Almost all known works of art have a mystery behind them, a unique story that we want to reveal. Even the masterpieces that everyone knows have their own secrets. And we only know about the secret meaning of these paintings, thanks to technology.
We want to invite you on a journey to this incredible world created by artists, to discover the secrets behind these famous paintings.
Mysteries Behind Art Masterpieces
6. The Girl In Francisco Goya’s The Clothed Maja Is Actually Naked
There are 2 versions of this painting. The first was The Nude Maja. The painting is famous for being one of the earliest pieces of Western art depicting a woman without clothes, but it was not mythology.
But in 1808, the painting was found by the Spanish inquisitions and Goya was charged with being immoral.
The second painting is The Dressed Maja. Both paintings belonged to the Spanish minister, Manuel Godoy, a famous ladies’ man.
The fact is, The Nude Maja was hidden underneath The Clothed Maja so you could watch it at any time using a special mechanism.
5. Degas Decided To Replace One Portrait Of A Woman With Another
Scientists have discovered a hidden portrait of the French artist Edgar Degas. Researchers in Australia used powerful X-ray machines to see the face of a young woman hidden under the Portrait of a Woman. They think the woman is Emma Dobigny, found in other Degas paintings.
4. It Wasn’t Shishkin That Drew The Bears On Morning In A Pine Forest
The famous painting Morning in a Pine Forest was not just done by Shishkin alone. He spent his entire life drawing nature and he was worried that he wouldn’t draw bears the way he wanted to see them. So he asked another artist he knew for help.
Savitsky drew them, but when Tretyakov bought this painting, he ordered that his name be removed from the canvas. He thought that everything in the painting (“the idea and the work”) indicated that it was Shishkin who drew it.
3. These 3 Paintings By Da Vinci Were Supposed To Be A Triptych
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, 1503, Virgin of the Rocks, 1483, and The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, 1513
Some art experts believe that Mona Lisa, Virgin of the Rocks, and The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, are a single painting, drawn in different ways and aspects.
Also, some people think that the landscape in these three paintings is of the Moon, not Earth. Probably because the artist was interested in geology.
2. The Character On Caravaggio’s The Lute Player Was Believed To Be A Girl
The lute player exists in 3 versions: one is in the Hermitage and the other in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And the third, which is a copy of the Hermitage, is on English estate, Badminton House.
Some experts think that this painting is paired with Caravaggio’s Musicians. The lute was considered a woman because of the smooth facial features.
But recently, researchers agreed that it is more likely to be a young man. The artist’s friend Mario Minniti often posed for him, and also the profession of the lute player was only for men in the 16th century.
1. In One Of His Paintings, Van Gogh Discovered One Of The Secrets Of Aerodynamics
The Starry Night is believed to be not only one of the artist’s best works but also one of the most important pieces of Western art. But it was only recently that experts discover that Van Gogh didn’t just draw a beautiful sky.
Scientists have found a distinct turbulent structure incredibly close to a hidden mathematical equation in many of Van Gogh’s works.
In some way, he was able to perceive and portray one of the most complicated concepts that nature has created (the concept of turbulence).
In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow, it is a fluid movement when a powerful vortex appears, leading to the appearance of smaller vortices, and so on.
It is difficult to express this phenomenon in mathematics, but it can be drawn, which is what we see in the painting.
Have you made impressive discoveries just by looking at a painting for a long time? Tell us about the interesting artistic facts you know!
