Giaconda, 1953

Giaconda, 1953

Maybe you can guess, but the instant I saw this image, I thought of George Orwell's Coming Up for Air. While Orwell's novel actually came first, this painting shows the mundane life that George, the protagonist, was speaking of. The men in bowler hats could even be insurance salesmen. This image had to be added to show the relationship between art and writing going the other direction. Orwell predicted this painting, in a way.

Here's some more about René Magritte, the painter of Giaconda, and one of the most influential surrealists of the 20th Century.