Unsolved art mysteries of all time

Sometimes, the world-famous objects of art conceal secrets, which even modern scientists have not been able to solve. However, their mysterious stories make them even more attractive.​

“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” Francis Bacon

Two paintings in one

When restoring the artwork of Robert Reid, Barry Bauman was surprised to discover that another canvas was hidden under the layer of a paint of the restored picture. This hidden picture, called "In the Garden", depicted a woman. She sat at the table outdoors and read something while sipping tea. It was a widespread practice among artists to paint on top of an unfinished picture, but Reid, for totally unknown motives, made the second picture on top of the fully finished one. Robert Reid was addicted to gambling, so there are speculations that he did it to save some money on necessary art materials.

David's hidden weapon

There are still debates whether David by Michelangelo has something hidden in his right hand. Some suggest that the statue holds a hidden fustibal (a sling attached to a stick, allowing you to throw stones at a long distance). As the Bible said, David only had five stones and a sling when he went out to fight Goliath. However, some researchers today claim that sling belts are attached to something in David's hand, which may well be a handle of a fustibal.

Girl with a pearl earring

No one knows whom Jan Vermeer portrayed in 1665 in his fabulous painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring." She looks like she doesn't have the slightest idea that she is being painted. Some said, that this is Vermeer's daughter, others that this is his mistress. There is also a theory that this girl was a fictional image, and never existed in real life. The only thing that can be said for sure is that the girl wears very expensive jewelry. Everything else remains a mystery as well as the identity of Vermeer himself. Very little is known about his life. We only know that Vermeer was a father of 15 children and spent all his life in the city of Delft.

A mysterious man with moustache

Thanks to the use of an infrared camera during restoration, a completely different image was found under the picture “Woman Ironing” by Pablo Picasso. This second picture was an upturned image of a moustached man. Scientists still have not got a clue about his identity. They also can’t be sure that he was painted by Picasso. Different versions were put forward - from considering it a self-portrait to the fact that it can be the artist’s friend.

Another Mona Lisa.

Most people think that there is only one Mona Lisa by Da Vinci - the astonishing painting in the Louvre Museum. In fact, there is another portrait of Mona Lisa in the Prado Museum, which was painted either by the master himself or some of his apprentices. This picture is not a copy of the one that is located in the Louvre. There is also a third image of the same woman - the painting "Isleworth Mona Lisa", which is recognized by some experts as the earliest version of the canvas.
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Numerous great paintings were lost under mysterious circumstances. Even more of them have some hidden secrets and signs. The mystery of the Amber Room, the hidden secrets of The Last Supper…  Any adventure seeker and art lover can try his luck here - there are still so many unsolved art enigmas.