''Time Transfixed'' (''La Durée poignardée'') is a 1938

oil on canvas Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest o ...

painting by the Belgian

surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...

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

. It is part of the permanent collection of the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mil ...

and is usually on display in the museum's Modern Wing. It is currently available for viewing. The painting was one of many done for surrealist patron and Magritte supporter

Edward James Edward Frank Willis James (16 August 1907 – 2 December 1984) was a British poet known for his patronage of the surrealist art movement. Early life and marriage James was born on 16 August 1907, the only son of William James (who had inherit ...

. This was the second painting delivered to James for his London ballroom. The first was the portrait of James, '' Not to be Reproduced''. ''Time Transfixed'' was purchased by the Art Institute from James in 1970 when he was raising capital to build his surrealist sculpture garden

Las Pozas Las Pozas ("the Pools") is a surrealistic group of structures created by Edward James, more than above sea level, in a subtropical rainforest in the Sierra Gorda mountains of Mexico. It includes more than of natural waterfalls and pools interlac ...

. The painting depicts an

LMS LMS may refer to: Science and technology * Labeled magnitude scale, a scaling technique * Learning management system, education software * Least mean squares filter, producing least mean square error * Leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer * Lenz ...

Stanier 5MT Black 5 4-6-0 Locomotive jutting out of a

fireplace A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the desig ...

, at full steam, in an empty room. Above the mantelpiece is a tall mirror. Only the clock and two candlesticks standing on the mantelpiece are reflected in the

mirror A mirror or looking glass is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the ...

The artist's perspective

The title of the painting translates to English literally as ''Ongoing Time Stabbed by a Dagger'', and Magritte was reportedly unhappy with the generally accepted translation of ''Time Transfixed''. Magritte hoped that James would hang the painting at the base of his staircase so that the train would "stab" guests on their way up to the ballroom. James instead chose to hang the painting above his own fireplace. Magritte described his motivation for this painting: :"I decided to paint the image of a locomotive... In order for its mystery to be evoked, another ''immediately'' familiar image without mystery—the image of a dining room fireplace—was joined."

References

{{Rene Magritte Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago Paintings by René Magritte Surrealist paintings 1938 paintings Trains in art Mirrors in art

The artist's perspective

See also

References