![René Magritte - The Woman in the Mirror (La Femme au Miroir) [1941-42]](http://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5466/31079313795_8563835a1f_b.jpg)
The representation of the female nude in art proceeds from a tradition as venerable as painting itself. René Magritte knew the old sources well and in La Femme au Miroir the influence of Cranach or Ingres can be detected. However, in this painting of a voluntarily academic facture, a mirror effect takes place, so characteristic of the great surrealist Belgian painter. The juxtaposition of incongruous elements, the woman, the rock, the mysterious curtain that reveals the infinite horizon of the sea, creates a momentary suspension of reason which provokes the poetic impact inherent in this majestic work.
[Sotheby’s, Paris - Oil on canvas, 100.6 x 73 cm]