Everyone should be familiar with these 8 works of art, but let’s explore eight unbelievable facts about these famous artworks that will shock you!
1. ‘The Scream,’ by Edvard Munch, was painted on cardboard.
There are five versions of The Scream, four of which were produced on cardboard by Edvard Munch. Two in 1893, one in tempera paint and the other in crayon; two in 1895, one in pastel on cardboard and the other a black-and-white lithograph; and one in tempera, oil, and crayon about 1910.
Why did Munch choose to paint on cardboard? According to the website ThoughtCo:
“Munch began his career by painting on cardboard since it was significantly less expensive than canvas. Later, when he could afford canvas, he preferred to use cardboard because he loved the feel and had become accustomed to it.”
All About The Scream by Edvard Munch
2. Artist Jan Van Eyck Signed His Name On The Wall In The ‘Arnolfini Portrait.’
The Arnolfini Portrait is full of symbols that emphasise the richness of his subjects, as well as embellishments that emphasise his artistic ability. A convex mirror dominates the painting’s centre, depicting not just the backs of his subjects but also two more individuals in the room, one of whom may be the artist.
“Johannes de eyck fuit hic 1434.” van Eyck has inscribed in Latin above this mirror. This translates to “Jan van Eyck was here in 1434,” the painting’s year of completion.
3. In the ‘Mona Lisa,’ Da Vinci used about 30 layers of paint that are just half the width of a human hair.
The illusion of depth and shade in Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings is admired by the world. The Mona Lisa is indicative of da Vinci’s method, according to the Independent:
“Much of the brushwork on her face and hands is so fine that it can’t be seen with an X-ray or a microscope: a near-magical technique Leonardo dubbed “sfumato” or “smoky finish.” There are no evident joints or borders between the colour and shade.”
The Museums of France analysed da Vinci’s portraits using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and determined that he created them “To achieve his subtlety standards, he applied up to 30 layers of paint to his paintings. All of the layers are less than 40 micrometres thick, or roughly half the thickness of a human hair when added together.”
This method was used to make the Mona Lisa, according to Jacques Franck, a consulting scholar at the Armand Hammer Centre for Leonardo Studies. Da Vinci undoubtedly spent hundreds of sessions, many years, and countless brushstrokes creating the flawless gradations of light and shadow shown in the artwork, using many layers of diluted oil paint.
4. The Mauritshuis Museum created a 10-billion-pixel version of the painting “Girl With a Pearl Earring.”
Girl With a Pearl Earring, painted by Johannes Vermeer circa 1665, was the subject of the Mauritshuis museum’s 2018 “Girl in the Spotlight” initiative. A 3D microscope was used “to capture 9,100 photographs of the artwork,” according to the Smithsonian, which were then stitched together to form an interactive panorama.
“The goal of the inspection was to learn more about Vermeer’s painting technique, to evaluate the surface condition, and measure cracks and topography of key areas while assessing past restorations,” said Emilien Leonhardt, who worked on the project.
Despite the many fascinating facts about the picture that have been found in recent years (the origins of its distinct colours, little features only a tiny camera could reveal), the identity of the girl herself remains a mystery.
5. The Figures In ‘American Gothic’ Are Father And Daughter
American Gothic, painted by Grant Wood in 1930, has been reproduced so frequently in popular culture, typically as a parody, that the facts of the original have fallen by the wayside.
The subjects in the artwork, which were inspired by Flemish Renaissance art and patterned by Wood’s sister and dentist, may be mistaken for a couple. They’re supposed to be a farmer and his daughter, after all.
The painting’s intent has also been misconstrued, according to the Art Institute of Chicago, and it is frequently interpreted as a parody of the American midwest during the start of the Great Depression. Rather,
It was meant to be a positive message about rural American values, a reassuring picture at a period of immense dislocation and disillusionment, according to Wood. The man and woman, with all their virtues and foibles, symbolise survival in their strong and well-crafted world.
6. Five Versions Of ‘Napoleon Crossing The Alps’ Were Painted By Jacques-Louis David
Jacques-Louis David painted the first picture of a fearsome-looking Napoleon Bonaparte astride a rearing horse in January 1801. Napoleon was a difficult subject for David to persuade to sit for the painting. The French ruler, on the other hand, appears to have like the artist’s work, since he ordered three additional copies.
The original picture was displayed at the royal palace of King Charles IV of Spain. The other three Napoleon commissioned were placed at one of his residences, Château de Saint-Cloud; in Paris; and at the Cisalpine Republic Palace in Milan. After his death, David painted a fifth version for himself, which was returned to the Bonaparte family.
The paintings have variances, notably in the colours of Napoleon’s coat and his horse. Napoleon wears a gold robe and rides a piebald horse in the original (seen above).
7. A $1.6 million Picasso painting was stolen, held for ransom, and then returned – with no one knowing who took it.
The Weeping Woman, painted by Pablo Picasso in 1937, was worth $1.6 million in 1986, when it was stolen from the National Gallery of Victoria. A group calling themselves the Australian Cultural Terrorists then addressed several letters to Victoria’s minister of the arts (ACT). The picture was being held for ransom by ACT, although not for a personal gain.
ACT sought a 10% increase in arts spending as well as the establishment of The Picasso Ransom, a $25,000 yearly art prize. They said that if their demands were not satisfied, the painting will be destroyed in seven days.
The entire tale is certainly worth reading, but to summarise: the government refused to bargain, the deadline passed, and three weeks after the artwork vanished, police were alerted that the Weeping Woman was stashed at Spencer Street train station locker 227. It was retrieved undamaged, and the names of ACT are still unknown.
8. The First Female Artist Commissioned By The US Government Sculpted The Abraham Lincoln Statue In The Capitol Rotunda
Vinne Ream was the first female artist to be commissioned by the US government while still a teenager. Following President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, she was chosen to sculpt a memorial statue for him. She sculpted a bust of Abraham Lincoln when he was still living. The US Capitol Rotunda houses her Lincoln statue, which was unveiled in 1871.
Sculptures for the National Statuary Hall Collection (Sequoyah) and the Hall of Columns were also commissioned by Ream (Samuel Jordan Kirkwood).
Information Citations
En.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/.
