The 5 Weirdest Art Mysteries
The world of art is one of the most lucrative, but it can also be the most mysterious. Since almost all of the most well-known works of art predate the internet and even recorded history altogether, it’s hard to know the exact origins and full stories for these pieces of art. Because of this, there are plenty of unsolved mysteries in art history, and here are some of the biggest question marks that we’re still trying to figure out.
5. Who is Lady Liberty?
Very few pieces of art in the United States are as recognizable as the Statue of Liberty which overlooks the New York Harbor. A gift from France that was dedicated in 1886, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi created what has become an iconic piece of Americana. The statue is of Libertas, a Roman goddess, but who was the exact model that Bartholdi used? There are rumors that it was his own mother, but it was never confirmed.
4. How Did Van Gogh Go?
When you think of artists that just about anybody can name despite their level of art knowledge, Vincent van Gogh is one of those artists. On July 28, 1890, van Gogh passed away after a fatal gunshot, which was presumed to be fired by himself. However, in the years that have passed, there has been speculation that someone else fired the gun into his abdomen. Due to forensics, some historians suspect it was an accidental gunshot that nobody wanted to confess.
3. Is Denver Cursed?
If you’ve been to the Denver International Airport, you may have noticed one of the most eye-catching sculptures. Officially titled Blue Mustang, people know this massive horse sculpture better as Blucifer. Standing at over 30 feet tall and around 9,000 pounds, Blucifer has been said to be cursed. That’s because the sculptor of the statue, Luis Jimenez, was killed in his studio by a piece of Blucifer falling on him, severing his artery.
2. Big Heist in Beantown
Boston is one of the most historical cities in the United States, and art plays a significant part in the city’s lore. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is one of those places that has preserved history, but there’s a big chunk missing. In March of 1990, 13 pieces of art were stolen from the museum with an estimated value of $500 million. With that much money missing, you’d think the case would be solved more than 30 years later. However, the FBI still hasn’t caught the thieves and the reward for finding the missing art has ballooned to $10 million.
1. Who was Robert C. Christian?
The state of Georgia made headlines in July 2022 when the Georgia Guidestones were destroyed. A big tourist attraction, there was a lot of controversy surrounding that monument that’s said to give instructions on what to do after a potential apocalyptic event. One thing that’s unclear is the history of the man that made the Guidestones. The man was known under the name Robert C. Christian (a pseudonym), but that’s about all we know. He simply wanted to know how much it would cost to make the monument, and only Wyatt Martin knows Christian’s real name.