Rene Magritte: Empire of light 

While exploring the portrait of light within different work for my artist research I came across a painting by Magritte called 'Empire of light' which encompasses night and day in one image. When looking at this image I can immediately see the contrast between the light and dark areas, the viewers eye is instantly drawn towards the bright sky and the floating clouds provide a sense of depth within the image. I believe that this image invokes a magical atmosphere, as if the viewer is looking into a world where day and night happen all at once. I think that the top half of the painting is bright and fun, the clouds have been painted with soft, weaving lines and I believe that the bright blue combined with the white create a light and free atmosphere and the way that light has been conveyed allows the clouds to have depth and seem as if they are jumping out at you. I believe that the use of light within this painting has allowed the smaller details to be enhanced, the patches of light shining through the gaps in the tree bring attention to the leaves and the light shining through the windows bring attention to the details of the window panes. I think that this invokes a sense of refinement within the image as the smaller, more delicate details are visible. The bottom half of the image is far more gloomy, the street light in front of the house acts as a focal point that draws the eye and lights up its surroundings. The tree is tall and looming, however, it does not seem to cast a shadow which I believe adds an unsettling feeling to the painting, as if things are not quite as they seem.