11 intriguing and unexpected facts about the world's most famous paintings

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

A number of famous paintings, about which almost everyone has heard, hide a certain secret in their history. Each of these works has become a reflection of the time in which it was created, and at least allows you to look into the inner world of artists.

Many of the most famous works of art become so popular because of the time of creation, the events that are captured, or other facts related to them; for example, the beginning or end of an era, alliances of countries or wars, natural beauty and, of course, the emotional state of the author. In this review, 11 of the most famous works that keep some kind of secrets.

1. "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt

In 1907, Klimt experienced a period of creative panic. It is said that he painted this picture in a rage and doubted his work. He even confessed in a letter to a friend:.

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2. "Guernica", Pablo Picasso

The artist was inspired by a Times article entitled "The Tragedy of Guernica" written by George Steer and published on April 27, 1937. It described how the Condor Legion on April 26, 1937, dropped several thousand bombs on the city of Guernica, destroying it to the ground. Picasso was inspired to create this historic work by a sense of anger.

3. "Starry Night" by Vincent van Gogh

As a sign of respect for the artist, singer Josh Groban wrote a song called "Starry Starry Night / Vincent", in which he explains his feelings for Van Gogh:.

4. "Persistence of memory", Salvador Dali

Art critic Don Ades noted that "the blurry clock is an unconscious symbol of the relativity of space and time," therefore it is believed that this work is a response to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.

5. "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci

Jesus' feet are not visible in this painting, but Leonardo originally painted them. It is said that in 1650 it occurred to someone that there should be a door in the wall with this monumental painting, and as a result the door was made exactly at the place where Jesus' feet were. Nowadays, many are joking: it's good that a window did not come to mind at this place.

6. "Meninas", Diego Velazquez

In this painting there is an image of Velazquez himself with the cross of the Order of Sant'Iago, although until 1660 the artist was not knighted of this order (the picture was painted in 1656). According to legend, King Philip IV, who greatly appreciated Velazquez and knighted him with his own hand, finished the cross himself after this event.

7. "Night Watch", Rembrandt

Initially, Rembrandt gave a different name to this painting: "Speech by the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Kok and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg". The name "Night Watch" appeared much later.

8. The Scream, Edvard Munch

The killer masks in the Scream horror film series were inspired by this very work of Edvard Munch.

9. American Gothic by Grant Wood

The artist once said to his dentist Byron McKeeby: “. Therefore, later McKeebee became a model for the face of the peasant depicted in this picture.

10. "Garden of Earthly Delights", Hieronymus Bosch

There are many real and fantastic animals, plants and fruits in the picture. Some of the images are in real size, while others are even much larger.

11. Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci

How to forget the most famous painting in history. One of the biggest questions about this work is who da Vinci painted. Some say it is Lisa Gherardini, the Florentine lady who married Francesco del Giocondo, a Neapolitan banker. Others claim that it was Countess Constanza d'Avalos. But the above is not the only point that causes confusion. Another feature of the painting is that the woman has neither eyebrows nor eyelashes. And the custom among Florentine ladies to pluck all the facial hair appeared much later.