Provenance
The artist; sold to Paul Gustave Van Hecke (1887-1977), by 1944–c. 1950 [photograph by Lee Miller of the object in Van Hecke home, 1944; this and the following according to provenance card, c. 1987, Menil Collection Archives]; given to Private Collection, Belgium, c. 1950 [letter from Bernard Giron, May 4, 2003, in curatorial file]. Private collection, New York, c. 1987. Timothy Baum, New York; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1989.
Accession Number
73657
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
27 × 24.8 × 14.4 cm (10 1/2 × 10 × 2 1/2 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Credit Line
Through prior gift of Arthur Keating
Background & Context
Background Story
Rene Magritte's The Eye is a characteristic Magritte work featuring an eye, often used as a motif in his paintings exploring perception and vision. Magritte's work questions the relationship between what we see and what is real.
Cultural Impact
Magritte's exploration of vision and perception was central to his artistic project.
Why It Matters
This eye motif explores the nature of seeing and knowing.
