Magritte’s Empire of Light, and Friedkin’s The Exorcist

(See A Small List of Great ArtistsRENÉ MAGRITTE (Belgian, 1898-1967))

(See Magritte’s Dominion of Light (or Empire of Light))

“I saw [this painting] in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, it’s called Empire of Light by René Magritte. I had that in mind..and I chose the house [in the Exorcist] to match the Magritte painting… the streetlamp…the shaft of light.” – William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist (1973), interviewed in A Decade Under the Influence (2003), a documentary about American Cinema in the 70’s.

René Magritte, The Dominion of Light (1950), Museum of Modern Art, New York City

Friedkin removed the daytime sky completely from his cinematic version of Magritte’s composition, choosing instead for the light source to project from the high window, within which the demon lies in waiting.

The Exorcist (1973), directed by William Friedkin, based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty. A still from this iconic scene in the film was used for the movie poster, promotion, and video releases.

(See Magritte’s Dominion of Light (or Empire of Light))

Read the comic book, “Brush with Peril”:


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