“Not to be Reproduced,” painted by René Magritte in 1937 in Brussels, Belgium, is an exemplary work of the Surrealist art movement. This symbolic painting, executed in oil on canvas, measures 81.3 by 65 cm and currently resides in the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The artwork depicts the back of a man who is facing a mirror. Paradoxically, rather than reflecting his face, the mirror also shows the back of his head, creating a strikingly surreal and thought-provoking image. To the right of the composition is a stack of books, the topmost of which is partially visible in the mirror, precisely reproducing the inscription. The meticulous rendering of details, combined with the impossible mirror reflection, evokes themes of identity, reality, and the limitations of perception. Magritte’s use of realistic imagery to convey fantastical and illogical scenes challenges the viewer’s understanding of what appears to be normal and rational.
