Secrets of the famous paintings

Paintings of famous painters almost always have their own history. Some of them are well known, others remain the property of specialists, and others are just waiting, when the world learns about them.

We have prepared a few stories about the secrets of famous paintings, which, in our opinion, interesting and not too known to a wider audience.

Artists, even great, are people just like us. They may be wrong, doubt, and even to make unwise actions. Often emotions or life circumstances leave their imprint on the work of the painter, but the audience know and not guess.

1. Hendrick van Anthonissen "view sea shore Scheveningen"

The idyllic picture of the Dutch master Hendrick van Anthonissen, written in 1641, the average person does not cause any problems. It depicts the shore, on which there are several groups of people. But not died down almost a hundred years, the dispute among specialists in medieval Dutch painting at the fact that these people are doing on the beach and why they look in the same direction.

The secret was revealed recently restorer student Kuang Shan, which is in the process of cleaning of a dull picture, found in the sea off the coast of ... China. Modern equipment has allowed to restore the original appearance of the sea landscape and now everyone knows that the people gathered in front of the sea, to see a beached whale.

It is not clear why the author removed the dead mammal, which plays a key role in the plot of the picture. Most likely, it asked the customer about this web or the buyer. The artist, too, need to eat, so Antonissen could remove the carcass of the sea giants, because a whim.

2. Salvador Dali "figure window"

Picture "figure window" - this is one of the early works of the Spanish surrealist - Dali wrote it in '21. The artist was not familiar with his wife and muse Galoy, so the story of the paintings he evoked the image of sister, Ana Maria.

Much later she dedicated her master even one painting - "Young virgin, devotional sodomy using horns own chastity", which can hardly be called positive.

There was this picture, in which Dali explicitly laid insulting notes, after the book Ana Maria "Salvador Dali through the eyes of the sisters." In the book, the woman told without embellishment of his brother, his eccentricities and extravagance.

At the time the book came out a brother and sister have not communicated for many years because of the unpleasant antics Salvador. Once he wrote to one of his works - "Sometimes I spit on the portrait of his mother, and get pleasure from it." This offended Ana Maria, who immediately cut off all communication with his brother.

3. Ivan Shishkin "Morning in a Pine Forest"

In the most famous paintings of the Russian artist Shishkin, too, has an unusual history. Previously, painters often discuss with each other their work and used to give good advice. Painting "Morning in a Pine Forest" was written as a forest landscape and initially bears did not have it. Animal Shishkin added on the advice of his friend, the animal painter Savitsky.

Friend and colleague recommended to revive the subject animals and as a specialist in this matter personally wrote them in the finished fabric. Tretyakov gallery owner, learning about the dual authorship, angry and personally name erased from the canvas Savitsky. Fortunately, a trace of the signature was, so the story of others bears became public domain.

4. Jan van Eyck "Arnolfini Portrait"

The first in the history of European painting pair portrait was painted van Eykom in Bruges in 1434. The painting depicts a beautifully dressed young couple, quite possibly preparing to marry. But few know that no two people are depicted in this painting, but four.

noticed another couple - a man and a woman can be a closer look to the round mirror hanging in the background. Critics believe that these people - the author of paintings and his wife. An indirect confirmation of this is the mischievous sign right above the mirror that says Johannes van Eyck fuit hic - "Jan van Eyck was here".

5. Valentin Serov "Portrait of Nicholas II in the jacket"

The history of the portrait of Emperor Nicholas II, created a great portraitist Valentin Serov, can be called a motive. The artist managed to turn failure into success and the picture has been one of the most famous of his works in the gallery. I did not work long Serov write a portrait of the king, and he apologized and decided to abandon the operation.

Nikolay, jacked posturing, very angry, and sat with his hands folded. At this point, the artist realized that it was what he needed for a great portrait and immediately began to write. Emperor in the picture has a tired and sad look, but this is precisely the beauty of the portrait is.

6. Hieronymus Bosch "The Garden of Earthly Delights"

The biggest and well-known work of Bosch's "Garden of Earthly Delights" is fraught with a huge number of puzzles. The meaning of this is not clear until the end, but some have managed to uncover the secrets. On the right pane of the triptych, which is called "Music Inferno", depicts sinners tortured music. One of them on the buttocks are depicted medieval music.

Student Christian University Oklahoma Amelia Hamrick, explore painting, he translated the ancient musical notation with a modern twist and recorded melody, which she called "Song to the ass from hell, which celebrated its 600 years." The result was a quiet, but not too melodious composition, similar to the title tune of Hollywood melodrama, played with one finger.

7. Rembrandt "Night Watch"

Rembrandt "Speech Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Kok and Lieutenant Willem van Reytenbyurga" traditionally referred to as "Night Watch", as everyone is convinced that the events depicted in it occur at night. So we consider two centuries after the picture came back from obscurity and became known.

But in 1947, restorers waited an unexpected discovery. Once the canvas cleared of soot and dirt, it became clear that the picture is much brighter than it seemed, and watch her shows just a day. Discovered after the restoration of the shadow of the hands of Captain Coca even allowed us to determine that it was about 14 o'clock in the afternoon.

8. Kazimir Malevich "Black Suprematist square"

The painting, which we usually call the "Black Square", depicts not an object black. Moreover - it is not a square, as neither side of the figure is not parallel to either the opposite side or the adjacent line framing frame.

Ostensibly black geometric shapes - an effect of mixing several different colors, among which was not black. Critics believe that this specially conceived by the author. When viewed from the paintings in the Tretyakov Gallery inscription in pencil "Battle of Negroes in the dark cave" was discovered. This phrase reminds us of the painting by the French artist and journalist Alphonse Allais' Battle of Negroes in a dark cave deep in the night ", which looks like a black rectangle.

9. Pieter Brueghel the Elder "Netherlands proverbs"

This is unique in its kind painting by the Dutch master image 112 is the most popular in the XVI century Dutch proverbs. it seems the average person what is happening on the canvas strange and even absurd things, but an expert will immediately see the sayings similar to modern "swim against the current", "bang your head against the wall", and many others that are still used throughout the world.

Most proverbs on canvas by Brueghel the Elder, one way or another, linked to human stupidity, greed or idleness. The picture is very popular with critics and she devoted a lot of scientific articles and theses.

10. Pablo Picasso's "Blue Room"

For many years it was believed that the painting depicts Picasso bathing woman. But in 2008, the restorers have put the artist work in infrared light and were surprised to find a man in a suit and bow tie, sitting propped on hand to head.

Obviously, the "Blue Room" was written over the portrait, the artist created earlier. Art historian Patricia Favero explained by the fact that when Picasso was visited by a sudden inspiration, he immediately set to work. When the hand was not a blank canvas, a genius took ready-made, not too successful ones, in his view pictures, and writing the new top of them.