Article written by Valeria Lasso.
Art has always been a way for artists to express themselves. However, artists couldn’t always be blunt about what they wanted to express in their paintings. Back when their work was under close scrutiny by the authoritative entities, artist had to be careful with what they put in their paintings, but this was not going to stop them from expressing their opinions, even if they had to hide the real meaning within the paintings.
I don’t know about you, but I think this is super cool and interesting. I mean, most of these pictures are already complex as they are, and on top of that, the artists managed to hide some sort of hidden meaning in them.
So, I decided to make a list of my top 7 favorite paintings with a hidden meaning behind them. Without further ado, here they are:
1. The “Creation of Adam” segment on the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo
At the top of my list, we’ve got The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. Claims say that Michelangelo was quite fascinated by brains, and he didn’t fail to include it in this iconic painting. I’m going to give you a second to look at the image in case you haven’t seen it yet.
Done?
Okay. Holy crap, right? How did we ever miss this? We’ve probably been looking at this image and thinking that it’s just a representation of the relationship between man and God, but some experts have analyzed the painting and noticed that God and the twelve figures are pictured against a sort of ‘swirling cloak’ which looks a lot like the outline of a human brain.
And before you start thinking that that might just be a coincidence, experts have identified some of the more complex brain parts in this outline, such as the cerebellum, optic chiasm, and pituitary gland. If it was a coincidence, it would be an incredibly huge coincidence. I mean, the figure beneath God, wearing a green scarf, is an almost perfect representation of the vertebral artery.
2. Hans Holbein the Younger, The Ambassadors
Runner up on the list is The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger. This painting has a really cool twist to it. It looks like a regular painting of two well-dressed gentlemen living in youthful health and confidence, but if you look at the lower left, there’s a diagonal blur close to the ground. If you look at it from the proper angle, the blur reveals itself as a skull. The idea of the memento mori (‘remember you will die’) was very common back then. The painting was probably designed to be placed on a stairwell, so that the person that passed by it would see the skull and be constantly reminded of their mortality.
3. Caravaggio, Bacchus
Next on the list we’ve got Caravaggio’s Bacchus. This is one of his most acclaimed paintings. The painting shows the Roman god Bacchus relaxing and drinking a glass of wine. It almost looks like he’s inviting the viewer to join him.
Overall, it looks rather ordinary. However, a few years ago, experts used a modern technology called reflectography and managed to see something strange inside the carafe of wine sitting in the bottom left corner. Caravaggio made a portrait of himself inside the bottle!
According to the experts, the portrait, which appears in the reflection of light on the surface of the wine, shows him around the age of 25, with dark curly hair, holding a paint brush and working at an easel.
4. Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait
The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck is a rather sneaky one. In this painting, Jan van Eyck managed to incorporate an elaborate Latin signature on the wall behind the couple, "Jan van Eyck was here 1434". And, if you look closer (closer as in, with a magnifying glass closer), in the mirror above there are two tiny figures standing in front of the couple. They stand in the position of the artist, looking at the scene; one of them is presumed to be the artist himself.
5. Benvenuto Celinni, Perseus with the Head of Medusa
I know I said paintings, but I just had to include this sculpture because it’s just too good. Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini is supposed to feature two faces: mythological Greek hero Perseus and the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa (beheaded). But if you look at the back of Perseus’s helmet, you’ll find a little surprise. Another face!
It’s Cellini’s bearded self-portrait! And as if that wasn’t enough, Cellini also signed his name on Perseus’s belt to ensure no one forgets who made this bronze masterpiece.
6. Vincent Van Gogh, Café Terrace at Night
The possible secret behind Café Terrace at Night by Van Gogh is definitely an interesting one. One would think this is just an ordinary painting. I mean, sure, it’s absolutely remarkable, just like many of Van Gogh’s work, but you would’ve never ever imagined that it’s a portrayal of the Last Supper.
What? I know.
I’m not crazy, okay? If you look closely, there are exactly 12 people sitting down to eat, and then there’s a long-haired man standing among them. Jesus, is that you?
Coincidence? I think not.
To add to that, there are several hidden crosses in the painting. There is even one right above the Jesus-like figure. This, however, comes to little surprise because it is known that Van Gogh was actually quite a religious man.
7. Domenico Ghirlandaio, The Madonna with Saint Giovannino
Now, the list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t at least include one painting that has a UFO in it, and what better painting than the Madonna with Saint Giovannino by Domeni Ghirlandaio to wrap up the list? This painting displays Mary praying over baby Jesus. However, in case you haven’t noticed, on the top right of her head is a pretty clear dot, floating in the sky. Looks quite a bit like an alien ship to me. It was clearly put there on purpose, because we can also see that he painted a man in the background shielding his eyes to gaze up at it. So, either the ‘belief’ that life exists beyond our own planet dates back to this time, or maybe there are ACTUAL aliens and some Renaissance artists maybe even came in contact with them?
Okay, maybe that’s not what happened, but wouldn’t it be cool?
So, that’s it, friends. That is my list of the top 7 coolest hidden messages in Renaissance art. I hope you found these fun or at least interesting.
I did have my own interpretation of each hidden message that we looked at, but I think we should all come up with our own interpretation. What do you think each artist was really trying to get across with their art, and with the hidden messages they included in their work?
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