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Today I want to give you a short presentation about “the large family” which was made in 1963 by Rene Magritte.
First I want to talk about Rene Magritte, about his work of arts and his style.
After that I present the oil painting “the large family”
Rene Magritte was born in 1898 as a normal and simply citizen. At the age of 14 his mother died. This experience is reflected in his works. In 1925 Magritte becomes a surrealistic artist. Surrealism is a movement against traditional standards. It’s a movement in art and literature in which images and events that are not connected are put together in a strange or impossible way, like a dream, to try to express what is happening deep in the mind.
In 1927, he opens his first art exhibition in Paris. He gets into contact with famous artists and after that he plays a big role in the circle of the surrealism. His style is mysteriously and full of magic which arise by the confrontation of the usual and the unusual. Magritte died in 1967 and is the most famous and popular artist of the surrealism. Typical for Magritte is that he always wears a black suit and a black hat.
Now I want to talk about the oil painting “The large family”. At first sight, one immediately questions the meaning of the title for there is no image of a family, human or otherwise. However, that should not come as a surprise as Magritte was well-known to derive great pleasure in confusing his viewers.

The background of The Large Family displays a dreary sky, either on the verge of a storm or the end of one. The ominous clouds together with the rolling sea below evoke turbulent feelings, perhaps symbolizing the trials and tribulations that families often endure together.

On the other hand, a significant contrast is created between the gloomy surroundings and the frontal white bird, a common symbol of peace and infinity. Window-like, this bird reveals within its silhouette a calm blue sky with white fluffy clouds that bring about feelings of warmth, much like those experienced on a beautiful summer day. The bird may well represent the unity and love within a family unit. In depicting harmony and discord, Magritte skillfully portrayed the concept of family in The Large Family by evoking relevant and intense emotions through symbolic surrealism.
The motive of the family could have its origin in the loss of Magritte’s mother. So, Magritte never had a family.
I want to finish my presentation with a quotation. “To be a surrealist means barring from your mind all remembrance of what you have seen, and being always on the lookout for what has never been.” - Rene Magritte