“The False Mirror” by Rene Magritte, is a painting created in 1929, which depicts an eye looking at the clouds in the sky.
Rene Magritte published this painting in 1929, but completed the creation of it during World War 1. The fear of the War led to the inspirations of many paintings, including Rene Magritte, during that time period. Rene Magritte expresses the vision of the people of war through this painting.
The main focus of this painting is the lifeless portrayal of the eye, as the pupil is dead black. In contrast to the lifeless portrayal of the pupil, the iris of the eye is full of color and emotion, as depicted through the light blue sky and white clouds. The color of the flesh surrounding this eye is dull beige. The shadows around the corner of the painting seem to put emphasis on the eye itself, rather than imagining the face as a whole. What’s interesting is the absence of eyelashes on the eyes of the observer.
A light blue sky filled with an appropriate amount of clouds often represents a sense of freedom and imagination. However, the observer looks at the sky with lifeless eyes. I think that the dead eyes that look into the optimistic sky represent how we see what we need the most, or our greatest desires. The lifeless portrayal of the whole observer infers that the observer is depressed. What the observer needs the most in his/her current state, is freedom from this misery. The only thing representing a sense of optimism/freedom in his/her current state is the light blue sky. Through this depiction, Magritte is trying to convey that the world around us is only reflected by what we, as individuals, make of it. Magritte reflects upon World War 1 and uses the lifeless portrayal of the observer to represent the people of war, as they look toward a day where they are free of being held in constant fear.
The lash-less eye is meant to put contrast on the wondrous and optimistic effect that the sky on the iris has. However, I think that the lash-less eye conveys the emotional stress that the people of war go through on a daily basis, as stress is a common cause for hair loss. By doing so, Magritte is able to depict the emotions of the observer realistically.
Ultimately, Rene Magritte portrays the vision of the world in the perspective of a person of war, leaving a strong impact, as it shows how the world can be perceived in different ways.
