Dear Mrs. Artwitty,

How can I tell if a painting is real? Our teacher showed us surreal art and said it was not real.  What is Surreal?         Thank you,
        Notgettingit

Dear "Notgettingit ,"

Surrealism is a bit difficult to understand.  Most surrealistic paintings have realistic objects, but they are used in an unrealistic way.  The artist is telling a story or showing an emotion. 

Here is a tree, but if you look closely, you’ll see that it is made up of flowers, butterflies, hearts and balloons.  The artist is leaving it up to you, the viewer, to decide the meaning, or to just enjoy the art. Surrealism is NOT real.

   Great question!
   Mrs. Artwitty

1. Did Rene Magritte really want to be an artist?
2. He didn’t like to be called an artist. What did he want to be called?
3. What country was he born in?
4. Did Magritte try to explain his paintings?