Search results
- The Arnolfini Portrait (1434)
- Madonna and Child with St John (c 1490)
- Mona Lisa (begun 1503)
- An Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump (1768)
Sometimes artists include hidden messages in their work, hiding them away so that only a select few people can understand their true significance. Below we look at five paintings and discover the...
Many famous artworks have small details that hold deeper meanings. These hidden messages tell us more about the artist’s intentions or the time in which the painting was made. Let’s explore some well-known artworks and the secret symbols within them.
- 1 Leonardo Da Vinci, The Last Supper
- 2 Michelangelo, Separation of Light from Darkness, The Sistine, Chapel Ceiling
- 3 Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, The Sistine, Chapel Ceiling
- 4 Vincent Van Gogh, Cafe Terrace at Night
- 5 Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa
- 6 Sandro Botticelli, Primavera
- 7 Giorgione, The Tempest
- 8 Pieter Bruegel The Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs
- 9 Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights
- 10 Caravaggio, Bacchus
Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper is one of his most discussed works of art amongst conspiracy theorists who regularly find hidden codes in his work. It turns out that the “Last Supper” is full of secret codes and meanings. We’re not talking here about the cryptograms that, according to Dan Brown, the author of The Da Vinci Code, hold the secrets of ...
This next secret message appears in the work of another Renaissance artist, a famous contemporary of Da Vinci called Michelangelo. Among his most notable pieces of art is his massive painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This huge masterpiece is divided into nine segments, and each of them tells a different story from the Book of Genesis. ...
It seems like Michelangelo was fascinated by the human brain. In another popular segment of his masterpiece on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he inserted another image of the brain. We’ve all seen the painting known as “The Creation of Adam” at one point or another. After all, it’s one of the most replicated religious paintings of all time. God...
When we look at “Cafe Terrace at Night,” considered as one of Van Gogh’s most valuable paintings, his mesmerizing brush movements, and choice of beautiful, vibrant colors are the first things that catches the eye. The scene is fairly simple – it’s night, and a bunch of people are having a drink at the half-empty cafe. But it turns out that there is...
Steeped in mystery, this enigmatic masterpiece has been baffling researchers and art historians for centuries. Now Italian scholars have added another layer of intrigue by announcing that Da Vinci left a series of very small letters and numbers. Viewed under a microscope, it’s possible to make out the letters LV in Mona Lisa’s right eye. There are ...
This Botticelli masterpiece has a lot to offer the curious eyes of those who indulge in the searching of hidden symbols and meaning in artworks. The origin of the painting is a little bit unclear. It was either commissioned by Lorenzo de’ Medici, or it may have been commissioned somewhat later by his cousin, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici. Eit...
In Giorgione’s “The Tempest,” we see two figures, one male, and the other female. They are both outside the walls of an unknown city, and it looks like a storm is coming. The painting looks very simple and straightforward, but throughout the years, many scholars have analyzed it and tried to find the best interpretation. The young man standing on t...
There is nothing mysterious within this painting made by Pieter Bruegel, the Elder, but still, it is no less interesting than the others mentioned above. “Netherlandish Proverbs” can be described as a massive literal interpretation of proverbs found in the Dutch language. Bruegel managed to paint a huge number of proverbs that were popular in his t...
The work of Hieronymus Bosch is famous for its fantastic imagery, detailed landscapes, and illustrations of religious concepts and narratives. Bosch was a master in depicting the grotesque. Every single Bosch painting looks like a massive hidden object game made to test your ability to notice small details. Among all the amusing objects and situati...
Caravaggio’s Bacchus is one of his most acclaimed paintings. Today it can be seen hanging in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery. The painting, made in 1595, shows the Roman god Bacchus (Dionysus) while he enjoys himself, drinking a glass of wine and inviting the viewer to join him. The whole setting looks pretty ordinary, with nothing more to tell than the ...
- Senior Editor
- "The Last Supper"
- "The Creation of Adam"
- "The Separation of Light from Darkness"
- "Café Terrace at Night"
Mar 4, 2022 · Not all art is that straightforward, though, and as humankind has developed new techniques and skills for creating artistic masterpieces, it hasn't been unheard of for them to sneak some hidden meanings and messages into said works.
People also ask
Are there hidden messages in art?
Can you keep a secret about a painting?
Why do artists hide a message in a painting or a sculpture?
Why do artists put secret messages in their paintings?
Jan 2, 2024 · From critiques of contemporary culture to commentaries on trends, these hidden symbols when detected transform into a timeless mode of communication as powerful today as they were when initially conjured within the composition. Join us as we decode the symbolism in some of the most iconic paintings of all time.
