In the painting a man (Edward James) is seen staring at his reflection, only to see his reflection facing away from him. However the book shown on the counter is accurately reflected in the mirror, maybe to emphasise the fact this person is real and therefore adds to the discussion of why the painting is not what it seems.
The book in the painting is a copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s novel “The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket”, which is a book which portrays themes around madness, with the characters losing their hold on reality, and an unreliability around the narrator. The book is full with complex and disorienting texts, which could link to the painting in a way as the image itself isn’t clear, and confuses many people when looking at it. Both Poe and Magritte look to cause mystery and provoke discussion to their work.
Another idea is that Magritte is making the statement that when you look at a portrait of you, you’re not physically looking at yourself, you’re looking at yourself from the perspective of the artist. So in the image it’s not Edward James, it’s an image of Edward James, made in the perspective of Magritte (hence why the subject is looking away from this perspective). Edward James is therefore looking at his own portrait made from Magritte’s perspective.
However I’m intrigued by the horror film type of interpretation, how mirrors are a common prop used in horror films used to scare viewers when they see something in the mirror that isn’t the reflection everyone expects. Whether that’s another being in the room with them, or their reflection distorted (like Magritte has done in his painting), it creates a sinister and scary type of vibe surrounding the painting and the meaning behind it.
For my project I’m inspired by that idea and might create a short horror film based off of those ideas.
Sources:
(2020), Saylegallery (online), Available at: http://www.saylegallery.com/why-is-this-reproduction-prohibited/ , (Accessed 21st September 2021).
(2021), Gradesaver (online), Available at: https://www.gradesaver.com/the-narrative-of-arthur-gordon-pym-of-nantucket/study-guide/themes , (Accessed 21st September 2021).
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