Lena Rivera
The Son of Man is a 1964 painting by the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. It is a self-portrait of a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat, standing in front of a low wall, with a cloudy sky and a sea or river in the background. The man's face is obscured by a green apple, but his eyes can be seen peeking over it. The painting has been interpreted as exploring the themes of reality and illusion, identity, and the subconscious mind. It has been the subject of numerous copies and misappropriations and is considered one of Magritte's most emblematic works.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | René Magritte |
| Year | 1946 or 1964 |
| Style | Surrealism |
| Medium | N/A |
| Dimensions | N/A |
| Current Owner | Private collector |
| Previous Owner | Harry Torczyner |
| Sale Price | $5 million |
| Sale Year | 1998 |
| Colours | Cool colours (grays, blues), red, green |
| Subject | Man in a black suit, red tie, bowler hat, and overcoat, standing in front of a short wall, with a green apple obscuring his face |
| Symbolism | Conflict between what is visibly hidden and what is visibly present, the mortal condition of human beings, original sin |
| Similar Paintings by Magritte | The Great War (La grande guerre, 1964), A Taste of the Invisible (Le Gout de l'invisible), The Great War on Facades (La Grande Guerre Façades, 1964), Man in the Bowler Hat |
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What You'll Learn
Surrealist influences
"The Son of Man" is a 1964 painting by the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. It is considered one of the most famous and recognizable paintings of the surrealist movement.
Magritte's journey with surrealism began with impressionism and cubism. He ventured into surrealism while working at a wallpaper factory, creating "The Lost Jockey," a painting that features a jockey in a stage-like landscape. In 1927, he held his debut solo exhibition, which received harsh criticism, prompting him to relocate to Paris. In Paris, he encountered surrealists like Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Max Ernst, and André Breton, who influenced his artistic style.
Magritte's work was also influenced by Giorgio de Chirico, whose motifs he utilized in his artworks. Additionally, World War II impacted his style, leading him to incorporate lighter elements into his art. He aimed to question reality through his paintings, often playing with the disconnect between an object and its representation, between reality and dreams, and depicting irrational scenes.
Magritte's interest in exploring hidden aspects of reality is evident in "The Son of Man." The painting is a self-portrait with a twist, featuring a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat, a style that Magritte himself often wore. The man stands in front of a low wall, beyond which lies the sea and a cloudy sky. The man's face is obscured by a hovering green apple, yet his eyes can be seen peeking over its edge. The man's left arm appears to bend backward at the elbow, adding another subtle element of surprise.
The apple has been interpreted as a reference to the apple from the Garden of Eden, symbolizing sin, temptation, and the mortal condition of humans. The eye glimpsed behind the apple could symbolize mourning, as Magritte's mother committed suicide when he was a teenager. The painting invites multiple interpretations, with Magritte himself suggesting that it represents the hidden aspects of reality that are obscured by what we see on the surface.
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Biblical references
The Son of Man is a 1964 painting by the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. It is a self-portrait of a man in a bowler hat and an overcoat, standing in front of a low wall, with a cloudy sky and a sea or river in the background. The man's face is obscured by a green apple, although his eyes can be seen peeking over it, and his left arm appears to bend backward at the elbow.
Magritte himself offered some insight into the meaning of the painting:
> "At least it hides the face partly well, so you have the apparent face, the apple, hiding the visible but hidden, the face of the person. It’s something that happens constantly. Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see. There is an interest in that which is hidden and which the visible does not show us. This interest can take the form of a quite intense feeling, a sort of conflict, one might say, between the visible that is hidden and the visible that is present."
The apple has been interpreted as a reference to the apple from the Garden of Eden, which embodies sin and temptation, but also the mortal condition of human beings. This interpretation is supported by the fact that "Son of Man" or "Le fils de l'homme" in French, is a direct reference to Christ, and can be translated as "son of Adam," again alluding to the original sin.
The painting has also been linked to Magritte's personal life. It has been suggested that the hidden face represents a sense of anonymity and conformity, and the obscured eyes invite reflection on identity. The man's rigid posture and lack of expression may further contribute to the sense of detachment or anonymity. Additionally, some have connected the image of the obscured face to the suicide of Magritte's mother when he was nine years old. Her body was recovered with her face covered by her nightgown, revealing only her left eye, similar to the figure in the painting.
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Magritte's self-portrait
"The Son of Man" is a self-portrait painted by the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte in 1946 or 1964. It is considered one of his most famous and emblematic works.
The painting depicts a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat standing in front of a low wall, beyond which are the sea and a cloudy sky. The man's face is largely obscured by a hovering green apple, but his eyes can be seen peeking over the edge. Another subtle feature is that the man's left arm appears to bend backward at the elbow.
Magritte stated in an interview: "At least it hides the face partly well, so you have the apparent face, the apple, hiding the visible but hidden, the face of the person. It's something that happens constantly. Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see." The green apple has been interpreted as a reference to the apple from the Garden of Eden, representing sin, temptation, and the mortal condition of human beings. This interpretation is supported by the title of the artwork, "The Son of Man," which translates to "son of Adam," referring to original sin.
The eye that can be glimpsed behind the apple has been interpreted as a symbol of mourning for the painter, referencing the suicide of Magritte's mother in 1912. Her body was found with her face partially covered, revealing only her left eye.
The bowler hat and formal outfit were prominent in Magritte's paintings and suggested his political interest in the communist party. The artist himself was known to dress in a similar conservative style, as he explained in one of his interviews: "I am not eager to singularize myself. If I wanted to create a sensation in the street, I would dress for it. But I don’t want to."
"The Son of Man" is a highly sought-after painting and was sold in 1998 for over $5 million to a private collector. It has been the subject of numerous copies and misappropriations and remains one of the most talked-about paintings from the Surrealist period.
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The green apple
"The Son of Man" is a 1964 painting by the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. It is a self-portrait of the artist, who often dressed in the same manner as the man depicted in the painting: a black suit, a red tie, and a bowler hat. The painting consists of a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat standing in front of a low wall, beyond which are the sea and a cloudy sky. The man's face is largely obscured by a hovering green apple, although his eyes can be seen peeking over the edge of the apple.
The painting explores the themes of reality and illusion, with the bowler-hatted man symbolizing anonymity and conformity. The hidden face challenges traditional portraits, inviting interpretation and reflection on representation and perception, as well as identity. Magritte himself said:
> "At least it hides the face partly well, so you have the apparent face, the apple, hiding the visible but hidden, the face of the person. It's something that happens constantly. Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see. There is an interest in that which is hidden and which the visible does not show us. This interest can take the form of a quite intense feeling, a sort of conflict, one might say, between the visible that is hidden and the visible that is present."
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Popular culture references
"The Son of Man" is a well-known painting by the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. It has been referenced in popular culture on several occasions.
In film, the painting plays a significant role in the 1999 version of "The Thomas Crown Affair", where it is involved in a robbery in an art gallery, with the thieves dressing like the man in the painting. The painting is also briefly shown in the music video for "Scream" by Michael and Janet Jackson.
In television, "The Simpsons" has referenced the painting in an episode where the central characters, Bart and Homer Simpson, stand similarly to the man in the painting, with one holding a lemon and the other a donut in front of their faces. The Japanese television series "Ultraman Arc" also paid homage to "The Son of Man" in an episode where a monster removes its mask to reveal a floating green apple covering its face.
In art, Norman Rockwell created a playful homage to "The Son of Man" in his 1970 painting "Mr. Apple", in which a man's head is replaced by a red apple.
In video games, "The Sims 4" features a painting that references "The Son of Man", with a dog standing in front of a brick wall and a cat wearing a bowler hat next to it.
Additionally, it is believed that Magritte's apple motif inspired Paul McCartney to name his label Apple Records, which then inspired Steve Jobs to name his company Apple Computers.
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Frequently asked questions
The Son of Man is a 1964 painting by the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte.
The painting consists of a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat standing in front of a low wall, beyond which are the sea and a cloudy sky. The man's face is largely obscured by a hovering green apple, but his eyes can be seen peeking over the edge. The man's left arm appears to bend backwards at the elbow.
Magritte painted the Son of Man as a self-portrait. The green apple is said to be a reference to the apple from the Garden of Eden, which embodies sin, temptation, and the mortal condition of human beings. The title of the artwork, The Son of Man, is a direct reference to Christ, which translates to "son of Adam," again alluding to original sin.
Magritte himself said, "Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see." The painting explores the conflict between what is visibly hidden and what is visibly present, with the apple obscuring the man's face. The bowler-hatted man symbolizes anonymity and conformity, and the hidden face challenges traditional portraits, inviting interpretation and reflection on identity.
Yes, the Son of Man painting has been referenced and homaged in various forms of media. In the video game The Sims 4, one of the paintings that a Sim can create is a reference to the Son of Man, with a dog standing in front of a brick wall and an apple floating in front of its face. The painting also appears in the 1999 film The Thomas Crown Affair and is featured in an episode of the television series Ultraman Arc.
