Art Masters: Magritte
Words by Vincent Zabus
Art by Thomas Campi
Paperback, 72 pp, $14.99
Giddied by the prospect of promotion, Charles Singulier makes the whimsical decision to buy a bowler hat. It is a satisfying, if fanciful, purchase. But there's a problem: this particular hat once belonged to the Surrealist painter René Magritte, and by donning it Charles has unwittingly entered the artist's unbridled, off-kilter world. The choice is clear: uncover the secrets of Magritte's life and work – or be doomed to wear the hat forever.
Charles embarks on an exploration of Magritte's imaginative landscape, examining the ideas and penetrating the mysteries of a paradoxical figure: a painter who didn't like to paint; an instinctive anarchist who lived a suburban, petty bourgeois existence; a lonely, melancholy soul never far from his friends and collaborators.
In Magritte: This is not a Biography, Vincent Zabus and Thomas Campi paint a panoramic and revealing portrait of the great Surrealist, employing a playfulness and wit reminiscent of Magritte himself.
Charles embarks on an exploration of Magritte's imaginative landscape, examining the ideas and penetrating the mysteries of a paradoxical figure: a painter who didn't like to paint; an instinctive anarchist who lived a suburban, petty bourgeois existence; a lonely, melancholy soul never far from his friends and collaborators.
In Magritte: This is not a Biography, Vincent Zabus and Thomas Campi paint a panoramic and revealing portrait of the great Surrealist, employing a playfulness and wit reminiscent of Magritte himself.
Vincent Zabus
Playwright and comics writer Vincent Zabus lives in Namur, Belgium. He became well-known penning children’s series for the long-running and beloved Spirou magazine. He went on to create the prizewinning tales Les Ombres and Incroyable!, which debuted as plays and then became graphic novels in collaboration with the artist Hippolyte. His adaptation of Sophie’s World combines his passions for storytelling and philosophy.
Thomas Campi
Thomas Campi is an Italian comic book artist. A graduate of the 'Dossi Dossi' School of Art in Ferrara, he has illustrated three books written by Vincent Zabus.
Reviews
"Packed with wit, humor and gorgeous painted illustrations, Magritte: This is Not a Biography takes readers into the experience of Magritte's brilliance."
— Comic Book Resources
"Zabus cultivates a sense of Magritte's spirit in both the narrative and the artwork, and given how secretive Magritte was about his personal life, it's an even more fitting take."
— Booklist