The Son of Man facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Son of Man |
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| Artist | René Magritte |
| Year | 1964 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Movement | Surrealism |
| Dimensions | 116 cm × 89 cm (45.67 in × 35 in) |
| Location | Private collection |
The Son of Man (which means Le fils de l'homme in French) is a famous painting from 1964. It was created by a Belgian artist named René Magritte. He was known for his unique style called Surrealism. This painting is probably his most well-known artwork.
Magritte painted The Son of Man as a self-portrait. It shows a man wearing an overcoat and a bowler hat. He is standing in front of a low wall. Behind the wall, you can see the sea and a sky full of clouds. The most interesting part is that a green apple seems to be floating in front of the man's face. It hides most of his face. But if you look closely, you can still see his eyes peeking over the top of the apple. Also, his left arm looks like it bends backward at the elbow.
About the Painting
Magritte was a surrealist painter. This art style explores dreams and the unexpected. Surrealist artists often put everyday objects together in strange ways. This makes you think about what is real and what is not.
What Does It Mean?
Magritte once talked about this painting. He said that the apple hides the man's face. This makes you think about things that are visible but also hidden. He believed that everything we see hides something else. We often want to know what is hidden behind what we can see. This idea creates a feeling of curiosity or even a small conflict. It's like a game between what is shown and what is kept secret.
Other Similar Artworks
The Son of Man is very similar to a few other paintings by Magritte.
- The Great War (La grande guerre, 1964) is another version. It shows only the top part of the man. His face is completely hidden by an apple.
- The Taste of the Invisible (Le Gout de l'invisible) is a painting using gouache paint. It features the same man and apple idea.
Another painting from the same year is The Great War on Facades (La Grande Guerre Façades, 1964). It also shows a person standing in front of a wall by the sea. But in this one, it's a woman holding an umbrella. Her face is covered by flowers instead of an apple. There is also a painting called Man in the Bowler Hat. In that one, a bird hides the man's face instead of an apple.
In Movies and Music
The Son of Man has appeared in many places in popular culture.
- In 1970, the artist Norman Rockwell made a fun tribute to the painting. He called his oil painting Mr. Apple. In his version, a red apple replaces the man's head.
- The painting is important in the 1999 movie The Thomas Crown Affair. It shows up several times. In the movie's final robbery scene, many men wear bowler hats and trench coats. They look like the man in the painting. This helps confuse the museum's security team.
- The green apple was a common symbol in Magritte's art. He used it in a 1966 painting called Le Jeu De Morre. This painting was owned by Paul McCartney. It inspired the Beatles to name their record company "Apple Corps".
- The 2006 film Stranger than Fiction also refers to this artwork. The main character, Harold Crick, often has an apple in his mouth. At one point, he appears in front of a wall that looks like the sky from the painting.
See also
In Spanish: El hijo del hombre (Magritte) para niños
