Buzz
Ever since Dan Brown’s *The Da Vinci Code* took the world by storm, the web has been flooded with curious minds attempting to decode the so-called 'secrets' behind famous art. From mysterious alien symbols in Renaissance pieces to endless theories surrounding the *Mona Lisa*, no mystery has gone unsolved.
However, not every theory is pure fantasy. Some are astonishingly plausible and truly mind-bending.
10. A Satyr Lamenting Over A Nymph May Actually Depict a Gruesome Murder
Created by Piero di Cosimo in 1495, *A Satyr Mourning Over A Nymph* is commonly thought to illustrate a scene from Ovid’s *Metamorphoses*. In this myth, Procris is tragically killed in the forest when her husband, Cephalus, mistakenly takes her for an animal and throws a spear at her. While this tragic scene fits the Renaissance style, there’s a catch: a closer inspection reveals Cosimo’s depiction couldn’t possibly match the ‘accidental’ killing described in the myth.
According to British scholar Michael Baum, the evidence strongly suggests this painting shows the aftermath of a violent murder. Procris bears deep cuts on her hands, consistent with someone defending themselves against a knife. Her left hand is contorted in what’s known as ‘the waiter’s tip,’ a posture often seen in murder victims whose cervical cord has been severed at C3 and C4 levels. Additionally, there’s a neck wound matching the exact spot for this injury. Rather than a romantic tragedy, Cosimo’s painting seems to reveal a brutal stabbing.
This may not have been intentional. Professor Baum speculates that Cosimo might have asked the local morgue for a body to model for the painting—and ended up with a murder victim.
9. Diego Rivera Suggests J.D. Rockefeller Jr. Was Infected with Syphilis
Diego Rivera’s Man, Controller Of The Universe stands as one of the most significant works of Mexican art, both in size and importance. It was originally commissioned for the Rockefeller Center, but after Nelson Rockefeller took offense to its portrayal of Lenin and had it destroyed, it was recreated in Mexico City. This monumental piece remains one of the iconic works of the 20th century. Additionally, it can be seen as a bold act of revenge. The mural suggests that Nelson Rockefeller’s father suffered from syphilis.
A key feature of the mural is its representation of modern scientific advancements. The central cross of the mural is filled with galaxies, exploding suns, and microscopic bacteria, all floating above the heads of men and women. After Nelson Rockefeller had the original destroyed, Rivera went back to paint J.D. Rockefeller Jr., Nelson’s father, directly beneath one of the bacteria, which just so happened to resemble syphilis.
But Rivera's artistic retaliation didn’t end there. Despite J.D. Rockefeller Jr.'s lifelong abstinence from alcohol, Rivera portrayed him holding a martini with a woman who could be interpreted as a prostitute. To intensify the symbolism, Rivera also placed Lenin in a prominent spot on the mural.
Isabella Features a Man Concealing His Erection
A prominent figure in the Pre-Raphaelite movement, John Everett Millais is likely most famous today for his iconic painting Ophelia. However, in 2012, researchers uncovered an unexpected detail in his earlier work Isabella. The scene depicts a group of characters from Boccaccio’s Decameron gathered around a table at a banquet, but also reveals what unmistakably appears to be the shadow of an erection.
In the foreground, to the left of the painting, a character is posed with one leg raised and holding a nutcracker. Upon closer inspection, the shadow cast by the nutcracker happens to align perfectly with his groin, giving the impression of excessive enthusiasm for the meal. Rather than confirming a lewd interpretation, it was most likely a deliberate artistic choice.
The Decameron is widely regarded as one of the most sexually charged books in literature, and the painting is replete with sexual symbolism. The outstretched leg of the character is intended to evoke a phallic image, while a spilled mound of salt near the shadowy figure of a penis is likely a symbol of semen. It’s as provocative as you can get without crossing into explicit pornography.
7. La Primavera: A Tribute to the Art of Gardening
One of the most renowned paintings in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence—an impressive distinction in itself—Botticelli’s La Primavera is also shrouded in mystery. Depicting a group of women in a celestial garden, art historians continue to debate its true symbolic meaning. However, one particularly curious theory has gained traction, suggesting that the painting is actually a tribute to horticulture.
The reasoning behind this theory stems from the astonishing level of detail Botticelli dedicated to the plants in his imagined meadow. Official estimates claim there are at least 500 distinct plants represented, encompassing nearly 200 different species. Some believe these plants reflect those that bloomed in 15th-century Florence between March and May, while others propose that Botticelli may have invented fantastical plants specifically for the painting.
With such intense focus on the flowers, many viewers scarcely notice the human figures standing in the background. It has even been suggested that the painting symbolizes “not so much high culture as horticulture.”
6. The Music Lesson: Surprisingly Risqué
Johannes Vermeer’s 'The Music Lesson,' painted in the 1660s, is celebrated as one of the finest depictions of 17th-century Dutch society. The painting shows a young woman learning to play a virginal, a type of harpsichord, from her charming tutor. It offers a near-photographic representation of the serene, upper-class lifestyle Vermeer is known for. However, some interpretations suggest the artwork may delve into themes of desire and hidden lust.
One theory suggests that the painting is full of subtle hints about the sexual tension between the girl and her instructor. For instance, the virginal is often linked to virginity, and the mirror above it shows that the girl is gazing at the man as she plays, distracted by his 'male presence.' The pitcher of wine in the background might imply an aphrodisiac effect, while the instrument lying on the floor resembles a large phallic symbol. Even the painting’s perspective could imply the viewer is a voyeur.
This interpretation extends beyond 'The Music Lesson.' Some art critics argue that Vermeer’s use of music in his works always symbolizes sexuality, lending a provocative edge to his artistic portfolio.
'Cafe Terrace At Night' by Vincent van Gogh is thought by some to allude to the 'Last Supper.' The interplay of figures and the composition might suggest deeper symbolic meanings related to that iconic biblical scene.
Created in 1888, Cafe Terrace At Night stands out as one of Van Gogh’s most significant masterpieces. It's cherished not only for its aesthetic but also for the intriguing theories that surround it. One interpretation suggests that beneath its charming portrayal of a cafe scene, there may lie a deeper message. Some believe that Cafe Terrace At Night is a subtle representation of the Last Supper.
Van Gogh's deep religious upbringing, with his father being a Protestant minister, is thought to have influenced his work greatly. Critics have pointed out that many of his paintings, including Cafe Terrace At Night, feature subtle Christian imagery. In this case, the figures in the painting seem to represent Jesus dining with his disciples. Notably, there are twelve diners arranged around a central figure with long hair. The piece even contains hidden crosses, one prominently positioned above the Christ figure.
There’s historical context that supports this theory. Van Gogh himself mentioned in a letter to his brother that the world had an urgent spiritual need. He expressed admiration for Rembrandt’s style, especially his use of delicate Christian symbolism. Given this, Cafe Terrace At Night may be seen as an example of Van Gogh’s successful attempt to evoke such themes.
4. An Allegory Featuring Venus and Cupid is Thought to Symbolize Syphilis
A painting depicting Venus and Cupid engaging intimately while a bald man looks on, with another man screaming in the background, was bound to be unsettling. Agnolo Bronzino's Allegory With Venus And Cupid is particularly eerie. Despite being hailed as an erotic masterpiece of 'singular beauty,' it seems to serve as a grim warning about syphilis.
The core of this interpretation revolves around the figure screaming in the lower-left corner of the painting. Traditionally understood to represent jealousy or despair, a closer look reveals a more disturbing reality: this figure appears critically ill. Their swollen fingers mirror those found in syphilis patients, a missing fingernail, and hair loss indicative of syphilitic alopecia. Even their toothless gums suggest mercury poisoning, a treatment used in Renaissance Italy for STDs.
Things take an even darker turn. The child, who is showering Venus and Cupid with flowers, seems to have pierced his foot on a rose thorn without realizing. The inability to feel such pain is a classic symptom of syphilitic myelopathy. In essence, the painting seems to illustrate the lovers surrounded by suffering brought on by syphilis, a grim vision of the consequences if their passions get out of hand.
3. L.S. Lowry’s Art Conceals Profound Pain
L.S. Lowry, a 20th-century artist renowned for his portrayals of northwest England, became famous for his expansive urban landscapes filled with crowds of “matchstick men.” While he was widely admired, his paintings were dismissed by the art world for many years as insignificant. They couldn’t have been more wrong. Much like a macabre version of Where’s Waldo, Lowry’s artwork is teeming with subtle glimpses of human suffering.
In his 1926 painting An Accident (shown above), a group of onlookers gathers by a lake, staring at something concealed within the crowd. Though the painting doesn’t spell it out, it is inspired by a local suicide, with the group of people fixated on a waterlogged corpse. In his 1935 piece The Fever Van, a group of pedestrians observe a van picking up a patient. During this period, diphtheria and scarlet fever were rampant in Manchester and often deadly. The implied message in Lowry’s painting is that the unseen patient is almost certainly going to die.
Other Lowry artworks depict people caught in fistfights, facing eviction, or gazing out from their windows in profound solitude. In every case, the tragedy is relegated to the background, barely noticeable within the scene. The rest of the matchstick figures continue living their daily lives, indifferent or unaware of the suffering around them. The message seems to be that we are entirely alone, and our pain is insignificant. It’s perhaps the most haunting hidden message of all.
2. The Dutch School’s ‘Paintings Within Paintings’
The Dutch Golden Age of painting ranks just below the Italian Renaissance in terms of importance. Like other artistic movements, it had its distinctive quirks, such as artists embedding other paintings in the backgrounds of their works. These ‘paintings within paintings’ weren’t just a way for Vermeer and his peers to flaunt their skills. They contained a special symbolic code that guided the viewer on how to interpret the artwork.
Take The Slippers by Samuel van Hoogstraten, for example. At first glance, the painting seems to depict an empty hall with two slippers on the floor, with a copy of Father Admonishing His Daughter by Caspar Netscher hanging in the background. It may appear uneventful. However, contemporary Dutch viewers would have known that the Netscher painting was set inside a brothel. Coupled with the two mismatched slippers—one belonging to a man, the other to a woman—the implication would have been clear: the hall was empty because its occupants were busy engaging in sexual activity.
At times, the symbolic code was more subtle. In Man Writing A Letter and Woman Reading A Letter (shown above) by Gabriel Metsu, a man is seen writing a letter to his lover, while the woman reads it. In the second painting, a ship caught in a storm is visible in the background, symbolizing the turbulence of their long-distance relationship. In The Love Letter by Vermeer, a painting of a ship beneath dark, ominous clouds hints that bad news may be on the horizon.
If you search carefully, you’ll come across hundreds of examples of these Dutch 'paintings within paintings,' each subtly shifting the meaning of the larger image.
1. El Autobus Depicts A Devastating Crash
Painted in 1929 by the iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, El Autobus is renowned for depicting a cross-section of Mexican society, with a housewife, blue-collar worker, Native American mother, and affluent gringo businessman all waiting for a bus, accompanied by a girl who is likely intended to represent Kahlo herself. If this is the case, the painting takes on a much darker undertone. All the figures are on the verge of being caught in a catastrophic accident.
In 1925, Kahlo was aboard a bus that collided head-on with a trolley car. The crash was so severe that Kahlo was impaled by a metal handrail, causing her excruciating pain for the rest of her life. Many of her later works alluded to the accident, suggesting that it was a miracle she survived at all. El Autobus follows this theme. It’s been proposed that the blue-collar worker in the painting represents the man who saved Kahlo by pulling the handrail from her broken body, positioning the painting just before they boarded the bus. Rather than heading home, the characters are about to confront a violent twist of fate.
