Hidden Meanings In Artworks Of The Famous Artists

One of the great things about art is that it is open for interpretations. Its meaning is diverse depending on who created the artwork, when it was made, and the style used in it. Artworks are usually created to feature a subject or express ourselves. In essence, art is a discovery and development of principles of nature that is meant to boggle our minds or touch our hearts. However, there are many artworks that are more than what meets the eye.

Several famous paintings that we know today have a hidden detail or a cryptic symbol. According to an article by The Vintage News, a popular historiy site that contains interesting stories from the past as well as stories from today about history, famous artists all throughout history, especially in the middle ages and the Renaissance, have placed hidden messages within their works of art. Most of the time, these messages were moral, political, or religious allegories. Let’s take a look into some of these famous art pieces.

The Last Supper

“The Last Supper” was created Leonardo da Vinci’s, an Italian artist. This painting was the artist’s famous portrayal of Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper. In recent years, it became the heart of some popular theories, as portrayed in the 2006 movie adaptation of the book starring Tom Hanks and the 2003 novel “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown. According to an article by Best Life Online, the digital destination for sophisticated men and women, Brown proposed that the disciple to the right of Jesus is actually Mary Magdalene disguised as John the Apostle. Also, he suggested that the “V” shape formed between Jesus and “John” represents a female womb. This implies that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a child together.

Cafe Terrace at Night

“Cafe Terrace at Night” was one of Vincent van Gogh’s most valuable paintings. The vibrant colors and his mesmerizing brush movements are the first things that catch the eye. However, Van Gogh expert Jared Baxter proposed a theory in 2015 that the artwork is the artist’s own version of “The Last Supper.” If you look closely, you will see one central figure with long hair that’s surrounded by 12 individuals. The person who seems to be slipping into the shadows was believed to be Judas. Also, there are small crucifixes appeared to be hidden throughout the painting.

Mona Lisa

“Mona Lisa” is Da Vinci’s 15th-century masterpiece which is one of the world’s most recognizable artworks. For centuries, the painting has been baffling researchers and art historians. According to an article by Live Science, a science news website which features groundbreaking developments in science, space, technology, health, the environment, our culture and history, French scientist Pascal Cotte revealed in 2017 that original portrait of the painting portrays a different woman who is looking off to the side instead of directly at the artist.

The Creation of Adam

Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” is one of the most replicated religious paintings of all time. In the artwork, God, carried by 12 figures, stretches his hand and nearly touches the hand of Adam. At first, the painting showed an allegory of the relationship between man and God. However, if you look closely, the image where God and the 12 figures were placed closely resembles the structure of the human brain. Michelangelo even depicted some of the complex brain parts. This shows that the painter is an expert on human anatomy.

Botticelli the Botanist

The painting is not only popular because it is an “elaborate mythological allegory of the burgeoning fertility of the world” but also it contains a lot of hidden symbols and meanings. It is full of characters from Roman mythology which provides an obvious mythical explanation and representation of Springtime. However, a lot of experts thought the artwork provides a clue to a plot against the Medici family. Aside from that, researchers discovered as many as 500 different plant species.

The Arnolfini Portrait

Normally, people would see a simple depiction of merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini in Jan van Eyck’s 1434 “The Arnolfini Portrait.” However, if you look closely, there are two figures entering the mirror in the center of the room. It was widely believed that the person is Van Eyck himself. The painter’s signature also appears as graffiti on the wall: “Jan van Eyck was here, 1434.”

Patch of Grass

Just like many struggling painters, Van Gogh often reused his old canvases since he was extremely poor most of his life. It was found out that around 15 percent or more than 20 paintings of the artist’s entire collection are known to cover an earlier composition by the artist. In 2008, scientists from the Netherlands and France revealed an unknown portrait hidden beneath the “Patch of Grass.” Through powerful X-rays, they found hidden layers of paint on the artwork.