The False Mirror.
Title |
The False Mirror. |
Creator |
Magritte, Rene (Belgian painter, sculptor, and photographer, 1898-1967) |
Date |
1928 |
Cultural Context |
Belgian European Western European |
Style/Period |
Surrealist Modern (styles and periods) |
Subject |
Eyes Clouds Puns (Visual works) |
Description |
"Magritte's False Mirror of 1928 depicts a large eye (from which the familiar CBS logo is derived). The black circle at the center can refer both to the pupil and to the eclipsed sun. The observer is thrown off balance by the unusual close-up of the 'eye' as well as by its unexpected character. We do not know if we are looking into the eye and seeing a reflection of the sky, or if we are inside the eye, looking past the pupil at the sky. The 'mirror' is 'false,' because, like the 'pipe' in The Betrayal of Images, it plays a visual trick. As puns, however, both contain truth. In The False Mirror, Magritte applies the simultaneous viewpoint of Cubism to clear, recognizable forms but without the Cubist use of geometric abstraction." |
Material |
Oil on canvas Oil paint (pigmented coating) Paint Canvas |
Measurements |
21 1/4 x 31 7/8 in (54 x 80.9 cm) |
Technique |
Oil painting (technique) Painting (image-making) |
Work Type |
Oil paintings Paintings |
Repository |
Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) (New York, New York) |
Source |
Adams, Laurie Schneider. Art Across Time. 2nd ed. 2 vols. New York: McGraw, 2002. (p.924, 26.13). |
Rights |
Photograph reproduced in Adams courtesy: © 2001 The Museum of Modern Art, New York/ © 2001 C. Herscovici, Brussels/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Digital Publisher |
University of Louisville Department of Fine Arts/Allen R. Hite Art Institute Visual Resources Center |
Format |
image/jpeg |
Digital File Name |
VRC 437-02.jpg |
Rating |
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