The Son of Man. By Rene Magritte

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1 The Son of Man By Rene Magritte This is a painting (oil on canvas) that was made in 1964 by the Belgian surreal artisit Rene Magritte. This was a self-portrait that reflected ideas and portrayed a message Magritte wanted to convey about people. The painting is privately owned and is not displayed to the public. The painting itself consists of a man in an overcoat wearing a bowler hat. He is standing in front of a wall that overlooks water and cloudy skies. The man s face is hidden by a green apple, yet his left eye and outer face is visible. Magritte s message behind the piece was to say that everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see. The use of the green apple hiding the man s face gives the impression that he is hiding something, possible an identity or a secret. The way the man is standing with the left arm bending slightly backwards suggests a mystery to the man, something curious.

2 The Apple and the Color Green The apple has many different kinds of symbolism. For example, the apple is seen as having the knowledge of knowing what is good or bad according to the bible. This symbolism can signify that the man in the painting may be good on the outside and bad on the inside or vice versa. Furthermore, according to Celtic tradition, the apple held transformative qualities and therefor raises the idea that the man is acting like a different person on the outside, hence the apple hiding his face. Another symbolic meaning of the apple pertains to youth. The color green can revitalize someone when they are physically, emotionally, or mentally exhausted. Therefor, it is interesting to point out that the apple (symbolism for knowledge and immortality) and the color green (symbolism of revitalization) have a connection to one another. The meaning behind the apple in this painting could be that the living forever is meaningless if one is living a life not worth living. He has the urge to be revitalized.

3 The Yin Yang Both the apple and the yin yang have similar qualities and meanings behind them. One representation of the yin yang is Life and Death and when displayed with the man, it can show an inner battle between what he wants and who he is. The apple has the quality of distinguishing between good and bad, something the yin yang reflects in itself. Furthermore, the yin yang is a representation of harmony and balance which directly reflects the meaning behind the color green. The replacing of the green apple with yin yang still maintains similar meanings that were deconstructed.

4 Analysis The painting The Son of Man, by Rene Magritte suggests many different interpretations and a layering of meanings throughout. As diverse as art is, the subjective quality follows and allows for people to form their own thoughts upon the piece. Magritte has stated the underlying message displayed in this particular artwork, but when taking a closer look, the painting suggests different views. The deconstruction process was eye-opening, illuminating new ideas and reasoning behind the small details that were integral to the overall design. Color, objects, and mood were explored closer and brought light to some of the choices Magritte made when creating this piece. The deciphering allowed for insight into Magritte s head and the thought process that went along. Similar ideas that correlated with the painting were touched upon including that the Yin Yang could have very well taken place of the apple in terms of the message trying to be portrayed. One will never know exactly the true thought process that an artist puts into his/her work, but one can interpret the ideas for themselves and in the process of deconstructing it, can create a visual just as creative, if not more, than the artisits overall intentions.

5 Works Cited "Celtic Meaning of the Apple Tree." Accessed February 14, w.whats-your-sign.com/celtic-meaning-apple-tree.html. "The Color Green." Empowered By Color. Accessed February psychology.com/color-green.html. Wikipedia. Accessed February 14, "Yin Yang Meaning." LoveToKnow. Accessed February 14, Yang_. Meaning