Boy with Apple is a 21st-century painting by British artist Michael Taylor. Painted on commission for use as a prop in Wes Anderson's 2014 film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, the fictional backstory written for Boy with Apple played a major role in the film's plot.
| Boy with Apple | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Michael Taylor |
| Year | 2012 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
The portrait depicts a boy clad in Renaissance-style garb holding (pinching with one hand and squeezing hard with the other) a green apple.[1] The model for the portrait was actor Ed Munro.[2]
History edit
British artist Michael Taylor painted Boy with Apple in 2012 for use in the then-upcoming film The Grand Budapest Hotel. Taylor was contacted by director Wes Anderson, who requested a faux Renaissance-era portrait that would evoke imagery from European art history.[3] Anderson actively added his own input to the work; specifically, he asked that the painting be made along the lines of works by Hans Holbein the Younger and Elder, Bronzino, Lucas Cranach the Elder, and a number of Flemish and Dutch painters.[4][5]
A similar amount of detail was given to the painting's backstory. In the film, the painting is attributed to the fictional "Johannes Van Hoytl the Younger" and is described as being of the "Czech mannerist, Habsburg high Renaissance, Budapest neo-humanist" style.[1] Due to the painting's role as a film prop, which required that Boy with Apple be carryable under an actor's arm, Taylor was forced to work on a smaller canvas than he was used to.[5]
Upon the release of The Grand Budapest Hotel, the painting was well received.[1][5] Art critic Jonathan Jones of The Guardian wrote a full-length analysis of the portrait, stating "Boy with Apple really is priceless, as an art history in-joke."[1]
The portrait is currently in the possession of Wes Anderson; this was confirmed in 2021 by an inquiry to Anderson, who stated "I have the picture and always will."[6]
References edit
- ^ a b c d Jones, Jonathan (7 March 2014). "Is The Grand Budapest Hotel's 'Boy with Apple' artwork plausible?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Michael Taylor's painting Boy with Apple to play a central role in Wes Anderson's new film, The Grand Budapest Hotel". Waterhouse & Dodd. 2 March 2014. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ Eakin, Marah (3 April 2014). "Read This: Here's the story behind The Grand Budapest Hotel's 'Boy With Apple'". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ Russeth, Andrew (27 February 2014). "Wes Anderson on the Painting at the Center of His 'Grand Budapest Hotel'". Observer. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ a b c Martin, Zelly (13 June 2014). "We Talked to the Painter Who Made 'Boy with Apple' for Wes Anderson's 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'". Vice. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ Woodward, Adam (22 February 2021). "The story behind The Grand Budapest Hotel's 'Boy with Apple' painting". Little White Lies. Retrieved 21 April 2024.