This volume brings attention to a lesser-known but conceptually significant episode in Magritte’s career.

By focusing on the Période Vache (literally “cow period”), the book challenges simplistic narratives of Magritte’s style and opens new perspectives on his relationship to Surrealism, modernism, and critical play. It is valuable for scholars of Surrealism, mid-century art, and anyone interested in the intersections of humour, satire, and visual form.

This publication examines René Magritte’s Période Vache, a brief but pivotal phase characterised by bold figuration and deliberate subversion of Surrealist conventions. Featuring extensive visual documentation and critical essays, it situates this atypical body of work within the artist’s broader practice and post-war artistic discourse, highlighting its conceptual significance for studies of representation, irony, and modern art.