To define Magic Realism as it applies to art is both a challenging and elusive task. Those who embark on an exploration of this topic soon experience feelings of disorientation, confusion or even delirium. A veritable jungle of references exist for Magic Realism, but most of the roadmaps charted in its formative period are outdated. Some pathways remain unexplored, while many others have long ago become overgrown.

         If Magic Realism exists between the two poles of realism (north) and pure fantasy (south), we will need a metaphysical compass to assist our exploration. Its components would include artistic sensibilities, acute powers of observation and a knowledge of the traditions of art history. We are searching for paintings that are sharply rendered, cool and detached, and often pregnant with metaphoric or hidden meanings.

     The term "Magic Realism" was coined by German art critic Franz Roh in an essay written in 1924. Roh observed that in the early1920s many German artists reintroduced real objects in their paintings and he established that there was a strong countermovement to Expressionism in progress. In 1925 Gustav Hartlaub organized a traveling exhibition of contemporary German art under the title of Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity). This has become the name used by most art historians when referring to the predominant styles of German art during the 1920's. Although Magic Realism and Neue Sachlichkeit at the time seemed to encompass the same art, art critic Emilio Bertonati observed several decades later that Magic Realism should refer to a more restricted concept, one in which subject matter and content are considered in addition to style. Magic Realism as an art movement became much more clearly defined as time progressed, both within Germany and particularly by art that developed outside Germany in the 1930s and 40s.

     The subject matter of each Magic Realism painting includes commonplace objects from everyday life mixed with fantastic elements, drawn from the artist's imagination, interwoven into a magical fabric. The Magic Realists at first drew inspiration from the naive art of Henri Rousseau and especially from the Metaphysical art of Giorgio de Chirico. Other influences include Italian contemporary artists such as Felix Casorati and Gino Severini. In France a number of artists, notably Felix Vallotton and Andre Derain, moved decidedly away from Post Impressionism and Expressionism prior to World War I, employing a hard-edged yet contemporary approach to Realism.

      Magic Realism often occurred when Das Unheimliche (roughly, the uncanny) combined with a hard-edged realism of Neue Sachlichkeit. According to Sigmund Freud's 1919 inter-pretation, Das Unheimliche could have a dual connotation. It could refer to hidden, strange or dangerous elements. But it could also refer to concealed yet undesirable things being revealed. Uncanny elements were frequently added to the art during the Neue Sachlichkeit era, most notably by Franz Radziwill. During the late 1920s many artists outside Germany also recognized this trend and added "magical" elements to their art. Thus the movement soon spread to other European countries and also to the Americas.

      A central challenge in identifying Magic Realism pertains to the boundaries between Realism and pure fantasy. Magic Realist artists introduced unusual juxtapositions, eerie atmospheres and naive elements into their art. Many studied the techniques of the Old Masters, and used these to establish, but also twist, the illusions of reality. Yet they did not stray completely away from the real world. In the words of a Dutch artist, Pyke Koch: "Magic Realism is based on the representation of what is possible, but not probable".

     A second challenge is to define Magic Realism's place in historical context. First, it is important to clarify a distinction between the broad grouping Neue Sachlichkeit and Magic Realism. Initially, it seems evident that Franz Roh and Gustav Hartlaub were surveying similar art. Neue Sachlichkeit became strictly associated with the art of the Weimar period, and has come to be identified with a wide range of styles from the socially critical verism of Otto Dix to the rustic classicalism of Georg Schrimpf. It has been characterized as a photographically sharp naturalism, yet often when compared to the Photorealism of the late 1960s and 70s has less finished detail. In many cases, the art of Neue Sachlichkeit has the feel of naive art. Roh initially referred to this art as Post-Expressionism, but later added the byname Magic Realism. He spoke of a "renewed delight in real objects", and added that this new art seemed to offer "a calm admiration of the magic of being; a question of representing before our eyes, in an intuitive way, the fact, the interior figure, of the exterior world".  

     Magic Realism was a little used term in Germany. It was, however, recognized by writers and artists outside of Germany, particularly after 1930. Notably. the American promoter Lincoln Kirstein brought currency to the term when referring to the work of the American Magic Realists of the 1940s and 50s. A small core of artists carried the torch of Realism through the 1940s and 50s, in the heyday of Abstract Expressionism. Prominent among them were Andrew Wyeth, Alex Colville, Paul Cadmus, George Tooker, Jared French and Robert Vickery. All of these artists are connected to some degree with Magic Realism.

     Magic Realism in painting is related but quite distinct from the later movement in literature. In the case of art, the artists generally moved away from manifestations of the abstract and subjective toward a revitalized Realism. Momentum in the literary movement swung the opposite direction, as the Magic Realism writers often moved away from Realism toward alternative consciousness and even embraced the fantastic.

      Once the concepts of Magic Realism are understood, it becomes somewhat easier to identify and survey it. We have compiled a "Time Capsule" of Magic Realism, which is preceded by related works from the Middle Ages to the 1920s. We invite you to tour the Time Capsule and hope that you enjoy your travels.

Enter the Magic Realism Time Capsule

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