loplop

Described by Ernst as a “private phantom” who visited him almost every day, Loplop is often seen as here in the act of “presenting” or “introducing” a series of pictures within a picture, all of them generally being Ernst’s own creations. As an intermediary between artist and viewer this device creates a kind of third space of detachment between the creator and receiver of the image and its meaning.

from Surrealism by Mary Ann Caws