10 Hidden Signs In Famous Paintings

After “The Da Vinci Code” became a best-selling phenomenon, conspiracy theorists and historians joined as one to study the world of art, looking for secrets. With a helping hand from the internet, a huge number of attention-grabbing theories about famous paintings have risen ever since.

Celebrated artworks are so much more than beautiful pictures. The likes of Michelangelo, da Vinci, and van Gogh were as much masters of allegory and symbolism as they were of paintbrush and canvas.

Here are 10 hidden signs in famous paintings.

1. The music inside The Last Supper

It might be common knowledge that da Vinci was an accomplished musician, but not many people know about the song he painted into “The Last Supper,” using rolls and hands in the place of music notes.

When read from right to left, which adheres to Da Vinci’s unique writing style, the notes combine to make a tuneful 40-second composition. Even disbelievers have admitted that the composition’s note perfect harmony is too good to be a coincidence.

2. The missing whale

When “Scheveningen Sands” was painted in the 1600s, it was a depiction of a group of beachgoers clustered around a beached whale. Somewhere along the way, the animal was painted over, leaving the group standing around for no visible reason.

When the restoration began at the Fitzwilliam Museum, those working on the piece eventually uncovered what appeared to be a man floating in midair, but eventually, the fin of the whale was revealed.

3. Hidden artist self-portrait

The portrait, which appears in the reflection of light on the surface of the wine, shows Caravaggio at the age of 25, with dark curly hair, holding a paintbrush and working at an easel.

4. The Greek myth behind the art

The painting seemed to be normal, but the hidden story behind it is actually pretty creepy. The brooch of the woman has a face of Greek character Persephone on it, who was kidnapped by Hades. The man on the portrait was holding a pitchfork, which is known to be the king of the underworld’s weapon of choice.

5. Imaginary flowers and plants

If you look closely, you would see that not all flowers on Botticelli’s La Primavera exist in real life.

6. Anatomy in Michelangelo’s work

Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” has endured not only as the most famous of the Sistine Chapel panels but also as one of the single most iconic images of humanity.

Many believed that God’s cape on the painting resembles the shape of a human brain. Does this mean that Michelangelo believed that God was the creation of the human brain? That will never be known but it could be an interesting look into the brain of one of the most iconic artists in history.

7. The two faces of The Old Fisherman

Csontváry Kosztka’s work looked like a normal picture of an old fisherman. But if you split it in half and mirror the images, you will see a completely different concept.

8. Aliens and hovering objects

Domenico Ghirlandaio’s “Madonna with Saint Giovannino” features an interesting little blob hovering in the sky over Mary’s left shoulder. It is an object which the artist depicted in huge detail, making sure it would stand out in his work of art.

To the right of the painting, we can see a man who is holding his right arm above his eyes, signifying that this object was extremely bright, while in the upper left-hand corner we can see an object that looks like the sun.

9. A modern last supper

For many, “Cafe Terrace at Night” is one of Van Gogh’s most important paintings. If you look at the painting, like most, you’ll probably see an ordinary, unremarkable scene, painted with the artist’s trademark magic touch. Yet many believe the picture is actually a portrayal of the Last Supper.

The Last Supper is the final meal that Jesus sat down to eat with his 12 disciples. If you count them, Van Gogh’s painting clearly portrays 12 people sitting down to eat, with a long-haired central figure standing among them.

Coincidence? Maybe. But when you take into account the number of hidden crosses in the painting , including one above the Christ-like figure, all the evidence points to the assertion that this painting truly is Van Gogh’s artistic expression of the Last Supper.

10. A secret cameo by the Devil

If you look closely at the clouds, there’s an image of what appears to be a Devil in there.

Experts believe Giotto may have painted the face in there for his own amusement, or even to mock someone he was not in good relations with.