Golconda by Rene Magritte, 1953
Magritte got the name for this painting from his poet friend Louis Scutenaire, who often helped him find names for his paintings. In this case, the name Golconda refers to a city in India, which was the seat for two different kingdoms from the 14th to 17th centuries. The richness of the region, as it was the center of the diamond industry, has become so legendary that the name is now synonymous with “mine of wealth.” As a tribute to his friend Scutenaire, Magritte used his face for the man in the painting closest to the chimney on the right hand side.
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