- Many of the most famous paintings in the world are hundreds of years old.
- Even after all of this time, modern technology is helping us discover previously unknown "hidden" images concealed in the art.
- Using art restoration techniques, imaging technology, and even microscopes, art historians have been able to uncover some shocking secrets.
People love finding hidden symbols and secret codes in all sorts of objects — including art.
It might be common knowledge that Da Vinci was an accomplished musician, but not many people know about the song he painted into "The Last Supper," using rolls and hands in the place of music notes. And you've probably seen the "Mona Lisa," but not with a microscope — she has a miniscule code hidden in her eyes.
Here are 14 famous works of art that have hidden symbols.
"The Ambassadors" by Hans Holbein the Younger has a hard-to-find reference to mortality.
This entire painting has a very realistic look to it, until you notice the blob (for lack of a better word) in the bottom-middle between the the two men.
Apparently, the "blob" is actually a skull that's been distorted. If you look at the painting from the right, it turns into a human skull.
Some believe that the skull is a reference to the Latin phrase"memento mori," which means "remember you shall die." Memento mori was allegedly the motto of the man who commissioned the painting, Jean de Dinteville (the man on the left).
"Madonna with Saint Giovannino" by Domenico Ghirlandaio has found itself at the center of UFO conspiracy theories.
Yes, that blurry circle next to the Madonna's head has been at the center of a controversy for years. Many UFO conspiracy theorists are convinced that it's a depiction of an alien aircraft.
While it doesn't look like much here, when zoomed in, the circle definitely has a UFO-esque look to it.
The section of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, called "Creation of Adam," has an easily-missed reference to the human body.
The shape of the red cloak surrounding God is an astoundingly anatomically correct rendering of the human brain. Does this mean that Michelangelo believed that God was the creation of the human brain? That will never be known, but could be an interesting look into the brain of one of the most iconic artists in history.
This idea is so widespread it was even referenced by hit HBO show "Westworld."
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