Buzz
Many artists believe that a piece of art is never truly completed, only left behind, while others insist that these works are clearly unfinished.
1. The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer’s classic work was intended to feature two tales from pilgrims traveling to Canterbury and two more on their return journey. However, these stories remain untold, as Chaucer never completed them. Experts attribute this to his demanding career—he served at the Port of London, became Kent’s Justice of Peace, later joined Kent’s parliament, and eventually returned to London as a clerk for the King.
2. Mozart’s Requiem
Mozart passed away before completing the Requiem. Having received only half the payment initially, his wife sought to discreetly commission someone else to finish the piece to secure the remaining funds. Franz Xaver Süssmayr ultimately completed it, and the work has seen numerous revisions since.
3. The Brothers Karamazov
While Dostoyevsky’s philosophical masterpiece may seem lengthy, it was intended to be only the first part of a grander project titled The Life of a Great Sinner. Sadly, Dostoyevsky passed away shortly after completing Brothers, leaving the larger vision unrealized. One can only imagine the pancake-filled gatherings that followed his funeral.
4. David/Apollo
Experts remain divided on whether Michelangelo’s sculpture represents David or Apollo, but they unanimously agree that it was left incomplete for reasons still unknown.
5. Raphael’s Transfiguration
Regarded as one of Raphael’s finest masterpieces, the painting was left with 16 unfinished sections upon his death. His assistants were tasked with completing some of the figures, particularly those in the lower left portion.
6. The portrait of Franklin D Roosevelt
Elizabeth Shoumatoff’s watercolor portrait was being painted on April 12, 1945, at Roosevelt’s Georgia retreat, the Little White House. During a lunch break, the President remarked, “I have a terrific pain in the back of my head,” before collapsing and succumbing to a stroke. Shoumatoff later completed a second version, but the original remains unfinished.
7. The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
This massive church in upper Manhattan ranks among the world’s largest cathedrals, yet it remains unfinished. Construction started in 1892 and has been intermittent ever since, leaving the spires still unbuilt.
8. Coleridge’s Kubla Khan
Legend has it that Coleridge, after consuming laudanum, fell into a deep sleep and envisioned the entire poem. Upon waking in a hazy state, he began writing it down but was interrupted by an urgent errand. When he returned, his creative inspiration—and the effects of the laudanum—had vanished, leaving the poem incomplete.
