Magritte's lovers II foretell of a world of a veiled kiss

What lies beneath: René Magritte The Lovers II

The Lovers II by Rene Magritte

Niall MacMonagle

Auguste Rodin's brilliant and beautiful sculpture 'The Kiss' (1898) featured lovers kissin' and a huggin', and not a stitch on them. And we know who they are. He's Paolo, she's Francesca and they fell in love when together they read the love tale of Lancelot's adulterous affair with Guinevere. And like many a love story, it's complicated. Francesca is married, Paolo is married, but not to each other. Their 10-year affair ended when Giovanni, Francesca's older and uglier husband who was also Paolo's older, uglier brother, surprised them in bed and murdered them both. They ended up in hell.

In René Magritte's The Lovers II, an oil on canvas, the lovers are unnamed and unrecognisable. They come with no back story and are not only fully clothed but are Covid ready. Though the man, collared and tied, and the woman, in a summer dress, certainly seem interested in each other, their veiled faces convey both intimacy and isolation. The indoor setting suggests privacy - ceiling, cornice, red wall - but, this being Magritte, is that back blue wall a darkening sky? Think hearts and red means love... red can also mean anger. Does blue, often associated with calm, create a calming effect here?