Signature of The Artist: When Famous Paintings Hide Secrets
Many of the most famous paintings in the world, have secrets left by the Artist who created the artwork. Hidden secrets found in famous paintings include; meanings, texts, objects and even DNA. Perhaps the most iconic paintings with hidden secrets are those of Michelangelo and DaVinci. Creation of Adam, a painting on the ceiling of the Vatican chapel ceiling, holds concealed objects and symbols. The most famous of Leonardo Da Vinci’s works has been closely examined for cryptic messages left there on purpose. The Mona Lisa, holds many secrets including a secret code painted into the eyes of the famous portrait. Botticelli’s works reveal he was quite the botanist, with as many as 500 different plant species discovered in the ‘Birth of Venus’.
As the Artist and creator of my paintings on canvas, I know all the little things hidden in my paintings. The gift to the art collector of an original painting, is daily they will have the opportunity to find some of my hidden details. Perhaps they will discover some that I did not even realize were there, the ‘unique signature’ of the artist. There are a few intentionally hidden secrets in this painting, ‘Salad Days on Ice’, depicting a group of young men playing pond ice hockey against vivid skies. Sometimes I share these things, but usually only with the collector who ends up buying the piece and hanging it on their walls. Hiding secrets within my paintings is something I have done for decades. Not even I remember all the places unique items and messages are layered under paint.
The Artists’ Studio offers more secrets into the workings and process of an Artist. It has been said that the artist’s studio “is central to an artist’s myth and the way that we come to understand a work of art and its meaning in society”, though rarely do many have a chance to visit these creative havens where the artist works. Unless you spend a month in the life of an artist, you will never get the full view or sense of what makes us tick.
So, the next time you look at a painting, remember not all is offered or even seen. Much of the beauty held within an artwork, is the discovery beyond what is seen the first time.
Sincerely Yours,
Brandy Saturley