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Why Some Paintings Were Banned (and Why That Matters)
When I first stood in the Sistine Chapel, I couldn’t stop staring at Michelangelo’s Last Judgment. The ceiling glowed with movement, the hundreds of figures twisting and reaching, half in heaven, half in chaos, it was quite an experience. Then I noticed something odd: a few of them had little painted loincloths that didn’t quite…
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Unusual Requests: The Strangest Art Commissions in History
From emperors to billionaires, powerful patrons have asked artists to create the unexpected. For as long as art has existed, there have been patrons with peculiar tastes and grand imaginations. From ancient pharaohs and emperors to modern tech moguls and pop stars, history is full of powerful clients who commissioned artworks that went far beyond…
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Hidden in the Frame: 5 Paintings With Secret Meanings
Can you spot what others missed? Some paintings are more than just paint on canvas. They’re puzzles. Messages in code. Warnings to the viewer. Secret heartbreaks and political rebellion, hiding in plain sight. In this issue, we reveal seven iconic artworks with hidden imagery that have inspired legend, ignited conspiracy theories, and made even scholars…
