Where's Eve?

Ever wondered what the book of Genesis would look like if women were never created? If so, Rene’ Magritte’s  “The Son of Man” may actually be a spot on depiction. It is revealing in the sense that perhaps the man chose to eat the forbidden fruit.

A very interpretive piece with a man in a bowler derby hat and dress coat standing in front of an overcast sky and endless body of water. What’s so special about that you ask? Blocking this man’s face is what we consider to be the forbidden fruit. A green apple blocks the vision of this man with leaves that look as if the tree is still holding it up.

It is a very simple portrait with a glance and may not be interesting to most. The thing to look at is at the man’s eyes which are not visible to us, which is where the interpretation comes in and the questions you have. Like any other painting this contains the mysterious questions of “why this man”, “why this location” and “why?”

The colors are washed out a bit so it gives off a 60s comic book feel. Since this was made in 1964 that would be a great style to apply. That idea is solid since at that time Marvel was becoming a large part of pop culture being created in ’61. As dry as the painting feels you get a sense up depth where the waves meet the sky. A clash of orange and blue to attract your eyes.

There are plenty of questions to bring from this. In no form can they be answered correctly because that’s art and this is truly art. Is this Adam? Does it have any biblical meaning? Perhaps it is just a man being told he needs to eat healthier. Whatever the answer is, is should not take you away from the substance that “The Son of Man” brings to the table. The man in the bowler derby knows that a picture is worth a thousand words and an apple a day won’t keep the questions at bay.