The Art Gallery of New South Wales is hosting a major exhibition of the legendary Belgian surrealist René Magritte, but time is running out—this extraordinary showcase ends in February.
This is a rare chance to experience the work of one of European Surrealism’s most influential figures. Magritte was celebrated for his imaginative take on figurative painting, presenting everyday objects and figures with striking realism while arranging them in unexpected and thought-provoking ways.
His compositions, often paired with intriguing titles, challenge viewers to reconsider their perception of reality. As The Guardian reported, a Magritte painting recently shattered auction records, selling for over $121 million at Christie’s in New York. The 1954 artwork, originally valued at $95 million, far surpassed the artist’s previous record of $79 million, set in 2022.” After a nearly 10-minute bidding war on Tuesday, Empire of Light (L’Empire des lumières) was sold for $121,160,000, achieving a world-record price for the artist and for a surrealist work of art at auction,” according to auction house Christie’s.

Inspired by Greek myths, as many of his generation were, some of Magritte’s work incorporates symbolic references to these ancient stories. An example is his early painting Blue Cinema, where the artist celebrates the warm illumination of art, setting it within the context of a Greek temple. The scene is further enriched by an art deco mannequin guiding us to our seats and a helium balloon symbolising the redemptive power of imagination.
In Pandora’s Box, Magritte invokes the Greek myth of Pandora, the first woman on Earth, whose curiosity led her to open a box that released all the world’s evils. The title alone invokes a sense of danger and mystery, but the painting itself is filled with dreamlike imagery: a lipstick-coloured sky, distant rooftops, a translucent lamp-post, a floating white rose, and the iconic man in a bowler hat.
Magritte’s vision in this piece is both unsettling and beautiful. The artist himself described the rose in the painting as a symbol of beauty that accompanies humanity through all its struggles, writing: “The presence of the rose next to the stroller signifies that wherever man’s destiny leads him, he is always protected by an element of beauty.”

This exhibition marks the first major Australian retrospective of René Magritte (1898–1967), showcasing over 100 works from international collections. It includes more than 80 of his paintings, alongside examples of his forays into publishing, film, and photography. The exhibition is presented as part of the Sydney International Art Series 2024–25, and it features works that have rarely, if ever, been seen in Australia.
Visitors will encounter well-known works such as The Lovers (1928), The False Mirror (1929), The Human Condition (1933), The Liberator (1947), The Kiss (1951), Golconda (1953), and The Listening Room (1952), which are among the most recognised images in Surrealist art. These iconic works are juxtaposed with lesser-known pieces, revealing Magritte’s sharp wit, his subversive sense of humour, and his profound independence as an artist.
Organised chronologically, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey through Magritte’s artistic evolution, from his early avant-garde experiments in the 1920s to his ground-breaking contributions to Surrealism, his provocative works from the 1940s, and the celebrated paintings from his later years. Through these works, the exhibition underscores Magritte’s profound impact on modern and contemporary art, while also showcasing the less familiar aspects of his practice.

The exhibition coincides with the centenary of the Manifesto of Surrealism (1924), and reflects on one of the most enduring art movements of the 20th century. NSW Minister for the Arts John Graham remarked, René Magritte is “one of the most recognised and influential artists of modern times.” Dr. Michael Brand, the director of the Art Gallery, highlighted the immense effort involved in bringing this exhibition to Sydney, calling it “many years in the making,” and emphasising the Gallery’s extensive international network of collaborators.
Magritte’s works will be shown in collaboration with the Magritte Foundation in Brussels and the Menil Collection in Houston, home to the largest collection of Magritte’s work outside of Europe. The exhibition features loans from renowned public collections such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, among others. These works have never before been seen in Australia.
Curator Nicholas Chambers described Magritte as “ahead of his time.”
He added, “Magritte saw himself as a ‘painter of ideas,’ and his legacy extends far beyond the art world. His work continues to resonate today, influencing diverse fields from philosophy and fiction to cinema and advertising.”
The Art Gallery has also produced a stunning publication to accompany the exhibition, featuring reproductions of the works on display and essays by experts on Surrealism. The exhibition is a rare opportunity to delve into the life and work of an artist whose images continue to inspire and evoke new meanings in the 21st century.
Magritte runs until February 9 and is supported by the NSW Government and Destination NSW. Visitors can enjoy extended hours and special events, including a 2-for-1 ticket offer during the exhibition’s final weekend, from 7 to 9 February 2025. For more information visit this link.