Every Day

Rene Magritte's journey to artistic fame was long and arduous. Born in 1898, he had to work as a commercial painter for several years before establishing himself as a strong force in the art industry.

However, unlike most of the other artists in the Surrealist era, Magritte did not paint visions or dreams. He focussed his attention on ordinary objects, which he depicted outside their everyday contexts, creating an unexpected encounter for his audience.

As he often intimated, an object or word would find new meaning depending on the context surrounding it. The painting, Every Day, is a clear illustration of Magritte's artistic stance.

This painting is among the most mysterious works Rene created. The picture depicts a human face, but only the eyes, nose and mouth are visible. The rest of the face has morphed into the background of blue hills and valleys.

The eyes seem to be focussing inwardly rather than at the outside world – almost as if the person is in deep thought.

A look at the foreground may explain the reason for the blank look: it is bare, devoid of vegetation, and has stones dotting it. If the person for such an environment to be productive, they will have to do it every day.

The subdued face represents the difficulties facing many people in the contemporary times. Between the dry stony ground, and the blue mountains stretching into the distance, one would find it hard to make a choice.

The landscape of the mountains is not too welcoming, and neither is the rough patch of the ground in its foreground. Magritte has managed to create the image of desolation and helplessness currently facing many people.

It is an everyday challenge, and people have to grapple with it for the rest of their lives; hence the title, Every Day.

Through this painting, Rene Magritte succeeds in shocking his audience into the harsh realities of life. In spite of things getting better, there are certain emerging issues that one cannot evade.

Such matters include the problem of environmental degradation and the depletion of natural resources. Magritte creates an impression that makes his audience to stop and think critically about the current state of affairs.