Musée Magritte Museum, dedicated to the works of René Magritte, debuted today in Brussels, Belgium.

Magritte was a leading surrealist painter who created art that was both thought-provoking and whimsical. He seems to have delighted in juxtapositions like the one seen in "Le Domaine d'Arnheim."

His best-known work is probably "The Treachery of Images"—a painting of a pipe with the words "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" ("This is not a pipe") written under it. It was Magritte's way of trying to force people to focus on the fact that a painting of a thing is a painting, not the thing itself. Magritte is reported to have said about the painting, "Just try filling it with tobacco."

The new museum has five exhibition levels with more than 26,000 square feet of space and 250 artworks and other pieces. It is intended to be the leading center for research into Magritte's life and works, but of course you don't need to worry about that to enjoy the great art.

While in Brussels, you can also visit 135 rue Esseghem, the house where Magritte lived and worked for 24 years; it's now the René Magritte Museum. And you could follow the advice of Tomme Arthur and visit Brasserie Cantillon for a tasty Belgian beer.

Musée Magritte Museum. The entry fee is €8 ($11.25), and the museum is closed on Mondays.

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