The Son of Man
Encyclopedia
The Son of Man is a 1964 painting by the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte
.
Magritte painted it as a self-portrait
. The painting consists of a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat
standing in front of a short wall, beyond which is the sea
and a cloudy sky. The man's face is largely obscured by a hovering green apple
. However, the man's eyes can be seen peeking over the edge of the apple. Another subtle feature is that the man's left arm appears to bend backwards at the elbow.
About the painting, Magritte said:
The Son of Man resembles The Great War on Façades (La Grande Guerre Façades), another Magritte painting featuring similar imagery. Both feature a person standing in front of a wall overlooking the sea. The Great War on Façades, however, features a woman holding an umbrella, her face covered by a flower. There is also Man in the Bowler Hat, a similar painting where the man's face is obscured by a bird rather than an apple.
. In this film, the painting is prominently displayed in the home of the protagonist. The love interest takes note of it as "the stereotypical faceless businessman". The protagonist of the film uses numerous accomplices, all dressed like the subject of the painting, to confuse the police while he enters the museum to apparently return the painting he stole earlier in the film. The bowler-hatted men all carry identical briefcases full of copies of The Son of Man.
It is also referenced in the 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction, and in the 2009 indie film
(500) Days of Summer by a bowler hat with a green apple on it in the female protagonist's apartment.
did a playful homage to The Son of Man as a 13" x 17.5" oil painting entitled Mr. Apple. Rockwell used a red apple in lieu of a green one. Also, the self-reflexive head, which figured so prominently in Magritte's work, was replaced with the apple.
The painting appears briefly on the Michael Jackson
video for his song “Scream
”, on the “Gallery” section.
. The front desk staff said that the hotel owner had much of his art collection on display in the hotel. There are several other paintings hanging in the lobby including one by David Hockney, two by Chagall and several by Andy Warhol.
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
.
Magritte painted it as a self-portrait
Self-portrait
A self-portrait is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist. Although self-portraits have been made by artists since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid 15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting...
. The painting consists of a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat
Bowler hat
The bowler hat, also known as a coke hat, derby , billycock or bombin, is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown originally created in 1849 for the English soldier and politician Edward Coke, the younger brother of the 2nd Earl of Leicester...
standing in front of a short wall, beyond which is the sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
and a cloudy sky. The man's face is largely obscured by a hovering green apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
. However, the man's eyes can be seen peeking over the edge of the apple. Another subtle feature is that the man's left arm appears to bend backwards at the elbow.
About the painting, Magritte said:
The Son of Man resembles The Great War on Façades (La Grande Guerre Façades), another Magritte painting featuring similar imagery. Both feature a person standing in front of a wall overlooking the sea. The Great War on Façades, however, features a woman holding an umbrella, her face covered by a flower. There is also Man in the Bowler Hat, a similar painting where the man's face is obscured by a bird rather than an apple.
In fiction
The Son of Man is a prominent motif in the 1999 art heist remake of The Thomas Crown AffairThe Thomas Crown Affair (1999 film)
The Thomas Crown Affair is a 1999 American heist film directed by John McTiernan. The film, starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo and Denis Leary, is a remake of the 1968 film of the same name....
. In this film, the painting is prominently displayed in the home of the protagonist. The love interest takes note of it as "the stereotypical faceless businessman". The protagonist of the film uses numerous accomplices, all dressed like the subject of the painting, to confuse the police while he enters the museum to apparently return the painting he stole earlier in the film. The bowler-hatted men all carry identical briefcases full of copies of The Son of Man.
It is also referenced in the 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction, and in the 2009 indie film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
(500) Days of Summer by a bowler hat with a green apple on it in the female protagonist's apartment.
In popular culture
In 1970, Norman RockwellNorman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
did a playful homage to The Son of Man as a 13" x 17.5" oil painting entitled Mr. Apple. Rockwell used a red apple in lieu of a green one. Also, the self-reflexive head, which figured so prominently in Magritte's work, was replaced with the apple.
The painting appears briefly on the Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
video for his song “Scream
Scream
Scream may refer to:*Vociferation, a loud vocalization*The Scream, a famous painting by Edvard Munch-Amusement rides:* Scream! , a roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain...
”, on the “Gallery” section.
Status
The Son of Man is privately owned. In October 2011, the painting was hanging in the lounge of LHotel, at 262 Rue Saint-Jacques in the old historic part of MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. The front desk staff said that the hotel owner had much of his art collection on display in the hotel. There are several other paintings hanging in the lobby including one by David Hockney, two by Chagall and several by Andy Warhol.