
Rene Magritte created an inspirational piece of art where he questioned whether a pipe was actually a pipe; however, in another artwork “The Son of Man”, the point of the piece is not whether the man is truly a man, so people, do not get distracted with the idea. The question in this case is what the painting truly means because it may just seem like a simple portrait of a man. Truly, the simple man with an object in front of his face shows there is more there than meets the eye (or face for that matter). Rene Magritte in “The Son of Man” uses color attractiveness, symbolism and positioning to emphasize the important focal points like the fruit, the man’s tie, and limb orientation of the piece all in order to show that everyone has a weakness or temptation.

“The Son of Man” first uses colors to emphasize the theme of temptation. Rene Magritte was able to successfully do this because the color scheme of most of the piece is neutral meaning the other colors are dull and do not attract the human eye. However, vibrant colors such as green and red in the painting pose more contrast against the surrounding colors (Magritte). As a result, at first glance the red of the tie and green of the object grab the viewer’s attention the quickest. The color focus works with the interpretation that a viewer tends to focus on objects that appear more attractive than other parts of the piece. It leads to theme of temptation like how an object of a person’s temptation seems to grab their attention and take away from the rest of their surroundings.

The colors not only grab the viewer’s attention, but each color also has meaning. The green object first appears to be a fruit in front of the man’s face (Magritte). The object has the appearance of leaves jutting out the top of the object to resemble a fruit. One can wonder why it is a fruit being depicted, but this fruit has a specific reference in history. In the Bible, the story of Adam and Eve near the beginning of Genesis refers to a forbidden fruit by which God commands Adam and Eve not to eat. The forbidden fruit is a source of temptation for Adam and Eve because they were told not to eat it but could easily attain it. Therefore, as much as the fruit elicits temptation in the Bible, it also represents temptation in the painting. The man also wears a vibrant red tie (Magritte). This color red symbolizes the man’s passionate feelings regarding what he does for a living while the green color of the fruit symbolizes money. Businessmen, like the man depicted, depend on money to be successful. They tend to focus their attention on attaining money because of opportunity that it rewards them. The green color of the fruit symbolizes money, and due to the relationship between the man and the fruit, it acts as an object of temptation for him. The colorful objects of focus and their meanings present the theme of temptation.

Another important technique in “The Son of Man” is Magritte’s use of positioning. The use of positioning is important to the piece because the positioning of the limbs seem to show anxiety. In general, observers notice when people with possible anxiety interact with them or by looking at them. Some of these signs include excessive sweat, odd facial expressions or behavior. His limbs bring attention to the viewer because they are in an odd position than naturally laying at his sides. It may not seem very noticeable, but the position of his left (the viewer’s right) arm is positioned slightly behind his waist. It is noted this way by comparison of the left arm to his right because his right arm is in a relaxed position comfortably at his side. The position of his arm suggests that he is resisting the urge to grab the fruit in front of his face (Magritte). Along with his arm, his right hand also appears in an unrelaxed state compared to an open-palm hand relaxed at his side. Looking at the right hand, the man does not appear relaxed and is unclear about his decision whether to reach out to the fruit. Both the position of the man’s left arm slightly behind his waist and his right hand being in a “half-fist” position suggest that the man is anxious (Magritte). The anxiety displayed through his extremities shows the internal conflict he is facing. The feeling of temptation towards the fruit in his vision is playing a part on his well-being.

Another part of the painting is also important and it regards the fruit and its specific location. It is quickly noticed that the man’s facial features are obscure because of the fruit blocking them. The fruit could be anywhere else in the painting, but the fruit has significance being in front of the man’s face (Magritte). The viewer does not know who the man is, and no person could possibly know who this person is. This effect of obscurity causes the viewer to think that it could even be them. One wants to identify the person and separate themselves from the person in the painting, but the person’s identifying yet covered facial features prove this point. The temptation that the man feels could be the same temptation that anyone else feels. It is the positioning of the fruit that causes the viewer to feel tempted by the fruit too. It therefore provides evidence that everyone has a weakness or temptation. Therefore, also the positioning of the limbs and fruit exhibit the theme of temptation.

Rene Magritte in “The Son of Man” uses color attractiveness, symbolism, and positioning to emphasize the important focal points of the piece in order to show that everyone has a weakness or temptation. Colors and positioning are important throughout other relatable paintings, and it’s Magritte’s use of these colors that help emphasize the meaning. Weaknesses and temptations can cloud one’s judgement, and many people in this modern society can relate to this theme of temptation. One’s temptation or weakness is a huge part of his/her everyday lifestyle because humans naturally seek perfection in their own minds. Nowadays, through media, people see others more often and compare their own image to each other because of the perfect image they have in mind for themselves. Young or old, rich or poor, or anyone to and fro, people cannot escape their flaws. Rene Magritte also questioned one’s thinking about the actuality of a pipe, but he was able to do it again in “The Son of Man”.
