Matteson Art

CBS and Magritte



The False Mirror (Le Faux Miroir) 1928

The False Mirror became one of Magritte's enduring images. In 1951 William Golden designed a logo for the CBS Television network — a cloud-filled eyeball— which was clearly based on "The False Mirror."  See below:


CBS-TV new logo aired November 16, 1951

Magritte's painting The False Mirror was displayed in NY at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) just blocks from CBS NY offices. Magritte was reportedly upset (He discussed the matter in letters to his lawyer Harry Torczyner, a New York-based attorney, who probably alerted Magritte in the first place) about the appropriation of his image and considered legal action [The Avant-garde and American Postmodernity By Philip Nel] but did nothing about it. CBS quickly removed the clouds from their logo but retained the image as their official logo.