Hidden Meanings Uncovered in Famous Works of Art

• Nelson Shanks is in the news these days because of his portrait of the former President

• The shadow in the painting is a reference to the blue dress Monica Lewinsky wore during her affair with the president.

• "It is also a bit of a metaphor in that it represents a shadow on the office he held, or on him.“ – Nelson Shanks

• The portrait became part of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC in 2005.

Bill Clinton’s Presidential

PortraitNelson Shanks

The Mona Lisa Leonardo Da Vinci

• Members of Italy's National Committee for Cultural Heritage found that by magnifying high resolution images of the Mona Lisa's eyes, letters and numbers can be seen.

• The initials ‘LV’ appear in the right eye, and what looks like the number 72 in the arch of the bridge at the back.

• Some believe that the painting may have been completed in the 1490’s because of the number 149 at the back of the picture, with a fourth digit erased.

The Creation of Adam Michelangelo

• Michelangelo was known to be obsessed with human anatomy • It has been noted by physicians that the background figures and shapes behind the

figure of God are an anatomically accurate representation of the human brain. If you look closely, the borders in the painting correlate with major sulci of the cerebrum in the inner and outer surface of the brain, the brain stem, the frontal lobe, the basilar artery, the pituitary gland and the optic chiasm of the brain.

• How’s that for Art and Science making a connection!

The Last SupperLeonardo Da Vinci

• Leonardo Da Vinci was a Renaissance Man embodied. In addition to his artistic talents, he also had an ear for music.

• According to one musician, Giovanni Maria Pala, by drawing the five lines of a musical staff across the painting, the loaves of bread on the table and the hands of Jesus, the Apostles could each represent a musical note.

• The notes make sense musically when the resulting score is read from right to left, following Da Vinci's own writing style, Mr Pala said in his book La Musica Celata (The Hidden Music)

Madonna with Saint GiovanninoDomenico Ghirlandaio

• In this painting, a UFO can be seen in the upper right hand corner of the sky. Below, on the banks of the water, a man is looking up at the aircraft in a startled manner and shading his eyes from the bright lights.

• Maybe this was Ghirlandaio’s way of saying ‘We're not alone’.

Starry Night Vincent Van Gough

• There are some art critics who find a biblical meaning in the number of stars painted in Starry Night that alludes to a specific Bible verse in the book of Genesis.

• Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, saying, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” - Genesis 37:9

• This is the biblical account of Joseph, a “dreamer” and an outcast in among his eleven older brothers. Van Gogh might have identified with Joseph in the Bible. Joseph faced many years of hardships and never received acceptance and respect from his brothers.

• Similarly, Van Gogh was thrown into an asylum in the later part of his life and, despite his best efforts, as an artist Van Gogh never received recognition from art critics of his day.

David and GoliathMichelangelo

• “David and Goliath” is a painting done by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.

• The entire ceiling is believed to have shapes that reflect the Hebrew alphabet.

• Many art historians believe that the figures of “David and Goliath” form the Hebrew letter gimel.

• In mystical Kabbalah tradition, the letter means strength, which is clearly depicted in this painting.

Netherlandish ProverbsPieter Bruegel the Elder

• This painting was originally called The Blue Cloak or The Folly of the World, indicating that the artist's intention was not simply to illustrate traditional sayings but rather to illustrate the universal stupidity of man.

• The painting has been found to contain over 125 proverbs of Flemish life

• The proverbs are of two types: those which turn reason on its head and therefore demonstrate the absurdity of much of human behavior; and more serious proverbs which illustrate the dangers of folly, which leads to sin.

Supper at EmmausCaravaggio

• This painting depicts the moment when the resurrected Jesus reveals himself to two of his disciples.

• The food on the table has symbolic meaning:

• The basket of food near the edge of the table is believed to depict a teetering world.

• Shadow of the fish-tail is also a symbol of Christ

• Choice of fruit is also symbolic: The apple, here going rotten, is a symbol of the Temptation and of the Fall of Man

• Sacrifice of Christ is symbolized by the grapes. Grapes are the source of the wine, which becomes, at the Roman Catholic Eucharist, the Blood of Christ.

Train yourself with the Right Degree

• Throughout the ages, famed artists have left little Easter eggs in their works. These ‘hidden treasures’ are often reflective of the political backdrop of the times they were living in, the personal turmoil's they struggled with, and their relationship with their Creator and the Cosmos.

• To spot these hidden gems and put them into context, a sound understanding of history and art is required. Excite Education offers degrees in Art History, Liberal Arts, and many other concentrations which can help you develop the knowledge and skills necessary.

• Not only do you have many options when it comes to choosing your degree, Excite Education offers the convenience and flexibility of online learning through a variety of online degree programs.

Sources

• http://www.washingtontimes.com/multimedia/image/nelson-shanks-clinton-paintingjpg/• http://www.mada-arts.com/files/3956338/uploaded/mona%2520solo.jpg• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Creaci%C3%B3n_de_Ad%C3%A1n_(Miguel

_%C3%81ngel).jpg• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/8197896/Mona-Lisa-painting-contains-hidden-

code.html• https://gengrayoncanvas.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/the_last_supper_restored_da_vinci.jpg• http://uploads2.wikiart.org/images/vincent-van-gogh/the-starry-night-1889(1).jpg• http://legomenon.com/starry-night-meaning-of-vincent-van-gogh-painting.html• http://www.cracked.com/article_18386_7-mind-blowing-easter-eggs-hidden-in-famous-works-

art_p2.html• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539666/• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7088600.stm• http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/entertainment/the-10-most-famous-paintings-with-

hidden-codes/• http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/netherlandish-proverbs.htm• http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/supper-at-emmaus.htm• http://1happyblog.com/2014/08/15/art-of-the-day-the-starry-night-by-vincent-van-gogh/

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