The Son of Man by René Magritte is said to be the
artist’s most famous piece depicting the hidden face of a bowler-hatted subject obscured by a
floating green apple. Each element is represented through sharp focus and visual realism. He paints
poetically, somehow creating both a silence, and a thundering internal dialogue in his
canvases, jolting the viewers out of complacency. This piece was commissioned by Magritte‘s friend
and patron—Harry Torczyner—who requested a self-portrait of the artist. In the correspondence
between the two however, Magritte stated that he found it difficult to paint himself. Describing
his difficulties as a "problem of conscience.” Both the Apple and the bowler hat are
recurring motifs within Magritte's oeuvre. He repeatedly experimented with these objects, which have since become inseparable when
speaking about the artist himself. He said in 1966 “It [the bowler hat] is a headdress
that is not original. The man with the bowler is just a middle-class man in his anonymity. And I
wear it. I am not eager to singularize myself.” This image in our minds, is not solely a
creation of his, but IS Magritte himself. Magritte never thought of himself as a
painter but rather a philosopher that utilized ordinary objects to communicate
his thoughts and ideas in a visual medium. He was unique amongst his peers because of
the depth of his philosophical understanding. The purpose of his work was to
make one think for themselves. To make both the critics and the novel art
enthusiasts question their own beliefs; What it is that they seek from art? And is the
meaning of art what is shown or what is hidden? Magritte‘s creative awakening happened
in 1923 when he saw a reproduction of Giorgio de Chirico masterpiece “the
song of love.” It instantly moved him. This painting which consists of oddly-placed
objects opened up Magritte’s eyes to the possibility of a new kind of representational
painting. He described the event as one of the most moving moments of his life. “ My
eyes saw thought for the first time.” His artistic journey was not without obstacles.
His very first exhibition in 1927, fell flat. But it created enough of a buzz around this new
and up-and-coming artist that he decided to move to Paris. There, he spent three years trying to
make a name for himself among the Surrealists, led by André Breton. A few notable
paintings of his time in Paris include “The Lovers,” “The False Mirror,”
and the “Treachery of Images.” Together, these three paintings convey
what was exciting about Magritte’s work. He acknowledges the inherent strangeness of the
material world we live in, and shows us that art is a world of its own; a world of ideas to be
depicted freely, unbound to any expectations. The surrealism that was common in France at the
time involved the ideas of Automatism, and Freud's theories of Psychoanalysis of the subconscious
as seen in the works of Salvador Dali. These concepts did not align with
Magritte’s artistic ambitions; in finding answers to the mystery
of things in the world around us. Unfortunately, he did not find the atmosphere
of Paris as enjoyable as many other artists at the time and moved back to Brussels to start
an advertising agency with his brother.This period of his life was pivotal in his works. His career in advertising helped hone his skills
in making an image memorable. In making it stick. Here, in his most famous painting, he has stayed
true to his artistic beliefs. We can see a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat standing tall, rather
stiffly, in front of a short wall. Behind him, is a cloudy sky and a light blue body of water.
There is some light reflecting off of the man’s right side, indicating it might still be daytime.
His face is largely covered by the hovering green apple, which seems incorrectly scaled as
it is almost as large as the man’s face. The man’s eyes can be seen peeking over the
edges; a detail one would not notice right away, as the obstruction of the face blinds our minds
into not analyzing it any further, accepting our first thought. As we gaze down, we can see that
the man’s left arm appears to be bent backwards at the elbow as if he is facing away from us,
looking at the water. We can only see the man’s head and torso. His body seems stretched out;
elongated to look taller than the average person. Magritte also uses colours here carefully, to
both blend in and stand out. The background, for example, is painted with cooler tones. The
greys of the sky and the light blue of the water; Giving the painting an ambiance of quiet. On the
forefront, the bright red tie and the vibrant green of the Apple stand out from the monotones of
the background, and we can’t help but look here, where he wants us to focus our attention.
He has created a perfectly balanced canvas. Managing our gaze, he has us in his control. The painting is perfectly balanced
when it comes to lines as well. We can see horizontal lines dividing
the background into three sections: the sky, the water and the wall. The vertical
lines break the horizontal lines of the composition. We can see a vertical line at the
centre of the subject, where his coat buttons up, and two more between his torso and his arms.
The apple and the bowler hat both take on the shape of a circle, further adding to the
symmetry and balance Magritte has created here. Magritte’s mind and creative thought process
are fascinating. We can see this best here. A depiction of an artist working, looking at an
egg and painting a bird. This is not a realistic representation of what he is using as a model
but instead, is key in interpreting Magritte’s thought process, because the egg and the bird
are unarguably connected. He highlights the limits of vision and instead allows us to see
the secret life of objects, their potential. So why is this painting important at all? I think
its value resides in what comes up in the mind of the viewer. When I was examining this painting
before making this video, I stared at it for a while. I felt curious about the man’s features,
what his expression was, and how he was feeling, thinking I could connect more with this painting
if only Magritte decided to show his face. Instead, his choices made me feel frustrated.
I could NEVER know what he looked like. That internal conflict, “the not knowing”, plays
a vital role in why Magritte is important today. His power over us comes from the accessibility
of his art. We don’t need to know anything about art movements, his painting process or
personal philosophy to engage with his art. In that way, his pieces are more useful
than many other artists of this time. He pushes us to unlearn, to let
go of what we think should be, to instead make meaning on our own and
follow our mind’s infinite line of questions.
