Art with Powerful Hidden Meanings

in #art5 years ago

The awakening of art in recent years has renewed the passion of many to find hidden meanings in various paintings. From historic paintings such as the Mona Lisa to more contemporary pieces, there hasn't been a dumb stone left unturned. Today I will go over three well-known paintings that might expand your knowledge past the paint and varnish.

  1. Paintings Within Paintings

    Every age of art has had a signature that has set it aside from the rest. In the Dutch Golden Age of painting, however, it was common to see artists include other paintings in their art. This implementation was far more than show, however. Take "Man Writing A Letter and Woman Reading A Letter", as shown above. Depicted by Gabriel Metsu, a man is shown writing a letter to his distant lover as she reads it. There is a more ominous meaning in the art, however, as seen by the maid revealing a painting of ships being tossed mercilessly at sea. This symbolizes the turbulent nature of the lover's long distance relationship, as well as possible bad news ahead.

  2. The Last Supper; The Last Days

    Due to the immense amount of underlying meanings in "The Last Supper", I will only analyze one meaning that has been speculated for centuries. This theory focuses on the sundial positioned over the head of Jesus, thought to predict a universal flood in the year 4006, signaling the end of the world (https://www.sott.net/article/205063-Da-Vinci-Predicted-World-Would-End-in-4006-Says-Vatican-Researcher). Even though I find this specific theory the most appealing, there are many spectacular observations that have been drawn from "The Last Supper".

  3. The Cover-Up

    Picasso went through many phases throughout his artistic career, a notable one being his Blue Period. Characterized not only by the style of art, but rather his penniless start as an artist, Picasso took to painting over his previous works. The reuse of his paintings did not become apparent until the blue shades started fading over time.

Thank you for taking your time in reading; expect another article soon!

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Hello @chanced ,

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There are a few interesting facts about the picture with the distant lover and the maid.

The distant lover seems to be almost bald or completely bald. Could she be suffering from some kind of disease or was it simply the fashion then?

The frame above the head of the distant lover is mounted against two walls at the corner where the two walls meet. This is unique.

The painting of the ships at the sea is covered with a veil and the maid has to lift the veil to see what is behind it. Wonder why they had this practice of covering paintings? Was it to protect the painting or was the practice limited to certain types of paintings only?

Amazing read @chanced. Loved how you tried to pour out meaning to the amazing pieces. I see you quite like the post-renaissance period, from Leo to Metsu to Picasso, or is it only limited to this post? Would love to see your contributions following this.

Personally, I love the touch of Velasquez. Somehow he makes the art lover in me come alive.

Finally, welcome to Steemit. Hope you find the intense sense of community, as we did. I’m sure @crypto.piotr would love to welcome a fellow Steemian.

Cheers.

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