Nostalgia by Rene Magritte was painted in 1940. It is a painting of 80 x 60 cm. oil on canvas, and is currently located in the Galerie Isy Brachot in Brussels. In the painting there is a man dressed in black with wings standing on a bridge on the right side. There is a lion standing behind him. In the background there is a street lamp and the indistinct silhouette of buildings. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Contrast, line, and space help move viewers through the painting. The lion is the focal point of the painting. The contrast first catches your eye because it is different from the rest of the painting. It is also more brightly colored than the rest of the painting. So, space brings your eyes to man because he is closest to the lion. The bridge creates a line that leads from the man to the background of the painting. Magritte uses the bridge in the painting because his mother committed suicide by throwing herself off a bridge over the Sambre River. Magritte also had the desire to “change his life”, which explains why the man in the painting has wings. Magritte liked to place objects in situations unfamiliar to the viewer. The black clothes on the man convey the sadness he felt over his mother's death. The wings on the man show that he would have liked to change what happened. The lion shows the confusion he felt about his mother's death and tells the viewer that he never fully understood her because the viewer shouldn't understand her. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Magritte's painting helps take us into his mind and shows us how he felt during his life. He conveys his emotions through the colors he uses. The characteristics of surrealism he uses, such as absurd juxtaposition and irrational content, also help to get his point across about the sadness he felt for his mother..