Explore the History of this artwork, Boy with Apple.
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. 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.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. 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.Upon the release of The Grand Budapest Hotel, the painting was well received. 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."
Hans Holbein the Younger Jonathan Jones Michael Taylor The Grand Budapest Hotel Renaissance Wes Anderson Dutch film prop Lucas Cranach the Elder Flemish The Guardian backstory European art history Elder Bronzino Renaissance-era