Which artwork shows a pipe with the caption 'This is not a pipe'?

Which artwork shows a pipe with the caption 'This is not a pipe'?

• A. Wyeth - Christina's World (1948)
• B. Escher - Ascending and Descending (1960)
• C. Magritte - The Treachery of Images (1929)
• D. Gauguin - Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? (1897-98)

Answer: (C)

This question tests the idea that an image can resemble something yet remain only a representation, not the actual object. In Magritte’s The Treachery of Images, a realistic painting of a pipe is paired with the caption “This is not a pipe.” The famous line, meaning “Ceci n’est pas une pipe,” reminds us that the painted image is just a sign that represents a pipe, not the pipe itself. It challenges how language and pictures convey meaning and highlights how easy it is to confuse representation with reality. So the artwork that matches this concept is Magritte’s piece. The other works depict different subjects or effects and don’t engage this deliberate distinction between an image and the real object it represents.

This question tests the idea that an image can resemble something yet remain only a representation, not the actual object. In Magritte’s The Treachery of Images, a realistic painting of a pipe is paired with the caption “This is not a pipe.” The famous line, meaning “Ceci n’est pas une pipe,” reminds us that the painted image is just a sign that represents a pipe, not the pipe itself. It challenges how language and pictures convey meaning and highlights how easy it is to confuse representation with reality.

So the artwork that matches this concept is Magritte’s piece. The other works depict different subjects or effects and don’t engage this deliberate distinction between an image and the real object it represents.