Magritte and many other surrealists were inspired by Fantômas – a character known for being an extremely sadistic murderer. As per the Wikipedia description: “Fantômas is a criminal genius, ruthless and particularly elusive. As described by Schütt (2003) in her analysis of French crime fiction literature, Fantômas is the cause of almost any unsolved crime, a merciless criminal who can get away with his evil deeds by impersonating pretty much anyone.”
This theme of violence and murder is very present in this piece called The Menaced Assassins; the murdered woman’s throat drips blood in a very gory manner. Even more indicative of these fantômas is the contradiction between the serenity of the scene and the violence depicted. While the woman bleeds and the two men in bowl hats wait with weapons in hand, creating a sense of tension, the man in the middle of the piece seems completely calm, even taking the time to listen to music on the phonograph.
Oftentimes, Fantômas would complete his murders in an efficient, sociopathically emotionless manner. The piece itself is based off a film still from the 1911 film Fantômas.
Additionally, as stated by tate.org, a great deal of Magritte’s paintings focused on an almost cinematic composition. This would oftentimes result in pieces that almost seemed as if they were frozen in place or set up just right, as if to get the perfect shot for a movie. The mood these pieces depict is one that is akin to a movie narrative, as if a story is in the works.
