René Magritte, generally labeled simply as a "Surrealist," was a loner who always stood somewhat apart from the Surrealist movement. It is not so much the laws of the dream and of the unconscious or the search for unfeigned spontaneity and sincerity that are the keys to his oeuvre, but rather his rigorous conceptual thinking. What makes the Belgian's enigmatic pictorial creations so memorable and their effect so enduring is their cool perfection--a realistic, academic painting style that lends a seemingly universal character to the distressing subject matter. This is the Magritte who is solidly anchored in our visual culture, thanks not least to the countless reproductions that have made some of his images icons even well outside the art world. -- Foreword.