plate no. 7415

Pandora's Box

Rene Magritte, 1951

oil, canvasSurrealismcityscapefigurecityscapebuildingsroseskybridge

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve muted tones and layering techniques to create depth and atmosphere. It also offers practice in rendering architectural details and organic forms like the rose.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the figure, buildings, and rose.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the red sky, the dark figure, and the muted tones of the buildings.
step 03
Begin adding details to the buildings, focusing on the windows and architectural features.
step 04
Work on the bridge, paying attention to the perspective and the repeating pattern of the railings.
step 05
Paint the rose, starting with the overall shape and then adding details to the petals and leaves.
step 06
Refine the figure, focusing on the shape of the hat and the folds of the coat.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to achieve the desired mood.

color palette

primary · red · black · gray · white

secondary · brown · ochre

Achieve the muted tones of the buildings by mixing gray with small amounts of brown and ochre. The red sky is a mix of red with a touch of brown to tone it down.

techniques