Rene Descartes and Rene Magritte were two influential figures in the history of philosophy and art, respectively. Descartes was a French philosopher and mathematician who is best known for his philosophical work, 'Meditations on First Philosophy, ' which laid the groundwork for modern Western philosophy. Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist whose works often featured unexpected juxtapositions and witty wordplay. Both Descartes and Magritte are remembered for their contributions to their respective fields.