The piece of art may be one of the most famous in the world and still hide some secrets. Check out these impressive secrets if you are interested in such facts.
The source of inspiration for the "Scream"
The Scream by Edvard Munch is one of the most famous of all, created in the twentieth century. She is so famous that they tried to steal her several times, this is not a secret to anyone. Fewer people know what inspired the artist to create this canvas. When Munch was walking with friends, he suddenly saw the sky turn red and felt the boundless cry of nature. His inspiration was not dictated by the imagination - that day the sky turned red due to the strongest volcanic eruption that occurred in Indonesia. The consequences were visible even in New York. According to eyewitnesses, the sky turned scarlet. Munch saw it too. People thought the sky was on fire, but these were flashes after the volcano. The screaming man may have been created by Munch's imagination, but the sky's shade was real.
Sphinx beard
It is already known why the famous Egyptian sculpture does not have a nose, but only a few people know what happened to the beard. Initially, no one planned to make the figure a beard, it was added after the construction was completed. Most likely, this happened because the creators wanted to make the Sphinx look like the Egyptian pharaoh - the rulers often wore artificial beards, which was considered a symbol of power and was associated with Osiris, an important Egyptian deity. A small fragment of the beard has been preserved and is now on display in the British Museum. The museum received this exhibit from Giovanni Cavigli, a renowned Egyptologist who excavated the Sphinx when the statue was completely covered in sand. Then other elements of the Sphinx's beard were found.
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Scandal with "Portrait of Madame X"
The painting, known as "The Portrait of Madame X", is quite famous, it belongs to the brush of the young American immigrant John Singer Sargent. He hoped that the canvas would bring him fame. And so it happened, but somewhat differently than the artist could have hoped - the painting became a symbol of indecency. When she was presented to the public, the portrait caused a flurry of criticism and ridicule. The main reason was the strap that falls from the shoulder and reveals the skin. A real scandal broke out, because of which Sargent had to move to Britain. His family was crushed by the incident, Sargent was asked to redo the painting. To reassure critics, Sargent redrawn the strap and now the portrait looks a little different, more chaste.
The hidden music of Leonardo da Vinci
In 2007, Giovanni Maria Pala, a renowned musician and engineer, said that he had discovered musical notes in Da Vinci's famous work The Last Supper. According to him, if you draw five lines of the music staff over the picture, the hands of Jesus, the apostles and pieces of bread from the table will serve as notes. You just need to read them from right to left and you get a melody! Leonardo da Vinci loved to add musical riddles to his works, because he really liked music. Many people believe that Pala actually discovered musical recording on canvas.
Bound Leg of the Statue of Liberty
In 2011 Sarah Palin was asked what the Statue of Liberty represents. She replied that this is a symbol that reminds Americans of other countries, since the sculpture was donated by the French, and that the mistakes of other states should not be repeated. As it turned out, Sarah was wrong - the statue represents something completely opposite. Many people are unaware that the statue is related to slavery. The French politician who gifted it was a supporter of President Lincoln and fought fiercely for slave rights and the abolition of slavery. The gift was not a warning, but a symbol of triumph and victory over slavery, a sign of freedom and pride. The chain on the leg of the statue is not visible to tourists, it is located under the dress and is visible only from a height.
Secret apartment in the Eiffel Tower
There is a hidden apartment in the Eiffel Tower, it is at the highest level. The owner was Gustave Eiffel, who designed the building. In the year after the tower was opened, Gustave was greatly envied by many members of Parisian society. This envy was not connected with the impressive fame of the architect or his fortune, but with the fact that he had an amazing apartment in the tower. Only the Eiffel could get into the apartment, where he received many important visitors, among whom was Thomas Edison. According to rumors, Eiffel also received offers to rent an apartment for huge sums of money, but did not agree to them. Not so long ago, the premises were open to visitors. Inside, the Engineer and Edison's mannequins depict the scene of the first meeting.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The famous tower in Pisa is not only an architectural landmark, but also a real mystery. Despite the fact that the reasons for the unique slope are known - it is a weak foundation, the creator of this building remains unknown. Initially, the building was supposed to be a bell tower for the cathedral. Such towers were very common in Italy in the tenth century, it was believed that they symbolized the wealth and influence of the city. So, the inhabitants of Pisa also decided to create such a tower - but who became the architect is unknown. It took two hundred years to build the tower. Some historians believe that the project belongs to Bonanno Pisano, but there are also those who think that it was the architect Diotisalvi, who created a baptistery and another bell tower in Pisa.
Contradictions associated with the "Last Judgment" by Michelangelo
Before his death, Pope Clement the Seventh ordered Michelangelo's painting "The Last Judgment". She was supposed to decorate the walls of the Sistine Chapel and depict the moment of the second coming of Jesus. When the painting was completed, it sparked controversy - some people were naked, with visible genitals. This was true for both Jesus and his mother Mary. The cardinals could not accept such a scandalous picture and demanded to correct the image or simply remove it. The censorship did not miss the work, because the canvas would simply be out of place in the church. The artist found it difficult to agree with such demands. The nude figures remained in the church until 1564, when it was decided to cover them with fig leaves. In 1993, during the restoration, almost half of the leaves were removed and it was found that Minos on the canvas was biting on the genitals of a snake.
The secret of the Golden Gate color
The Golden Gate Bridge is associated with many records and is extremely famous. Interestingly, the US Air Force did not want this bridge to be built because they were afraid of bombing - the debris of the bridge would block the bay. The structure still appeared, but it was planned that it would be black and yellow. The architect did not agree to such a plan - he made the color saturated, orange-red. This shade is visible in fog and contrasts with water.
Mount Rushmore Time Capsule
It is believed that Mount Rushmore is not finished yet, but this is a better known fact. Fewer people know that there is a time capsule in grief. During the construction of the mountain, the architect created a room where it was decided to keep documents important for American history. This plan was never realized during the life of the architect, but then copies of some historical documents were still left in this room. There they will be stored for decades.
Marina Ilyushenko