‘I Swear It’s There.’ Apple CEO Claimed There Was an iPhone in a 1670 Painting. He Didn't Know How to React

Some say that Apple CEO Tim Cook is quite approachable and even comical at times, and that his sense of humor contrasts with his serious and committed demeanor. However, when he claimed he saw an iPhone in an old Flemish painting, it seems he wasn’t joking. A few years ago, during the Start-up Fest in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Cook spoke with former European Commissioner Neelie Kroes and publicly told her about seeing the phone.

The story dated back to the night before, when Kroes invited Cook to walk through the Rijksmuseum in the Dutch capital. The museum is well known for its huge collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, the largest collection in the world. During his visit, Cook claims to have witnessed something very strange. According to the Apple CEO, in one of the paintings, there was a person holding an iPhone.

The Painting in Question

During a presentation in front of a large audience, Kroes jokingly asked Cook, “Do you happen to know, Tim, where and when the iPhone was invented?” Cook’s response was unexpected: “You know, I thought I knew until last night.” He then turned to the audience and added, “Last night, Neelie took me over to look at some Rembrandt and in one of the paintings I was so shocked. There was an iPhone in one of the paintings.” 

“It’s tough to see, but I swear it’s there,” Cook said.

The painting Cook was referring to is Man Handing a Letter to a Woman in the Entrance Hall of a House, an oil on canvas piece painted in 1670, measuring 68 x 59 cm. In fact, it wasn’t even painted by Rembrandt, but by Pieter de Hooch, a great master of the Dutch Baroque style who worked in genre painting, a style focused on illustrating scenes of everyday life.

Who Was Pieter de Hooch?

De Hooch was a master of the Dutch Golden Age, known for his domestic scenes filled with light and depth. He was born in 1629 in Rotterdam, and it was his ability to capture everyday life with a poetic touch that sets him apart. An interesting anecdote about de Hooch is that, while working for the merchant Justus de la Grange, he frequently traveled between Delft and Leiden, exchanging his artwork for food. This arrangement allowed him to focus on works such as Two Women Beside a Linen Chest, with a Child, one of his most famous pieces.

Going back to the painting in question, it may seem that the character on the right is holding a first-generation iPhone, with its design roughly matching the original measurements: 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches. After observing the painting for some time, Tim remarked:

“I always thought I knew when the iPhone was invented, but now I’m not so sure anymore.”

The male character, the sender, is actually holding a letter, an important delivery for the lady in the painting. It seems that Cook’s observation is simply a case of seeing something familiar in something else. However, it’s fascinating how a folded letter can resemble a phone with its dark color and outline.

This article was written by Isra Fernandez and originally published in Spanish on Applesfera.

Image | Angela Weiss (AFP)

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