Reproduction is prohibited by Rene Magritte

Reproduction Prohibited is a painting by René François Ghislain Magritte, painted in 1937 for his patron, a wealthy aristocrat and businessman.
Reproduction is prohibited by Rene Magritte – a polite warning about privacy
The character, in a strict black suit, stands in front of a mirror, with his back to the viewer. But in the reflection – the same back of the head and perfectly styled hair. The paradox is highlighted by Poe’s book in the lower right corner, which is duplicated correctly.
A strange portrait, like other works of the author, raises many questions: why do not we see the face, what meaning did the artist put into his creation, how he managed to convey the depth of the looking glass. The limited color scheme encourages you to take a closer look at the plot. We do not know the person from the canvas, his personality remains a mystery.
The title of the painting: “Reproduction is prohibited” (fr. La reproduction interdite).
Author: Rene François Ghislain Magritte (1898-1967).
Year of writing: 1937.
Size: 81.3 x 65 cm.
Style: Surrealism.
Genre: Portrait.
Technique: Oil painting.
Material: Canvas. Location: Rotterdam, Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum.
Rene Magritte is a 20th century Belgian surrealist painter.
Without changing the natural shape of objects, he painted strange plots, giving each masterpiece an equally mysterious name. The artist himself admitted that he wants to make him think about his puzzles, try to delve into the essence of things, phenomena, the nature of being, to see the difference between the present and what is depicted with a brush. Another translation of the title of his work: “Not for reproduction.” Whether Magritte wanted to indicate that the life of any person remains a secret, to call for delicacy or to express a negative attitude towards curiosity – each viewer is free to decide for himself.
The painting “Reproduction Forbidden” is painted in a characteristic manner of neat, almost photographic accuracy, which only emphasizes the unusual approach to the ordinary. It seems illogical, therefore it excludes the possibility of a formal interpretation of what we see.