When René Magritte reached his 40s, he unexpectedly shifted his style. After establishing his iconic Surrealist vision (1926–1938), he explored Impressionism with Renoir’s sunlit palette, then moved through Fauvism, Expressionism, and popular imagery, before returning to his classic approach. René Magritte: The Fifth Season examines the art of the 1940s and beyond, including his Renoir period, the little-known période vache, the “hypertrophy of objects” series, and the enigmatic Dominion of Light suite, which depicts day and night simultaneously. Featuring around 50 oil paintings and a dozen gouaches in full color, this volume sheds new light on Magritte’s evolving practice. Throughout his career, Magritte (1898–1967) consistently explored the gap between object, language, and image, reminding viewers not to equate appearances with reality.