This painting by Magritte can clearly be categorized as part of the Surrealist movement. It has all the characteristics such as not being controlled by reason or any aesthetic or moral preoccupation. It is a visual representation of the idea that the sexualization of women is a cultural invention. The title also has a double meaning about it being a cultural invention and it being a mix of a woman and a fish. This painting is a play on the usual mermaid. It’s very sexualized because the only parts they show of the woman are the legs and reproductive organs. It’s also sexualized because fish represents female sexuality. This ‘mermaid’ seems to be stranded on the beach because it represents a sexualized woman using the lower half, and the fish head represents that there is nothing important going on at the top half. Because of how odd this painting looks and how it doesn’t follow reason, it can easily be categorized at a surrealist painting.
