Art, in its various forms, has the power to awe, inspire, and fascinate. Yet, even the most famous masterpieces harbor hidden errors that lie unnoticed – until someone points them out. This post pulls back the curtain on 12 such overlooked mistakes hidden in celebrated artworks. These findings will astonish you and compel you to see well-known pieces in a new light.
1. ‘The Annunciation’ by Jan van Eyck
In the revered painting ‘The Annunciation,’ Jan van Eyck mistakenly portrayed the angel’s shadow going in the wrong direction, contrary to the natural light source depicted in the painting. It wasn’t noticed until centuries later!
2. ‘The Expulsion from Paradise’ by Masaccio
Masaccio’s ‘The Expulsion from Paradise’ displays an anatomical error. Eve’s tears are streaming from the inner corner of her eye, contrary to the physiology of tear glands.
3. ‘The Last Supper’ by Domenico Ghirlandaio
While we have come to associate ‘The Last Supper’ with Leonardo Da Vinci, Domenico Ghirlandaio painted his interpretation half a century prior. However, it contains a peculiar astrophysical inaccuracy: a crescent moon is displayed in conjunction with a full moon, an astronomical impossibility.
4. ‘Madonna with Saint Giovannino’ by Domenico Ghirlandaio
In Ghirlandaio’s ‘Madonna with Saint Giovannino,’ there’s a peculiar object in the skies. Some suggest it’s an early portrayal of an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO), sparking debates among art enthusiasts.
5. ‘The School of Athens’ by Raphael
Raphael’s ‘The School of Athens’ houses a misspelled name. The remarkable fresco curiously misspells Aristotle’s name in Greek.
6. ‘Las Meninas’ by Diego Velázquez
Velázquez’s ‘Las Meninas’ subtly displays a minor error. In the mirror reflection, the King and Queen’s positions are mistakenly swapped.
7. ‘Synthetism’ by Gauguin
Gauguin’s ‘Synthetism’ series displays a chronological mistake. It includes some species of birds and flowers that didn’t exist during the time captioned in the artwork.
8. ‘Helene’ by Klimt
Klimt’s ‘Helene’ portrays a modern woman, but she is dressed in ancient Greek attire, which was unsuitable for the period the artist represented.
9. ‘The Family of Darius before Alexander’ by Paolo Veronese
In Veronese’s ‘The Family of Darius before Alexander,’ the soldiers wear Renaissance-era armor, even though the scene supposedly takes place in the days of Alexander the Great.
10. ‘Bonaparte Crossing the Alps’ by Jacques-Louis David
David’s ‘Bonaparte Crossing the Alps’ portrays Napoleon Bonaparte riding a fiery steed, but historic veracity indicates he actually rode a mule during the famed crossing.
11. ‘The Day After’ by Edvard Munch
Munch’s ‘The Day After’ famously exhibits a medical error: the man’s pulse can be seen on the outside of his arm – a visual absurdity as radial pulses are felt from the inside.
12. ‘The Persistence of Memory’ by Salvador Dalí
Dalí’s ‘The Persistence of Memory’ knowingly features impossibilities to highlight surrealism; melting clocks defy laws of physics, emphasizing the flexible, fluid nature of time.
The illuminating dissection of these 12 renowned artworks invites a new appreciation for these pieces, proving art isn’t about perfection but expression. After all, even in error, there’s room for beauty.
