This is not to say that people know absolutely everything about real masterpieces of art, especially when it comes to ordinary people, and not art critics. There is more than one mystery hidden in the architectural creations of the geniuses of their time.
In some cases, even mysticism is present - and all this will be interesting to know for absolutely everyone. Why does the statue of Moses have horns? Where did the hands of Venus de Milo go? Were the ancient statues originally white? Or were they painted in different colors? The answers to these questions may surprise you. And in order to find out them, you should read this article, which will examine in detail the secrets associated with the greatest creations of the brilliant sculptors of the past years, who managed to create a work of art from a marble block.
Horned Moses
Michelangelo created a sculpture of Moses with an interesting element - a pair of horns. Many historians explain this as a misinterpretation of the Bible: the Book of Exodus says that it was difficult for the Jews to look at the face of Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai with stone tablets containing God's commandments. The Hebrew word used in the Bible can be translated both "shine" and "horns." However, it is clear from the context that Moses' face radiated radiance, and was not framed by horns.
Colored antiquity
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For a long time, it was believed that all ancient Greek and Roman statues were just white. But according to recent studies, it may turn out that they were originally painted with multi-colored paints that wore off over time and eventually disappeared completely due to exposure to sunlight and wind.
The Little Mermaid's Suffering
The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen is one of the most unfortunate sculptures in the world, as it is very often the object of vandalism. There are many similar moments in her history. She was broken and sawed into pieces more than once, even now you can see “scars” on her neck, left after she had to replace her head. The statue was decapitated twice - in 1964 and in 1998. In 1984, vandals cut off her right arm, and on March 8, 2006, the statue was found drenched in green paint, she had a faloimitator in her hand, and "March 8" was carved on her back. In 2007, the city announced that the statue would be moved further offshore to prevent further acts of vandalism and attempts by tourists to climb it.
"Kiss" without a kiss
The Kiss is a famous masterpiece by Auguste Rodin and was originally called Francesca da Rimini after the thirteenth century Italian aristocrat whose name was immortalized in Dante's Inferno (The Divine Comedy). Her husband was Giovanni Malatesta, but she fell in love with his younger brother Paolo. They were reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere when Giovanni found them together and killed them both. The sculpture shows how Paolo holds a book in his hands, but the lovers do not touch each other with their lips. This demonstrates that they did not commit sin. A more neutral title, The Kiss, was given to the statue by critics who saw it in 1887.
The secret of the "Marble Veil" by Raphael Monti
One glance at these statues, whose faces are supposedly covered with a translucent veil, makes you wonder how it could have been done from ordinary stone at all. The secret lies in the marble that was used to create the statue, and more specifically, in its structure. The block from which the sculpture was created had two layers - one of them is more transparent than the other. Such marble is not easy to find, but it exists. The sculptor had a clear idea of what he wanted and what kind of marble to look for. Monty worked on the surface as usual, creating parallel threads that separated the normal part from the transparent part. As a result, it turned out that the veil of the sculpture actually looks transparent.
The perfect David made of defective marble
This famous statue of David was made by Michelangelo from a piece of white marble left over from the work of another sculptor, Agostino di Duccio. He tried to work with this piece, but after several unsuccessful attempts he dropped it. Although David was viewed as the ideal of beauty, he was not actually perfect. In fact, it turned out that he had a squint. This was discovered by Stanford University professor Mark Levoy, who scanned the statue using computer laser technology. Naturally, this defect is invisible to people, since the five-meter statue rises on a large pedestal. Experts believe that Michelangelo did this deliberately to make David look perfect on both sides.
Art and death
The most mysterious sculpture is located in the Poblenou cemetery in Barcelona. It is called Kiss of Death, and its creator is still unknown. It is assumed that it was created by Jaume Barba, but there are also suggestions that its author is Joan Fonbernat. This sculpture is located in one of the far corners of the cemetery, and it was she who inspired Ingmar Bergman to create the film "The Seventh Seal", which tells the story of the fallen knight and Death.
The hands of Venus de Milo
The statue of Venus de Milo is one of the most famous in the world, it is located in Paris, in the Louvre. It is said that a Greek peasant discovered it in 1820 on the island of Milos. When the sculpture was discovered, it was broken in two, but the hands were in place. In one hand she held an apple, and with the other she held her robe so that it would not fall to the ground. When the officers of the French navy saw it and realized that it was of great historical value, the statue was ordered to be removed from the island. However, when the sailors carried the heavy statue onto the ship, a dispute erupted between them, during which the sculpture fell, and both of its arms broke off. The sailors were too exhausted and refused to return and look for their lost limbs.
Beautiful imperfection of "Nika of Samothrace"
This delightful statue of the goddess Nike was found in 1863 on the island of Samothrace by the French ambassador and amateur archaeologist Charles Champusao. The sculpture is made of golden Parian marble, and on the island it was the center of the altar to the sea gods. Scientists say this statue was created in the second century BC to celebrate the victories of the Greek fleet. The head and arms of the statue are lost, although there have been many attempts to restore them. It is assumed that the goddess held her right hand above her head, and a cup, a crown, or even horns was clamped in it. An interesting fact is that any attempts to return the hands on the spot ended in failure - they only spoiled the view of the masterpiece. And all these failures make us understand that Victory is beautiful the way it is - its imperfections only complement its magnificence.