects the vertical plane.

It is essential to mention that the painting contains a lot of large rectangular shapes. For examples, the fireplace, the mirror, the floor etc.. And these shapes contrasted with the circle and cylinder shaped objects which is less in amount and size, such as the clock and locomotive. Thus lead the audiences to focus on these two points.

Also, rectangular shapes provide a sense of rules, formal, and hard. Comparing with the circles which provide a sense of change, soft, and flexibility, a great contrast in terms of feelings is produced. Despite it emphasized the focus point. In terms of context, it may be about the contrast between reality or rationality and dream or sensibility, which is the main inspiration of surrealists.

In terms of colors, the overall color tone of the painting is warm and calm, producing a peaceful, ordinary day atmosphere. Especially the wood colors, and the brownish color inside the mirror, providing a sense of home and normal. Again, the only dark color elements are the train and clock, the contrast hence led them to be the focus points.

Furthermore, the sense of normal is related to the construction of the unreal or dreamlike situation. It strengthened the contrast with the irrational elements within the picture, as normal representing rationality.

It is important to mention the fact that the train was painted perfectly well and realistic, the situation is odd and unreal, the locomotive is breaking through the wall without causing any damage, this is nonsense in reality. And the shadow of the locomotive is not correct in my opinion, comparing the shadow of the fireplace, the light source of the train and surroundings is not quite the same. These made this painting looks unreal and dreamlike.

Then, we would focus on the upper part of the painting, the clock would be the second focus. Clock can be seen as a symbol of time which is exactly theme of this painting. Furthermore, there other iconographies within this painting, for instance, the reflection of the mirror may be representing the space of that mystery room, as there is nothing reflected inside it except the candles and clock. The candles, in some articles, represent knowledge. And the train can be represent science, rational thinking, although these are my own interpretation only.

There is no exact answer for the interpretation. Although someone may say that this might be over-interpretation, but I think most audience would think about the meanings and try to decode the symbols in their first sight on this painting. More unsolved questioned would be announced as Magritte might not know the answer either, because unconscious mind is the main stand of surrealism, and there is no reasons in it. It will only provoke more curiosity and mystery. That stands the reason of agreeing with the point of Meuris that paintings of Magritte or surrealist are full of mystery. 

Focusing on the technique he used, we can see that the scenario is very realistic. For instances, the marble texture of the fireplace, the wooden texture of the floor and the wall. All these things are painting in details. And the brushstroke is very smooth that you can’t see any watchable brushstroke on it.

Equally essential is that the lighting is very natural as an indoor room, except the weird shading of the locomotive, but the major point is that there is no exaggeration or big contrast in terms of lighting. The light source comes from one direction and seems like natural sunlight. The reflection on the locomotive also presents the sense of metal texture of Magritte. And the high brightness makes the picture crystal clear. These provide a sense of reality.

Placing these realistic elements together with those dreamlike, it produced a sense of paradox between reality and dream.

Based on the analysis, I think that Time Transfixed is definitely belongs to the category of Surrealism. And I really agree that our creativity is always limited or affected by the reality, conscious mind. Dream world is however unlimited, I believe that dream can reflect the true feelings and thought of a human being.

Furthermore, I think the technique of Magritte is admirable, since he can paint those very detail things such as the texture of marble, and most importantly is that it is very interesting and difficult to get access and capture the unconscious mind, as dream would be easily forgotten. I think people who can capture the unconscious moment and make a painting about it is very genius and lucky. And this would become my question: How to get access to the unconscious mind and make an artwork about it?

In my opinion, meditation would be a good method, since the purpose of meditation is to forget the surroundings, then lead our thoughts away from the materialistic world, getting access to our deepest and purest spirits. This is what I think the closest place to the unconscious mind.

References

Adams, Laurie. Art Across Time. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Bigsby, C.W.E.. Dada and Surrealism. London: Methuen & Co Ltd, 1972.

Hopkins, David. Dada and Surrealism: A Very Short Introduction. NY: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Klingsohr-Leroy, Cathrin. Surrealism. Germany: Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 2004. 

Meuris, Jacques, Renè Magritte.  Germany: Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 2004.