René Magritte (1898-1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist known for witty, thought-provoking images that challenge viewers' perception of reality. He spent most of his life in Brussels. His works like bowler-hatted men, floating rocks, and the famous pipe painting have become icons of modern art.

The Treachery of Images (1929) shows a pipe with the text 'Ceci n'est pas une pipe' (This is not a pipe). Magritte meant that the image is not a pipe, just a representation of one. It is one of the most famous artworks questioning the relationship between objects and their representations.