description Time Transfixed Overview
Time Transfixed is a 1938 oil painting by Belgian Surrealist René Magritte. It presents a steam locomotive emerging from a fireplace into an otherwise orderly domestic interior, with a clock and candlesticks arranged on the mantel. The physically impossible conjunction of railway machinery and household space exemplifies Magritte's use of ordinary objects in disorienting relationships; the painting belongs to the Art Institute of Chicago.
help Time Transfixed FAQ
Who painted Time Transfixed?
Time Transfixed is a 1938 oil painting by Belgian Surrealist artist René Magritte. It is one of his most frequently reproduced works and a defining example of his method of placing impossible juxtapositions within ordinary settings.
What does Time Transfixed depict?
The painting shows a steam locomotive emerging from a fireplace into an otherwise empty, orderly domestic interior. A clock and two candlesticks sit on the mantelpiece above the fireplace, reinforcing the painting's preoccupation with frozen time.
Where is Time Transfixed displayed?
The painting is housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was purchased from the artist by the museum's patron in the years shortly after it was painted.
What is the original French title of Time Transfixed?
The original French title is La Durée poignardée, which translates literally as 'Ongoing Time Stabbed by a Dagger.' Magritte reportedly preferred this title and was unhappy with the English translation chosen for the painting's American exhibition.
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