10 world famous paintings with hidden symbols and messages

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

In the old days, when people were forbidden to express their opinions or beliefs in public (or it was considered rude to display their true feelings in the public domain), paintings and sculptures were suitable objects that creators used to convey any message to people. Some of the artists shared such an overview with the world with their political convictions and moral views, while others left allegories on religious themes in their canvases. But during the Renaissance there were also such artists who left the so-called "Easter eggs" for future generations. Today, all these hidden symbols are a subject of study for scientists.

1. Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most talked about works of art among conspiracy theorists who regularly find hidden codes in this work. It turns out that The Last Supper is full of secret codes and meanings. Moreover, we are not talking about cryptograms, which, according to Dan Brown, the author of The Da Vinci Code, keep secrets about the future life of Jesus, and not even about statements that a mathematical and astrological code is hidden in the picture, which shows the day when the end of the world will begin (March 21, 4006).

Along with all the codes, Leonardo seems to have transmitted music to his descendants in his work. At first glance, there is nothing mysterious about the buns scattered on the table. But nevertheless, a few years ago the Italian computer technician Giovanni Maria Pala found in the picture … the score. The position of the hands and bread can be interpreted as musical notes. And if you read these notes from right to left (Da Vinci often wrote in this way), you get a 40-second composition that sounds like a requiem. READ MORE …

2. Michelangelo, "God separating light from darkness"

One of the most famous works of art by another famous Renaissance artist, Michelangelo, is his huge painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This truly gigantic masterpiece is divided into nine segments, and each of them tells a separate story from the Book of Genesis.

Michelangelo was a genius and "true Renaissance man": an artist, sculptor, architect, and, among others, a specialist in the field of human anatomy. This became known because of his sculptures, and also because the artist managed to hide several anatomical elements in his paintings. Even in his youth, Michelangelo dissected corpses unearthed in a cemetery, and during this rather disgusting period of his life, he learned a lot about the human body.

For example, if you look closely at the fragment entitled “God separating light from darkness,” you can see that the neck and chin of God resemble the image of a human brain.

So why did Michelangelo hide the anatomical sketches in his paintings? Most theorists believe that this was Michelangelo's protest against the church's refusal to accept scientific facts.

3. Michelangelo, "The Creation of Adam"

It seems that Michelangelo was fascinated by the human brain. In another popular piece of his masterpiece on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he inserted another image of the brain. Perhaps everyone has seen this painting, known as "The Creation of Adam," as it is one of the most replicated religious paintings of all time.

God, supported by twelve figures, reaches out and barely touches Adam's hand, giving him a spark of life. Initially, it was believed that the entire composition is only an allegory of the relationship between man and God, but some experts analyzed the picture and noticed that God and twelve figures are depicted against the background of a twisted cloak that closely resembles the structure of the human brain.

This cannot be a mere coincidence, as Michelangelo even managed to depict some of the more complex parts of the brain, such as the cerebellum, optic nerve and pituitary gland.

4. Vincent Van Gogh, Cafe Terrace at Night

Café Terrace at Night is considered one of Van Gogh's most valuable paintings. The scene depicted in it is quite simple - it is night and a bunch of people with drinks in a half-empty cafe. But it turns out that there is more hidden in the picture than an ordinary street scene. Many researchers believe that Van Gogh actually created his own version of the image of the Last Supper.

Those who support this theory explain this possibility by the great religiosity of Van Gogh. Also, everyone knows that Jesus spent his Last Supper with his twelve disciples.

Exactly twelve people sit in the cafe in the painting by Van Gogh, all centered around the long-haired man. Moreover, there are several hidden crosses in the picture, one of which is located above "Jesus".

Van Gogh never said that this painting of his had any religious symbolism, although in one letter to his brother Theo he wrote the following: “… this does not prevent me from desperately needing religion. So I go out at night to paint the stars, and I have always dreamed of painting a picture with a group of my friends."

5. Leonardo da Vinci, La Gioconda

This enigmatic masterpiece has puzzled researchers and art historians for centuries. Now Italian scholars have added another dimension to the intrigue, claiming that da Vinci left a series of very small letters and numbers in the painting. When viewed under a microscope, the letters LV can be seen in the Mona Lisa's right eye.

And in the left eye there are also some symbols, but not as noticeable as others. They resemble the letters CE, or the letter B.

On the arch of the bridge against the background of the picture there is an inscription either "72" or "L2" or the letter L, and the number 2. Also in the picture there is the number 149 and the fourth erased number after them.

Researchers suggest that this is probably the year the painting was created (if da Vinci was in Milan during the 1490s). But only da Vinci himself knew what all these numbers and letters really mean. READ MORE …

6. Sandro Botticelli, Spring

This masterpiece by Botticelli has a lot to offer for those looking for hidden symbols and meaning in works of art. The origin of the painting is unclear. It was written either by order of Lorenzo de Medici, or a little later - for his cousin Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici. In any case, and perhaps more importantly, the painting was created at the court of one of the most progressive families of the time.

"Spring" is replete with characters from Roman mythology, which was done (according to the researchers) to display mythological allegories of the flourishing fertility of the world. Apart from this obvious explanation, there are many interpretations of the scene depicted in the painting. Some people think that it provides clues to a conspiracy against the Medici family, while others think that the painting is associated with the pagan Renaissance and neo-Platonic philosophy.

Also, the picture is notable for the fact that it depicts a real botanical paradise. In the imaginary meadow depicted in "Primavera" (Spring), Botticelli painted an incredible amount of plants with an amazing degree of detail.

According to the botanists who have done their research on this painting, there are at least 500 different plants in more than 200 different species. One theory suggests that these are all types of spring plants that grew near Florence in the 15th century. READ MORE …

7. Giorgione, "The Tempest"

The painting by Venetian artist Giorgione "The Tempest" depicts two figures, a man and a woman, under the walls of an unknown city on which a storm is approaching.

The picture looks very simple and straightforward, but over the years, many scientists have analyzed it and tried to find the best interpretation. The young man standing on the path has been described as a soldier, shepherd, gypsy, or young aristocrat. The woman sitting opposite him was considered a gypsy, a prostitute, Eve or Mary, the mother of Jesus, on the way to Egypt. On the roof of one of the houses, you can see a stork, which, according to some, is a symbol of the love of parents for their children.

Everything around seems to be frozen in anticipation of the coming storm. According to Italian scholar Salvatore Settis, the city in the background is the image of Paradise, and the two characters are Adam and Eve with their son Cain. In ancient Greek and Jewish mythology, lightning in the sky symbolizes God.

Settis believes that the picture shows the moment when God expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise. This is just one of the explanations for "The Tempest", which many scholars consider one of the most mysterious works of art.

8. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, "Flemish Proverbs"

It would seem that there is nothing mysterious in this picture by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, but it is no less interesting than the others mentioned above. "Flemish proverbs" can be described as a literal interpretation of proverbs in Dutch. Bruegel was able to draw a visual display of the huge number of proverbs that were popular at the time.

In total, scientists managed to identify about 112 proverbs, but it is very likely that there are many more of them, they are simply forgotten today (which does not allow them to be identified), or they are very well hidden.

READ MORE …

9. Hieronymus Bosch, "The Garden of Earthly Delights"

Fragment of the triptych of Hieronymus Bosch "The Garden of Earthly Delights", the right wing "Hell", on which you can see the score on the sinner's buttocks

The work of Hieronymus Bosch is known for its fantastic imagery, detailed landscapes and illustrations of religious concepts. Bosch was a true master at depicting the grotesque. Each painting by Baskh looks like a test of people for their ability to notice small and hidden details.

For example, just three years ago, a blogger named Amelia revealed on her Tumblr blog that she had found some hidden musical notes in one of the paintings. Speech is just about this notorious fifth point of the sinner. Soon, the "Sinner's Hymn" appeared on the Internet, written from these notes. READ MORE …

10. Caravaggio, Bacchus

"Bacchus" is one of the most sensational paintings by Caravaggio. Today she can be seen at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The painting, painted in 1595, depicts the Roman god Bacchus (Dionysus) with a glass of wine, which invites the viewer to join him.

It looks pretty obvious, but eight years ago, a group of experts using modern OTDR technology managed to see something peculiar inside a decanter of wine (in the lower left corner): Caravaggio painted a tiny self-portrait in this place.

The miniature portrait was discovered in 1922 when a restorer was cleaning the canvas. Then the scientists did not understand what they found under the age-old layers of mud. But, thanks to modern technology, now everyone can see a funny picture of Caravaggio.

And in continuation of the topic more 10 fun facts about paintings by famous artists.