Buzz
As we dive deeper into the world of remarkable art and the brilliant minds behind it, we stumble upon even more riddles. Some of these secrets are more intricate and sensational than any drama on television. Still, the pursuit of answers goes on, particularly when it involves theft. The only ones who possess the truth are often those who’ve carried their secrets with them to their graves.
10. The Girl with the Pearl Earring
Amid all the speculation and theories, the true identity of the girl in Johannes Vermeer’s renowned 1665 painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring, remains a mystery. Her face, bathed in soft light, gazes towards us, with a large pearl earring dangling from her ear. It’s as if she’s about to speak, yet her story is entirely unknown. Could she have been Vermeer’s daughter? His lover? Or was she even real at all? Yet, despite this uncertainty, her image continues to captivate massive crowds wherever it is displayed.
In the 17th century, a portrait like this was called a 'tronie'—a study focused on the face and shoulders, often paired with a striking or unusual costume. The girl's turban in this painting lends it an exotic, Eastern atmosphere, while the oversized pearl earring seems designed to stir the imagination, amplifying the mystery that surrounds her.
Johannes Vermeer, too, remains an elusive figure. He lived his entire life in the Dutch town of Delft and fathered 15 children. Yet, only around 36 paintings are attributed to him. Despite their small number, these works are masterpieces, showcasing the delicate dance between light and shadow on the faces of women, set against sparse, minimalist backgrounds. It is the enigma woven into his paintings, the questions left unanswered, that fascinate the viewer. Girl with a Pearl Earring perfectly exemplifies this timeless allure.
As Tracy Chevalier, who authored a well-known novel based on this painting, notes: 'The image works because it remains unresolved. You'll never fully know what she’s thinking or feeling. If the question were answered, you’d simply move on to the next painting. But since it’s not, you return again and again, trying to unlock its mystery. That’s what all masterpieces do: We strive to understand them, but we never will.'
9. Lightning Strikes Twice
While restoring a masterpiece by Robert Reid, an early 20th-century American impressionist, art conservator Barry Bauman made a fascinating discovery: Reid had concealed a second painting beneath the one being restored. This hidden artwork, named In the Garden, depicted a young woman sitting outdoors at a table, reading while enjoying tea. It’s common for artists to paint over their previous works, but Reid had stretched a new canvas over the original, leaving no explanation for why he did so. And since Reid is no longer alive, the mystery remains unsolved.
What we do know about Reid is that he was a gambler, struggling financially throughout his life, and passed away before the full brunt of the Great Depression hit. Art historians speculate that Reid might not have been satisfied with his first painting and, seeking to save on supplies, decided to reuse the canvas. Alternatively, it might have been a more practical solution for shipping or storing the artwork.
The strange part is that this phenomenon has occurred twice in just two years in Indiana’s art scene. In 2012, Bauman encountered the same situation when he was about to restore a T.C. Steele painting for the Indiana State Museum. It’s a stroke of incredible luck for Indiana’s art world, but it’s also the art world’s version of lightning striking twice.
For the Brauer Museum of Art at Valparaiso University, this means they now possess two priceless Robert Reid paintings instead of just one. It's highly probable that they’ll keep both pieces on display to draw visitors, capitalizing on the captivating and unusual backstory behind these works.
8. The Love And Betrayal Of Wally Neuzil
In the early 1900s, Walburga 'Wally' Neuzil was the enigmatic muse of Austrian artist Egon Schiele. She appeared in many of his paintings, some of them erotic in nature, was said to have been his lover, and managed much of the practical side of his art career. She also appeared in the 1912 painting Portrait of Wally, which earned the nickname 'the Viennese Mona Lisa' because of its subject's hauntingly mysterious smile.
Neuzil came from a humble background in Tattendorf, Austria, and first crossed paths with Schiele when she was just 16. Although she was listed as a salesgirl, her role as Schiele’s model often led to a more complex life that included working as a prostitute. Over time, it became evident in Schiele’s artwork that their bond was far deeper than just a professional relationship. Art critics point out the subtle way she gazes at him in the paintings, suggesting their emotional connection.
Despite her unwavering loyalty, Schiele abruptly ended his relationship with Neuzil in 1915, choosing to marry a woman he deemed more socially respectable. It seemed the two would never meet again—but did they?
“There’s this narrative of a harsh breakup, implying Wally was never good enough,” says Diethard Leopold, son of a renowned collector of late 19th and early 20th-century Viennese art. “However, in 1913, they vacationed together at Traunsee, a lake near Salzburg, accompanied by Arthur Roessler, another of Schiele’s models. We found a private photo album documenting the trip. Even after the split, we have evidence showing that she kept in touch with his collectors and still owned Schiele’s works. Clearly, she was more accepted than history suggests.”
7. David’s Hidden Advantage
A debate lingers over whether Michelangelo’s David was depicted holding a concealed weapon, a fustibal, in his unusually large right hand. A fustibal was a sling designed to launch stones as far as 180 meters (600 feet).
The Bible recounts that when David faced Goliath, he carried a sling, five stones, and a shepherd’s staff. In Michelangelo’s early 1500s sculpture, only the sling is visible. However, some scholars suggest that the straps of the sling might be connected to an unidentifiable object in David’s hand, possibly a handle for the staff, which would function similarly to a golf club.
Originally, the statue was intended to be placed atop the Florence Cathedral, where the weapon would have been obscured. At the time, other artists’ works depicted David’s fustibal, and these depictions are believed to have influenced Michelangelo’s portrayal of his iconic sculpture.
Nevertheless, experts believe the staff was omitted from the sculpture for political reasons. “A shepherd’s staff did not align with the political message of the statue, which became Italy’s first public monument,” explained art historian Sergio Risaliti. Not all scholars agree with this interpretation, leaving the mystery of the object in David’s hand unresolved.
6. The Jesus Statue With Real Teeth
A statue of Jesus, over 300 years old, was unexpectedly found to contain real human teeth, complete with roots, in a small Mexican town. The origin of the teeth remains a mystery. In earlier religious practices, it was common for people to donate human body parts to churches. Statues were often adorned with human hair or teeth carved from animal bones, but until this discovery, no one had ever found actual human teeth in a statue.
This 17th or 18th-century sculpture, known as the Christ of Patience, was undergoing restoration when X-rays revealed human teeth in remarkably good condition. It is unclear whether the teeth belonged to a living or deceased person, or perhaps several individuals. There's even the possibility that the teeth were forcibly taken from someone and donated against their will. Strangely, the statue’s mouth is nearly shut, meaning the teeth are hidden from view unless you purposely look inside. But why would such a well-preserved set of teeth be used in the first place?
There’s no definitive way to identify the donor. However, without removing the teeth, researchers hope to determine the age and gender of the person. “For [modern people], it seems absurd,” said restorer Fanny Unikel Santoncini. “[But] the way they regarded the body was very different from our view today.”
5. The Man Beneath The Woman Ironing
After an attempted robbery damaged the canvas, an infrared camera revealed a second, hidden painting beneath Pablo Picasso’s famous 1904 piece Woman Ironing. This concealed artwork depicts an upside-down image of a man with a mustache. Scholars have been left puzzling over the identity of this man and whether Picasso himself painted him. They have ruled out the possibility of it being a self-portrait of the artist.
At the age of 22, living in Paris, Picasso painted his early masterpiece Woman Ironing as part of his Blue Period, which was characterized by melancholic themes and a predominantly blue color palette. Despite his talent, Picasso often struggled financially and would frequently paint over his previous works.
Some art experts contend that the brushstrokes and the type of paint on the hidden painting beneath Woman Ironing suggest that Picasso himself created it. However, there is much debate over who is actually depicted in the painting. The figure appears to resemble another artist, possibly sculptor Mateu Fernandez de Soto or painter Ricard Canals. But the more experts examine it, the more their opinions differ.
Another concealed portrait was uncovered beneath Picasso’s renowned painting The Blue Room, also created during his Blue Period in Paris. Using infrared technology, a bearded man wearing a bow tie and jacket was revealed. The distinctive brushwork on the visible painting prompted scientists and art experts to investigate further. As with Woman Ironing, this figure doesn’t seem to be a self-portrait, but the man’s identity and his connection to Picasso remain unresolved.
“Our audiences are hungry for this,” said Dorothy Kosinski, director of The Phillips Collection. “It’s kind of detective work. It’s giving them a doorway of access that I think enriches, maybe adds mystery, while allowing them to be part of a piecing together of a puzzle. The more we can understand, the greater our appreciation is of its significance in Picasso’s life.”
4. Study By Candlelight
The mystery surrounding Study by Candlelight is whether it is an authentic painting by Vincent Van Gogh or a forgery, as claimed by his nephew. The artwork appears to be a self-portrait of Van Gogh, but the lower third is incomplete and features an unusual Japanese kabuki character drawn in ink rather than paint. Additionally, the inscription “Etude a la bougie” (French for “study by candlelight”) is missing the usual French accent marks, raising further doubts.
The painting was initially purchased in 1948 by William Goetz, head of Universal Pictures, and at the time, it was authenticated. However, Van Gogh’s nephew soon declared it a forgery, and another art expert agreed with him. This triggered a prolonged debate over the painting’s authenticity. In 2005, a book about Hollywood forger John Decker revealed that Decker had purposefully forged artworks, including Study by Candlelight, and had tried to deceive Goetz into buying it.
While modern technology can provide insights into the materials used in the painting, it cannot solve the central question of who created Study by Candlelight and why a Japanese kabuki character was added. Only Van Gogh had the answers to these mysteries, and he took them to his grave.
3. The Other Mona Lisas
While most people associate the Mona Lisa with the iconic painting housed in the Louvre in Paris, there is actually a second Mona Lisa located in the Prado Museum in Madrid. This version may have been created either by Leonardo da Vinci himself or one of his students, potentially painted around the same time as the original. The second painting features a slightly different perspective, which creates a 3D effect when viewed alongside the first Mona Lisa.
“This suggests that the two paintings together could represent the world’s first stereoscopic image,” researchers noted in the journal Perception. They also propose that the mountains in the background of the painting were added on a separate canvas placed behind the woman—much like how a portrait studio might set up a backdrop today.
Experts remain divided on whether these two paintings were created at the same time and if the 3D effect was intentional or a happy accident.
In another unexpected revelation, a third Mona Lisa exists, known as the Isleworth Mona Lisa. In this version, the woman appears to be about a decade younger than in the other two. Is this painting the key to understanding the evolution of da Vinci’s style, a forgery, or the genuine article?
The Isleworth Mona Lisa seems to have been painted during Leonardo da Vinci’s lifetime, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he was the artist. One of his students might have been the creator of this version. Moreover, most of da Vinci’s works were painted on wood, while this painting is on canvas. Was da Vinci experimenting with a new medium, or was it someone else’s work? If da Vinci did indeed paint it—an opinion held by many experts—then why did he paint Mona Lisa at least twice?
The debate surrounding these paintings continues among experts, and it's unlikely we’ll ever settle the issue. What’s certain, however, is that the Isleworth Mona Lisa remains in near-perfect condition, which raises questions about whether it could truly be 500 years old. One expert has even suggested that it seems improbable for a painting to remain so well-preserved after so much time.
2. The Connecticut Connection To The Gardner Heist
In 1990, the largest art heist in history took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Among the nearly $500 million worth of stolen masterpieces were paintings by Edgar Degas, Rembrandt, and Jan Vermeer, taken by two men who posed as police officers. FBI agent Paul Cavanagh stated, “This was one of those thefts where people actually took time to research and select specific pieces. It was a professional operation.”
In 2010, the widow of mobster Robert Guarente told police that years before his death, he had asked Robert Gentile to hide two or three of the stolen paintings from the Gardner heist. The FBI had labeled Gentile as an old gangster. After failing a polygraph test about his involvement, he convinced authorities to let him take it again. This time, he admitted to having seen the stolen self-portrait by Rembrandt, and the polygraph confirmed his honesty. He claimed that Guarente’s widow had shown it to him and said it would help fund her retirement, effectively shifting the blame back to her, but he refused to offer further details.
While Gentile was serving time in prison, FBI agents conducted a search of his Connecticut property for clues regarding the theft. In the basement of his house, they discovered a piece of paper detailing the 13 stolen artworks and their estimated black market value, hidden inside a newspaper that reported the original theft.
Gentile’s son informed FBI agents that his father had hidden valuables in a plastic container under a false floor in his shed, but after a search, nothing was found. Later, he explained that a rainstorm had flooded the pit beneath the shed, destroying whatever had been stored there and leaving his father deeply upset. Despite further questioning, Gentile continued to reveal nothing. At the age of seventy and in poor health, he was sentenced to just 30 months and was released by January 2014.
In March 2013, the FBI’s Boston office publicly stated that they were certain organized crime was behind the Gardner heist. The FBI claimed they knew the identity of the thieves and that the stolen artworks had been moved to Connecticut and Philadelphia, though they withheld further information. Based on their sources, some newspapers named David A. Turner as the mastermind behind the heist, Robert Guarente as the one who hid the paintings, and Robert Gentile as the intermediary who sold them.
The FBI’s announcement aimed to encourage the public to search for hidden paintings in their garages or attics or to make tips that could be intercepted by wiretaps. However, these efforts yielded no leads. Soon after, the investigation was overshadowed by the more pressing Boston Marathon bombing.
1. The Missing Ballerina
The fate of Edgar Degas’ painting, Dancer Making Points, remains a mystery. It disappeared from the apartment of wealthy heiress Huguette Clark in the 1990s, with no one knowing whether it was given away, thrown out, or stolen. When the painting resurfaced in the home of Henry Bloch, a prominent art collector and co-founder of H&R Block, Clark attempted to prevent an FBI investigation, citing her desire for privacy. Although she never officially declared the painting as stolen, a legal dispute soon followed between Clark and Bloch.
Bloch purchased the painting in good faith, and the court case ultimately centered on whether he could keep it based on the principle of “finders keepers.” However, both parties eventually reached a complex settlement in which the painting was returned to Clark. Her attorney immediately donated the painting to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, where Bloch served as a trustee. In exchange, Clark received a significant tax deduction, and the Blochs were allowed to keep the painting in their home for life, after which it would be donated to the museum.
As part of the settlement, the museum required a sworn statement from Clark’s doctor, Dr. Henry S. Singman, affirming that she was mentally competent at the age of 102 to make such a gift. Dr. Singman provided the necessary certification.
The settlement, however, could be at risk due to a second will Clark signed in 2005, which excluded her family members from inheritance. Dr. Singman and others were named as beneficiaries in the second will. If Clark’s family succeeds in contesting the will in court, the agreement between Bloch and Clark could potentially be invalidated.
Was elderly Clark mentally sound when she created her second will, or did someone manipulate her for financial benefit? If she lacked mental capacity in 2005, it’s likely she was also deemed incompetent in 2008 when she finalized the settlement with the Blochs. This is a complex case filled with many unanswered questions. Clark passed away in 2011 at the age of 104.
