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When the cylindrical mirror is in the correct place, the dark brushstrokes take the form of the same pipe drawn by Magritte. In the reflection, the word "Ceci" also becomes inverted and distorted (or undistorted?), and now reads "Est-ce?" (is it?) Magritte would answer, "No, this is still not a pipe! It is a two-dimensional reflection, it is not a three-dimensional object! It is a reflection of a distortion!" But sure enough, almost everyone who sees the transformation of the abstract smudge into something recognizable exclaims in surprise, "It is a pipe!" *This is an anagram of Magritte's title The Betrayal of Images. It was followed by a second, almost as tempting title: "Obey false Magritte? Ha!"
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