5 Facts about Art That Will Impress Your Friends
So, you’ve just hung your new Bluethumb masterpiece and you’re having some friends around. There will, of course, be compliments galore on your impeccable taste and “the feel of the space”, but why let the ego-boosts stop there? A casual mention of these cultural tidbits will see you being fought over at the next trivia night and cement your position as “the artsy one”.
Your new compliment generator? Unspoken Radiance by Annette Spinks
1. Art used to be an Olympic event
The Olympics wasn’t always about abs and doping scandals. The founder of the modern Games, the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was enamoured with the idea of the true Olympian being a talented artist and sportsperson. Thanks to him, between 1912 and 1948 medals were given out for sporting-inspired masterpieces of architecture, music, painting, sculpture and literature.
Medal winner Jean Jacoby’s ‘Corner’, left and ‘Rugby’, right. via Smithsonian.com
2. The Mona Lisa has her own mailbox in the Louvre because of all the love letters she receives
Over the years many have fallen prey to the portrait’s ‘limpid and burning eyes’, leaving her offerings of flowers, poems and, yes, love notes. Artist Luc Maspero allegedly took this fervour to a new high – and then low – in 1852, diving off a hotel balcony because “For years I have grappled desperately with her smile. I prefer to die.” Who knew art appreciation could be so dark?
Eyes detail of ‘Mona Lisa’, via Wikimedia Commons
3. The colour wheel predates the United States
Considering the US is one of the oldest modern democracies, this is pretty amazing. Sir Isaac Newton invented the colour wheel in 1706 by refracting white sunlight into its six colours. The realisation that light alone was responsible for colour was radical, and the wheel proved especially useful for artists, who could now easily observe the most effective colour complementation.
Newton’s colour wheel, via Wikimedia Commons
4. Artist Willard Wigan once inhaled his own work
What’s that, you say? He inhaled a painting?? The man must be enormous! Not quite. Wigan’s works are ‘micro-sculptures’, so tiny they must be viewed through a microscope. In creating his art, Wigan has to slow his heartbeat and work between pulses. The work he inhaled was Alice, from Alice in Wonderland, but apparently she was even better when remade.
‘Nine Camels’ by Willard Wigan
5. In 2003 street artist Banksy stuck his own work to the wall in the Tate Modern Museum.
The prank was soon undone by its inadequate glue, but for a few hours Crimewatch UK Has Ruined the Countryside For All of Us was hung in one of the world’s most famous museums. It also inspired Andrzej Sobiepan, a Polish art student, to a similar feat in 2005, where for three days he successfully passed off his work as part of the National Museum’s collection.
‘Crimewatch UK Has Ruined the Countryside For All of Us’, via Pinterest
Sources [Smithsonian.com, Colour Wheel Pro, Web Exhibits, Willard Wigan, The Guardian, BBC News]
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Is someone in charge of answering Mona Lisa’s e-mails?) The camels in the photo look amazing, especially if you know what size they really are. I never understood where artists and other artists draw their inspiration. Maybe because I do not have a mustache as an artist on this emoji?)) ??
love the art work and i don’t care about the questions
I love art history <3
This website is amazing and me and my friends loved these pictures of these artworks. They are amazing
same here!
I love these pieces of work they make me so happy everytime that i look at them . I feel really proud of moana lisa like her own love letters in a whole mailbox go girl
I was surprised that art was an Olympic event
me too
mona lisa does no have eyebrows
Duh!!!! everyone knows that
I explore art in all forms.
Not everyone knows, not everyone is educated like you are.
Yes
@vera no really!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[…] Did you know art used to be an Olympic event? […]
pretty
this some awesome art work
beautiful
lol she does not have eyebrows
Did you know Leonardo da Vinci originally painted eyebrows and eyelashes on the Mona Lisa?
These are some real amazing facts. Art was in Olympics was the most surprising of the all. I at least never heard that it was in Olympics, and now I wonder why it is not in the Olympic now, We should bring it back!
Very useful and comprehensive facts and I loved it. I searched a lot on the internet and did not find good facts about art. You have really clearly mentioned the detail about art facts on the post and are well explained. Thanks a lot!
[…] Hanging local art is becoming more and more popular and for good reason. Art is a huge part of our lives. In fact, it used to be an Olympic sport! […]
Thanks for sharing mind-blowing amazing facts of some famous paintings I really like it.
[…] Try to exhibit their art in an exhibition or arrange one for them where they feel happy to display o… […]
[…] Colgar arte local se está volviendo cada vez más popular, y por una buena razón. El arte es una gran parte de nuestras vidas. De hecho, solía ser uno deportes olimpicos! […]
love the art
me too🤩
cool
Cool, thanks!
i used these facts for my projet thanks i hope i get an A+
THank you!.
thx for this just working on a project
First person to comment in 2024 I love the artwork truly amazing