Magritte: This is Not a Biography

by Thomas Campi (Illustrations), Vincent Zabus

Intoxicated by the promise of a promotion, Charles Singular for once allows himself a small extravagance: he buys a bowler hat. But there’s a problem: this is no ordinary hat. This one once belonged to the surrealist painter René Magritte, and by donning it Charles has unwittingly stepped into the artist’s off-kilter world. What’s more, he can’t escape—at least, not until he has illuminated the secrets behind Magritte’s work. What follows is a hallucinatory journey through Magritte’s imaginative landscape, a place where facial features mutate, the crescent moon appears in unexpected places, and answers prove frustratingly elusive. In Magritte: This is not a Biography, Vincent Zabus and Thomas Campi have created a panoramic and revealing portrait of the great surrealist, employing a playfulness and wit reminiscent of Magritte himself.
 

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Art, Biography, Bande Dessinée, History, Graphic Novels Comics

72 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2016

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belgian Rene Magritte was a surrealist painter. Images abound of his wearing a bowler, and bowlers are featured in several of his paintings. Here he is wearing it, and 368 of his most famous paintings.

https://www.wikiart.org/en/rene-magritte

D. B. Johnson focused on that hat in a children’s picture book biography of Magritte:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

To art scholars and those interested in epistemology, he is known for—among other things--this painting, which asserts an idea—“The Treachery of Images: This is Not a Pipe,” because it actually is a painting of a pipe, drawn in a kind of hyper-realist style:

https://www.wikiart.org/en/rene-magri...

Michel Foucault wrote a short book about it that you can read here:

https://monoskop.org/images/9/99/Fouc...

This comics/illustrated biography is part of the Self Made Hero Art Masters series that also includes Van Gogh, Munch, Gauguin, Dali and Picasso (as of this date) and they are not for kids, particularly; they are serious artistic engagements with great artists that have the courage/audacity to get in aesthetic conversation with the masters without deifying them. Magritte, as with many others above, seemed to have had, uh, “complicated” relationships with [sometimes several] women, so some details might not be appropriate for the kiddies, your call.

In this volume that Magritte’s biographers claim is not a biography, the premise seems a little corny, initially, but then it really comes to work. The biographer within this non-biography (sorry, stay with me here) is Charles Singulier, who puts on a bowler and can’t take it off until he learns everything he can about Magritte, including meeting his muse, Georgette. Magritte later lived the life of a bourgeois, though a revolutionary thinker, though some people thought he sold out for commercial success later.

The art style is more realist than Magritte’s most surrealistic works, but the story is surreal enough, jumping into scenes from his past jumping into paintings, and so on. And we read several analytical observations and some of his statements throughout, including:

“Every object conceals another.”

“The painter’s eye is a false image.”

“Real life is always in a somewhere else that doesn’t exist.”

“Painting must not act as a passive mirror of reality, but rather, to transform it.”

This is a fun and thought-provoking book about Magritte, surrealism, and the provocations that art can sometimes enact.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man buys a bowler hat that magically transports him into the surrealist world of painter Rene Magritte, surrounded by the artist’s images and themes. Why a bowler hat? Because of Magritte’s most famous painting, The Son of Man (the businessman in a bowler hat whose face is obscured by a green apple).

In Magritte: This is Not a Biography, writer Vincent Zabus takes the imaginative approach to tell a non-fiction biography in the form of a fictional narrative. Because of this style and the book’s shortness, it’s not the most thorough overview but you get a general idea of Magritte’s life and the ideas behind his work. By far the most impressive aspect of the book is Thomas Campi’s painted art which adopts, replicates and incorporates Magritte’s style beautifully into the narrative.

That said, I admired the book more than I enjoyed it. Neither the contrived story nor the subject’s life was that interesting or entertaining but I appreciated the remarkable talent that went into the visuals enormously and I did learn a fair bit too. Magritte: This is Not a Biography is worth a look for any comics fan after a quick taste of this painter’s life and art.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A surrealistic biography of Magritte is fitting, I suppose, but it is also too clever by half. It’s funny how I can find a surrealistic image to be quite arresting, but more often than not a surrealistic story to be annoying.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is it too short?

I can say there's not much plot but the artstyle is like I entered an art gallery while I was reading this comic.

Some parts may be offensive to some readers regarding some double meaning dialogues and some parts trying to focus on nudity.

I don't even want to understand the plot. Let it be.

And one main thing I dislike was how stinger the dialogue bubbles are.

[Hally · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I stupidly expected this to be more of a straightforward biography, but probably should have been tipped off by the subtitle 'This is not a biography' and the fact that Magritte is one of the most famous surrealist artists in the world and therefore a book about him is always going to be a bit surreal. The illustrations however are stunning, probably 5 stars to those. And there are some amusing lines eg
''I don't even know your first name.''
''What an intimate question! I refuse to tell until you've kissed me.''

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thomas Campi's artwork is beautiful, Vincent Zabus's story is non-sensical and offers very little information about Magritte himself. The subtitle is apt: this is not a biography. I kinda wanted it to be one. If you stumble across this book in an art museum gift store, it's certainly worth a skim for the art. I'd recommend skipping the words though.

[MAGRÌTTE · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Dipingere la realtà equivale a pensarla attraverso l’immagine, un tradimento fecondo!”

Se dovessi basarmi solo sulla bellezza delle illustrazioni, la valutazione sarebbe il massimo: l’espediente narrativo e la trama in sé risultano a tratti didascaliche, indebolendo l’immersione visiva nel mondo surreale e anticonformista di René Magritte.

Le tavole stesse germinano, poi mutano, a partire dalle opere originali – anche quelle minori – e delineano una personalità che va oltre all’artista. Nonostante la brevità, chiunque apprezzi l’approccio artistico di Magritte troverà pagine in cui è inevitabile emozionarsi; interpretazioni e dietrologie arricchenti; e una maturazione personale del pittore, che sorprenderà alcuni.

Più mi addentro nei suoi quadri e nel suo pensiero, più realizzo quanto il mio nome d’arte sia azzeccato. Eclettico, libero, critico ed emotivo. Un’ispirazione continua.

[Metin Yılmaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kapak yazısında dediği gibi, sürrealist bir himaye. Çok güzeldi. Flaneur yine güzel bir çalışmayı bulup getirmiş.

[Murat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Belçikalı sürrealist ressam René Magritte’in biyografisi, kurgusal bir anlatı içinde sunulmuş ve ressamın ünlü “Bu bir pipo değildir” tablosuna atıfla kitaba “Bu Bir Biyografi Değildir” adı verilmiş.

Sürrealist bir ressamın hayatını ve eserlerini bu şekilde aktarmak oldukça yaratıcı/etkileyici bir fikir. Ancak, Magritte’in hikayesini anlatmak için kurgulanan Charles karakteri fazla yüzeysel ve zayıf kalmış; yalnızca resimler arası geçişler, tablo içinde tablo, kavramların tersyüz edilmesi gibi temaları göstermek için bir araç olarak kullanılmış gibi.

Çizimler estetik, temiz, net. Pastel renkler ağırlıkta ve Magritte’in tarzını başarıyla yansıtıyor. Ressamın eserlerinde sıkça görülen melon şapkalar, bulutlar, aynalar ve pencereler, kitap kapağından görülebileceği üzere ön planda.

Magritte’in biyografisini derinlemesine öğrenmek isteyenler için bu kitap ideal bir kaynak değil. Zaten kitap da bir biyografi olmayı amaçlamıyor. Daha çok Magritte’e bir saygı duruşu olarak nitelendirilebilir.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Großartig, wie hier mit dem Surrealismus gespielt wird: Kunst in der Kunst - und, was ist eigentlich Kunst, wenn alles Kunst ist?

[Ebru Türkyılmaz]

Böyle bir kitabın Türkçe olarak basılmış olması bile beni mutlu etti. "Bu bir pipo değildir" dediği gibi ressamın, bu tabiri haksız çıkarmayan "biyografi" olmayan bir kurgu. Elbette içinde Magritte'nin eserleri ve hayatına dair pek çok konu hikayeye gizlenmiş.

[Emre Yavuz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kavramsal ve sembolik anlatımların beni gerdiği konusuna başka çizgi romanlarda da değinmiştim. Çizgisi çok güzel, baskı kalitesi çok iyi ama anlatım, pek benim tarzım değil.

[Nazım · Rating 2 out of 5]

Magritte’yi severim. Eserleri, bakış açısı hep ilgimi çekmiştir. Ama…
Bu kitap ve kitaptaki anlatım tarzı çok benlik değil. Her şey bir anda başlayıp bitiyor. Bir koşturmaca içindeyiz ve ana karakter gibi “neden orada olduğumuzu” idrak etmeye çalışıyoruz. Sürreal olabilmek için bir acelecilik kullanılmış sanki.
Bu belki kitabın yaratıcısının bilinçli yaptığı bişeydir ama benim tarafımda etkisi olmadı.

Çizimler, baskı ve işçilik nefis.
Benim için keyifli bir görsel şölen oldu sadece.

[Koen Claeys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeer surrealistische wijze om Margrittes leven te verstrippen. Kan niet passender. Mooi !

Zie ook deze bespreking van De Stripspeciaalzaak : http://www.stripspeciaalzaak.be/2016-...

P.S.: Ik had liever de Franstalige titel liever ook op de Nederlandstalige editie gezien maar kan begrijpen waarom men hier niet voor geopteerd heeft.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

PDF - Extremely well done and beautifully drawn biography/tribute album, that echos Magritte's themes and works in effective and surprising ways.

[Danilo De rossi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un tuffo nella vita di Magritte, attraverso le opere e i tratti salienti della sua biografia. Ne emerge il ritratto di un artista anticonformista, che nel corso della vita ha indirizzato lo spirito ribelle nei suoi stessi dipinti. Ci sono dei punti estremamente interessanti, dalla spiegazione del perché alcune sue figure abbiano il volto coperto (il tutto rimanda al suicidio della madre e al fatto che lei avesse il volto coperto), all'amore per la moglie. Così come l'invito a soffermarsi su tutte le sue opere, non solo quelle maggiori. Tuttavia va detto che l'espediente impiegato dall'autore per raccontare l'artista non è affatto originale, anzi. Forse questo fa perdere un po' di punti. Anzi, senza forse.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't help but compare this with the other books in the Art Masters series, some of which I've loved, others I've liked less. Unfortunately this falls in the latter category. I think that so far, they've all been visually stunning, borrowing from the artists' style and famous works, the books have all had a great style but I just wasn't able to connect with Campi on this journey. Maybe it was because of my lack of experience with and knowledge of Magritte's works but I would have hoped that this book would have been a bit more accessible.

[Enzel Yılmaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Joke De Clercq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooie stap in de wereld van Magritte. Herkenbaar en toch verwarrend genoeg om te begrijpen wat niet te vatten valt.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prachtige graphic novel over het leven van René Magritte.

[René Paquin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magnifique bande dessinée, qui raconte la vie et l'oeuvre de l'artiste belge. L'histoire, complètement loufoque, donne au lecteur l'occasion d'entrer au coeur des tableaux et de leur création. Le ton est juste, en accord parfait avec le propos. Tout est fou dans cet album: le prétexte de l'histoire, les personnages aussi vrais que la pipe de Magritte, les décors hallucinés, l'ambiance surréaliste, les cadres classiques mais au contenu déjanté. Bref, une réussite! Et un régal pour les amateurs d'art.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aunque la portada diga lo contrario, en el fondo esto sí es una biografía del pintor Magritte. El cómic es tan surrealista como su obra, y a través de un protagonista que se ve encerrado por casualidad en toda la historia, navegamos por la vida y por los cuadros resultantes de cada etapa del pintor. Una rareza curiosa de leer, quizás demasiado loca para mí.

[Camilla C.]

Carino

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally picked this book up when my husband and I went to our second Magritte showing at SF MOMA a few years ago. I didn't know a lot about Magritte, aside from the sensibilities that were mentioned in the show's notes. This graphic novel tells a lot about it, but through the experience of Charles, who has been charged with learning about Magritte to get the damned bowler hat unstuck from his head. During the tale, he walks through many of Magritte's best-known scenes, while learning about his childhood joys and traumas, his various jobs, his wife, his travels, and what many of his contemporaries considered his sell-out. However, it is all told in its own ingenious way, with a surreal filter that could only be inspired by the master himself, which I appreciated. Although I wouldn't consider this a perfect resource for research about the painter, it will give you enough exposure to his life's details and his best-known paintings to want to dig deeper. Note: it is one in a series published by SelfMadeHero that includes Munch, Picasso, Dalí, Gauguin, and Van Gogh, according to the information in the back.

[Christa Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man buys a bowler hat unaware that it was once owned by surrealist painter Rene Magritte. When he dons the hat, he is transported into a surreal world where he is required to solve the mystery of Magritte before he will be allowed to remove the hat. Through various interactions with guides and biographers, he learns about Magritte and his wife, their lives and influences. In the end, he is confronted by Magritte himself who claims there are no answers before sending our protagonist back to reality. A lovely little book that mimics Magritte's style and tells a bit about the artist in an"unbiography" fashion.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange graphic novel about a man who gets sucked into learning about Rene Magritte...a surrealist journey fitting the artist's work. I found it a little hard to follow...but part of that is getting used to the graphic novel medium. Favorite part...Campi's oil paintings and watercolors of the central character and his signature bowler hat at the end. P.S. I had the English translation...would be fun to give the French a try!

[Fatima · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read a book or graphic novel as interesting and unique as this one. This is such a great book to introduce kids to not only the artists and their work but also their concept, background, and way of thinking all within a fictional story inspired by truth.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magritte. Ceci n'est pas une biographie (2016)

Coglie perfettamente lo stile di disegno di Magritte e i suoi temi

"La vita vera è sempre un altrove che non esiste!" pag. 21

[Vittorio Rainone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carina, raccontato in maniera molto fluida e veloce. Questa “biografia che non è una biografia”, come afferma il titolo citando Magritte, ci restituisce il pensiero del surrealista adattandolo a un racconto fantastico che ben si confa al pensiero stesso. Ottenendo con la dinamica narrativa lo stesso cortocircuito fra rappresentazione e realtà che realizza Magritte con i suoi dipinti.

Le pagine sono insospettabilmente ordinate, sebbene si parli di diverse realtà che si fondono, di immagini che nascondono altre immagini, di varchi impossibili. Le singole vignette, rese con uno stile acquerellato privo di linee di contorno, che esso stesso è un richiamo dell’arte del surrealista, sono estremamente chiare nel loro essere evocative. La griglia è raramente abbandonata in favore di una splash page o di una pagina che utilizza lo sfondo invece di lasciarlo bianco.

Bello il finale che chiude il cerchio con la storia e con Magritte stesso, spiegando il suo “mistero” mostrandolo, invece di raccontarlo.

Forse l’unico dubbio è che l’obiettivo biografico, sebbene in qualche modo allontanato, sia un po’ troppo presente, rendendo alcune parti della vita di Magritte un filo troppo raccontate, e trasformando i comprimari in guide, più che personaggi veri e propri. Lo stesso protagonista è un mero testimone degli eventi, se ne fa trascinare e ci si appiattisce sopra.

In ogni caso, una lettura sicuramente piacevole.

[Alex E · Rating 2 out of 5]

A man puts on a bowler hat and gets transported through the life of Rene Margritte.

Like the painter, the book itself is surreal. There's no real explanation on why things happen or how, they just do and the man moves through Margritte's life as if on a walking tour. The book isn't that long, so we get brief glimpses of the painters childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, all while the man in the bowler hat tries to understand why he is on this journey. He is accompanied by a woman, who may or may not be Margritte's wife, and who moves surrealistically as well.

I thought this was pretty entertaining but I did want more. I guess I was looking for more of an actual biography - and this wasn't really that. Not that its bad, but its more of an experimental glimpse towards a subject who dealt in surrealism. It was an interesting way to tell the story, without really getting too in depth.

I think this was fun, but not very much in the way of depth. However, if you are a fan of the painter, I would definitely recommend it.