Facts About Not to Be Reproduced
Not to Be Reproduced is a painting by the Belgian surrealist René Magritte. It is currently owned by the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
This painting was commissioned by poet and Magritte patron Edward James and is considered a portrait of James although James's face is not depicted. This painting was one of three produced by Magritte for the ballroom of James's London home. The other two were The Red Model (1937) and Time Transfixed (1938).
The work depicts a man standing in front of a mirror, but whereas the book on the mantelpiece is reflected correctly, the man's reflection also shows him from behind.
Connections to other works
The book on the mantel is a well-worn copy of Edgar Allan Poe's The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (written here in French as Les aventures d'Arthur Gordon Pym). Poe was one of Magritte's favorite authors and he made other references to the author in his work. For example, the title of the painting The Domain of Arnheim (1938) was taken from the Poe short story of the same name.
Magritte painted another portrait of Edward James titled The Pleasure Principle (1937). It depicts James from the front, sitting at a table, but his face is obscured by a bright light, such as that produced by a camera flash.
In 1977, Graham Hughes made a reference to the painting as the cover art for Roger Daltrey's third solo album One of the Boys.
A loose recreation of the painting appeared in David Koepp's 2004 film Secret Window and in Richard Ayoade's 2013 film The Double. A reproduction of the painting is a recurring object in Bernard Queysanne and Georges Perec's The Man Who Sleeps. It also appeared in the 2014 German movie Who Am I.
Belgium