La Réponse imprévue explores one of the recurrent images of Magritte's oeuvre, that of a closed door broken by a hole. This device is deliberately ambiguous, both suggestive of a physical body passing through the empty space, while the imagery is devoid of human presence. At the heart of this work lies the paradox of the open/closed door where the composition shows an interior as well as an exterior, the door is closed as well as open, it has a dual role of hiding and exposing what is behind it. In this way, Magritte mystifies the familiar, questioning the significance and purpose we attribute to various objects, and creating new meanings by placing these objects in new and unexpected contexts. [Sotheby’s, New York - Gouache on paper, 54.9 x 35.5 cm]