The Son of a Man is an extremely interesting painting as the subject's face cannot actually be seen. It is actually to be expected, as this painting was created by René Magritte, who is known for his thought provoking paintings. They are known to change the viewer's perception of reality. This painting was made so that its meaning could take relevance in any time period. Magritte’s argument is about his perception of humanity, he believes that humans always hide things from others, but wants to know what others are hiding. He tries to use this painting to convey that to anyone who wants to view his painting in philosophical manner.
In order to convey this message Magritte utilizes shadows. In order to hide the man’s face, he places an apple in front of it and it displays a shadow. There is also a shadow around the man’s right hand. This shows that the hand is behind the man’s back, away from the viewer's ability to see. This shadow makes the viewer curious about what is in the man’s hand, portraying the argument of the painting. Magritte also uses simplicity in the background and surroundings. Keeping the background simple it draws attention to the subject. Also keeping the apple simple, but with a bright color, draws attention to it, ensuring the audience will notice that the face is not able to be seen. I do not believe exactly that this painting achieved Magritte’s purpose. I did not immediately feel his purpose was shown. I was at first confused and did not understand there was an underlying message. It took me more time than I would have spent if looking at it in a museum. Even spending much time analyzing did not lead me to an exact idea of what Magritte is trying to convey.
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