Famous Paintings With Hidden Meanings

Some paintings stop you in your tracks. Not just because they’re beautiful, but because something about them feels … off or unsettling.

A strange detail, an odd expression, or a scene whose elements don’t quite add up. In fact, artists have slipped hidden meanings, secret messages, and even a few inside jokes into their work for centuries.

Some of these mysteries have been solved. But plenty still have experts and scholars guessing.

Pinterest pin graphic for paintings with secret meanings
Pinterest pin graphic for paintings with secret meanings

Cryptic symbols, eerie background figures, and puzzling compositions have turned these famous paintings into works of art with more questions than answers.

It’s clear the artists needed to do something to amuse themselves while painting, besides just churning out staid commissions.

In this guide, I’ll take a closer look at some of the most mysterious paintings in art history and the theories behind them. If you’re an art lover, they’re sure to peak your curiosity and have you looking at them in a different way.

Who doesn’t love an art mystery after all?

Van Eyck, Arnolfini Portrait, 1434
Van Eyck, Arnolfini Portrait, 1434

Famous Paintings Shrouded In Mystery

1. Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait

The Arnolfini Portrait is a famous Renaissance painting from Northern Europe in the National Gallery of London. It’s hugely significant because it’s the world’s first oil painting and first interior genre scene.

The painting is a full length double portrait. It appears to be straightforward wedding portrait, though art historians don’t know who it depicts.

The painting is packed with symbolism. The mirror in the background reflecting unseen figures. The dog symbolizes loyalty, and possibly the woman’s apparent pregnancy.

But is she really pregnant? Dresses like that were actually the fashion of the day.

And is she even alive? Some suggest that the portrait is a memorial, with the dog representing the woman’s death not her pregnancy.

In the center back, you see a convex mirror glistening. Miniaturized versions of the couple are reflected in the glass.

Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1495-98
Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1495-98

2. Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper

After the Mona Lisa (which I’ll get to), The Last Supper is Leonardo’s second most famous painting.

It’s a billboard size fresco (15 x 29 feet) that depicts the last meal Jesus had with his apostles.

The long table is crowded. Each figure is unique and memorable, with distinct facial expressions, as a wave of emotion roils through the group.

They are portrayed realistically. You’d never know they were holy men. Leonardo apparently used people on the street or in jail as models.

Doubt hangs in the air. No one knows who the villain is yet.

detail of The Last Supper

This famous fresco Is full of hidden meaning, befitting a brilliant painter-polymath

It contains hidden hands, mathematical patterns, and possible musical notes embedded in the arrangement of bread and hands. The architecture reflect Pythagorean musical ratios.

Some theories even suggest that Mary Magdalene, not John, is seated next to Jesus.

It’s even theorized that The Last Supper is a representation of the solar system and the zodiac.

>>> Click here to book a tour of The Last Supper

Sandro Botticelli, Primavera, 1482
Sandro Botticelli, Primavera, 1482

3. Sandro Botticelli, Primavera

Everyone visiting the Uffizi Gallery in Florence fights for a spot to see Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. But his Primavera, in the same room, is much more mysterious.

It appears to be a celebration of spring and fertility. But is that what it really is?

Primavera is enigmatic. Its meaning is uncertain and has stumped scholars for centuries. Most believe the painting depicts the realm of Venus, as sung by the ancient poets. 

It could also depict a springtime wedding. And was possibly created for the wedding of Lorenzo the Magnificent’s cousin.

Three Graces in the Primavera

Typical of Botticelli, his figures are elongated, weightless, and stand in odd positions.

The painting is decorative, almost the opposite of the naturalism that most Renaissance painters championed. 

But it may have been what the Medici demanded. Both Flora and/or one of the Three Graces (on the left) is a portrait of Simonetta Vespucci. She was considered the most beautiful woman in Florence.

The painting hides classical mythology references. Venus is a stand-in for the Virgin Mary. Zephyrus forcefully abducts Chloris, hinting at a darker side to the idyllic scene.

>>> Click here to book a timed entry Uffizi ticket

Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, c. 1480-1505
Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1480-1505

4. Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights

Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights is a fever dream of temptation and doom. Naked hybrid creatures, surreal landscapes, and cryptic symbols fill the panels.

It’s likely a vision of creation and damnation. But its true meaning remains a mystery.

Little is known about Bosch himself. No personal writings survive. And art historians debate everything from his birthdate to his patrons.

His work has puzzled scholars for centuries. No one knows exactly who commissioned the painting or for what purpose. Was it a moral warning, a reflection on human folly, or even a private joke?

Some symbols, like fruit, birds, and musical instruments, could represent lust or temptation.

Others, like the eerie humanoid hybrids, seem drawn from folklore or dreams. The recurring strawberries, for example, might symbolize the fleeting nature of pleasure.

Despite its bizarre imagery, the painting was a huge hit. It adorned prominent spaces, and copies and tapestries spread its eerie vision.

Close the triptych’s shutters, and the scene changes entirely—a quiet world enclosed in a sphere, with a tiny god hovering above.

Rembrandt, The Night Watch, 1642
Rembrandt, The Night Watch, 1642

5. Rembrandt, The Night Watch

Rembrandt’s The Night Watch is a monumental masterpiece (11 by 14 feet!) of the Dutch Golden Age. It’s the crown jewel of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.

Housed in a specially designed gallery, it’s an extremely lifelike group portrait that depicts a group of guardsmen turning out for duty, two women, and a dog.

But this is unlike traditional group portraits of civic guards. Rembrandt turns a standard static gathering into a dynamic narrative.

The guards seem poised for action, their movements caught mid-stride. They’re ready to defend the city at any moment on the captain’s order. Using chiaroscuro, Rembrandt illuminates key figures and leaves others partially obscured.

Rembrandt provided plenty of grist for the analytic mill. And, naturally, scholars have long debated its nuances.

detail of the Night Watch

For instance, the little girl dressed in golden light stands out amid the darker tones. Her presence has sparked various interpretations.

Who is she? A a mascot, a representation of the company’s emblem or a symbol of innocence amidst the chaos? Who is the girl behind her, who is mostly obscured?

Why does Captain Frans Banning Cocq seem almost unaware of all the bustling activity around him?

And who are the ghostly figures in the background and what do they mean? Whoever, they are, Rembrandt’s composition makes you feel something for them.

For more details, you can tune into two Peter Greenway documentaries — Nightwatching and Rembrandt’s J’Accuse.

>>> Click here to book a Rijksmuseum ticket

Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory, 1931
Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory, 1931

6. Salvador Dalí, The Persistence of Memory

The Surrealists were always playing with hidden meanings. And Salvador Dali was their intrepid leader.

Dalí’s early masterpiece, The Persistence of Memory, is a strange take on time. Melting clocks drape over a dreamlike landscape, challenging our sense of reality.

What do these limp clocks symbolize? Art historians say it’s the fluidity of time and the dreamlike nature of existence. 

Some believe Dalí was inspired by Einstein’s theory of relativity. Others think it represents his fears of decay and mortality. Maybe it’s all of the above.

Dalí himself disdained such interpretations. He claimed they were the “camembert of time.” Still, no matter what he says, you can see his fascination for temporality.

Even the provenance of the painting is a mystery. An anonymous donor gave it to MoMA in New York City in 1934, where it has hung ever since.

Van Gogh, Cafe Terrace at Night, 1888
Van Gogh, Cafe Terrace at Night, 1888

7. Van Gogh, Cafe Terrace at Night

Everyone loves van Gogh. Or at least it seems that way.

One of his most famous paintings is Cafe Terrace at Night, which is housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum. It was painted in Arles in southern France. The actual cafe is long gone.

In the painting, people huddle in a sidewalk cafe, while others walk down the cobbled street. It contains the first depiction of Van Gogh’s classic Starry Night (versions of which are in the Met and the Musee d’Orsay).

Some believe the cafe scene also contains a hidden Last Supper. There’s a Jesus-like figure at the center, surrounded by 12 figures under a bright cross-like window.

They appear to be surrounded by yellow, representing a halo or holy light.

>>> Click here to pre-book a ticket

Goya, Charles IV of Spain and His Family, 1800
Goya, Charles IV of Spain and His Family, 1800

8. GoyaCharles IV of Spain and His Family

This is one of the most brutally honest royal portraits in art history. I love it!

It’s packed with hidden meaning and subtle satire. I learned about them in an art history class in college. But on a recent tour of the Prado Museum in Madrid, I was reminded of just how vicious the painting is for a painter of the royal court.

Goya doesn’t even remotely idealize the Spanish royal family, as was the norm for this type of commission. Instead, he painted them in an unflattering way exactly as they were— rather pompous and ugly.

It’s almost comical how ridiculous they look. And they were completely unaware of it and didn’t realize the hidden satire.

Charles IV looks clueless, Queen Maria Luisa appears controlling, and other family members look stiff and detached.

painting detail

Queen Maria Luisa stands front and center, dressed lavishly, while Charles IV is slightly off to the side. Many believe Goya was hinting that Maria Luisa was the true power behind the throne.

Even better, the toothless queen was having an affair with her daughter’s husband. Their child stands by the king, but is dressed in the same clothing as his real father.

In one corner, there’s a shadowy, unfinished face in the background. It’s believed to be portrait of Goya himself, a subtle sign that he was watching and critiquing the royals as he painted them.

Some art historians also believe the painting is a political critique. They think it subtly criticizes the incompetence of the Spanish monarchy, which would soon collapse under Napoleon’s invasion.

Botticelli, Venus and Mars, 1486

9. Sandro Botticelli, Venus and Mars

Botticelli was the greatest painter of the early Renaissance period in Florence. His art represents the pinnacle of the golden age of Florence’s Medici dynasty

Botticelli’s work was groundbreaking — pure visual poetry and elegance. He was the first artist to break from tradition and depict large scale, non-religious mythological themes.

Venus and Mars depicts the titular deities lounging in a meadow. Venus looks forward while Mars sleeps. He’s oblivious to wasps buzzing about his head or the mischievous satyr.  

Some historians believe that the figures purportedly representing Mars and Venus are actually portraits of real lovers, contemporaries of Botticelli himself.

They may have been Simonetta Vespucci and Giuliano de’ Medici. Other historians believe they represent Adam and Eve.

Piero della Francesca, Flagellation of Christ, c. 1455-65
Piero della Francesca, Flagellation of Christ, 1455-65

10. Piero della Francesa, Flagellation of Christ

The Flagellation of Christ is a masterpiece by Piero della Francesca. It’s one of his greatest and most controversial paintings. Art historian Kenneth Clark described it as “the greatest small painting in the world.”

Though exceeded in fame by the artist’s The Legend of the True Cross in Arezzo, The Flagellation draws the most scholarly attention. Why?

Because it’s puzzling to almost everyone. No one definitively knows what the enigmatic painting is about. The iconography is ambiguous. And it has a formal and conceptual complexity.

Despite its gory name, the focus of the painting isn’t entirely on Christ’s suffering. Instead, the composition is split between two seemingly disconnected scenes.

On the left, Christ is being whipped in a grand architectural setting.

Yet the three men in the foreground on the right seem completely oblivious. They don’t react, speak, or even glance at the torture happening behind them.

detail of Piero della Francesca painting The Flagellation

The eerie stillness has led to theories that these two events aren’t happening at the same time—or even in the same reality.

Some believe the painting is a coded political statement about the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

The man in the golden robe may represent a Byzantine emperor, symbolizing the suffering of Christ as the suffering of the Eastern Christian world.

Another theory suggests that the three men represent members of the Urbino court, mourning the death of Oddantonio da Montefeltro, a young ruler assassinated in 1444. 

Francisco Goya, Saturn Devouring his Son, 1819-23
Francisco Goya, Saturn Devouring his Son, 1819-23

11. Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son (1819–1823)

Francisco Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son is one of the most terrifying and mysterious paintings in art history.

Part of his Black Paintings series in the Prado, it’s a disturbing image of a wild-eyed, monstrous figure consuming his child. And it’s packed with dark symbolism and hidden meanings.

Ostensibily, the painting is based on the Greek myth of Cronus (Saturn in Roman mythology). He preemptively ate his children to prevent them from overthrowing him.

Unlike previous depictions, Goya’s version is raw, brutal, and nightmarish. There is not a scintilla of classical elegance.

Many believe the painting is a political allegory. That it’s Goya’s critique of Spain’s corrupt and oppressive monarchy.

Just like Saturn, the Spanish rulers were seen as devouring their own people, sacrificing them for their own power.

The shocking painting could also reflect Goya’s own personal despair. In his later years, Goya was deaf isolated, disillusioned, and living alone.

He covered the walls of his house with disturbing murals, including this horrifying scene. Thus, some art historians believe it represents his fear of time, aging, and death consuming him.

Giorgione, The Tempest, 1506-08
Giorgione, The Tempest, 1506-08

12. Giorgini, The Tempest

Giorgione’s The Tempest, housed in Venice’s Galleria Accademia, is one of the most enigmatic paintings in art history.

It’s a scene filled with mystery, symbolism, and unanswered questions. It’s completely unclear what’s happening.

What you see is a nude woman nursing a baby on one side of the painting. A well-dressed man with a staff or spear stands opposite her.

A storm looms in the background. But what is the narrative?

Unlike most Renaissance paintings, The Tempest doesn’t have an obvious biblical or mythological theme. Thus, art historians have scratched their heads and interpreted it in many different ways.

Some say it’s a biblical scene of Adam and Eve after being expelled from Eden. Others say it’s an allegory of life and death or a scene from classical mythology. Or perhaps an allegory of the balance between civilization (man) and nature (woman).

Some contrarians reject all that. They believe The Tempest isn’t meant to tell a specific story at all.

Instead, they suggest it’s one of the first paintings created purely for aesthetic and atmospheric beauty, rather than for religious or historical purposes. If true, that makes it the first landscape painting in art history.

>>> Click here to book a Galleria Accademia ticket

Caravaggio, The Calling of St. Matthew, 1599-1600
Caravaggio, The Calling of St. Matthew, 1599-1600

13. Caravaggio, The Calling of Saint Matthew 

The Callng of Saint Matthew is one of Caravaggio’s most famous works. You can see it in the Contarelli Chapel in Rome’s Church of St. Louis of the French.

In the painting, you see a scene of what seems to be Jesus calling Matthew to be an apostle.

But which person is Matthew? Some scholars believe it’s the bearded man pointing at himself. Others think it’s the younger man hunched over the money.

Another interesting tidbit is the mysterious hand of Jesus. Caravaggio deliberately modeled it after Adam’s hand in Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel.

As is Caravaggio’s MO, he gives short shrift to the religious theme. Instead, he places the scene in a dark tavern, making it feel shockingly real and not obviously sacred.

Raphael, La Fornarina, 1520
Raphael, La Fornarina, 1520

14. Raphael, La Fornarina

Raphael’s La Fornarina is a beautiful portrait found in Rome’s Palazzo Barberini. But it’s one of the most intriguing and debated portraits of the Renaissance.

It’s believed to depict Margherita Luti, a Roman baker’s daughter (fornarina means “the baker’s girl” in Italian). She was Raphael’s rumored lover. Maybe even his secret wife.

Unlike his public commissions, this painting was likely never meant to be displayed. This suggests the painting was just for Raphael.

Some say Raphael was so in love with her that he neglected his work at the Villa Farnesina. Others claim he died from exhaustion caused by excessive nighttime “activities.” Though that seems blatantly false.

The painting has a hidden signature. Raphael subtly signed his name on the woman’s armband, an unusual detail for a portrait.

Was he marking her as his muse? His lover? Some even speculate it was a sign of their secret marriage.

La Fornarina has an unusual hand placement. Her right hand rests over her breast.

detail of La Fornarina

Some scholars believe this is a symbolic reference to fertility, love, or even pregnancy. Others suggest it’s a subtle nod to poses in ancient statues of Venus, linking Margherita to the goddess of love.

The painting also has a very dark background. Why?

Some believe this suggests the painting was never completed. Perhaps due to Raphael’s sudden death at just 37?

Others suggest the darkness represents secrecy or intimacy, reinforcing the idea that this was a deeply personal work.

On top of all that, X-ray scans revealed that at one point, a ring was painted on her left hand, possibly a wedding band. But the ring was later painted over, raising even more questions about whether (and why) someone wanted to hide the truth.

Diego Velazquez, Las Meninas, 1656
Diego Velazquez, Las Meninas, 1656

15. Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas

Las Meninas is one of my favorite paintings. It’s one of the most famous paintings in Spain, and the star of the Prado.

At first glance, Las Meninas seems like a typical royal portrait of the young Infanta Margarita surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting. But a closer look reveals layers of mystery.

First off, Velázquez painted himself into the scene, standing in front of a large canvas. But what is he painting? The infanta? Or the king and queen?

A mirror in the background reflects the faint images of King Philip IV and Queen Mariana. This led some to believe that they were the actual subjects, and we’re seeing the scene from their perspective.

The painting is revolutionary because it breaks all the rules of traditional portraiture. It’s puzzle of reflections, hidden gazes, and shifting perspectives that still confounds art historians today.

Velazquez, Rokeby Venus, 1647-51

16. Diego Velazquez, The Rokeby Venus

This is another enigmatic Velazquez painting. No one knows who commissioned it. And it’s the painter’s only nude.

At the time, during the Spanish Inquisition, nudes were deemed highly inappropriate. Velazquez probably only got away with it because he was Philip IV’s esteemed court painter.

In the paintings, Venus lies languidly on her bed, primping. You know it’s Venus because of the presence of her buddy Cupid.

Her back is the viewer. This is reminiscent of the post of the Sleeping Hermaphrodite in the Louvre.

Venus’ face is reflected in Cupid’s mirror. Is she looking back at the viewer as they look at her? A clever trick.

You can also see that her face looks blurry and older in the mirror. This suggests the inevitable passage of time.

Rembrandt, Danae, 1636-43
Rembrandt, Danae, 1636-43

17. Rembrandt, Danaë 

Danae is a mysterious and enigmatic painting with hidden meanings and a super unusual history. Unlike other versions of this myth, Rembrandt’s interpretation stands out for its emotion, symbolism, and later, its strange fate.

Danaë was the mother of Perseus. Zeus impregnated her when he appeared as a shower of gold. But Rembrandt’s model doesn’t resemble traditional depictions of Danaë.

Some art historians believe he originally painted his wife Saskia. After her death, they say, he reworked the face to resemble his later lover, Geertje Dircx.

Whoever it is, she has an unusual expression and body language. She looks human, not mythological.

Instead of passively receiving Zeus’s golden rain, Danaë turns toward the light with an expectant, yet vulnerable look on her face. She even reaches out with her hand.

There’s also a mysterious figure in the background. A strange, shadowy old woman lurks in the darkness behind Danaë.

Some believe she represents a nurse watching over Danaë. But others think she’s a symbol of fate or even Rembrandt’s personal grief.

Sadly, in 1985, a violent attack altered the painting. An assailant threw sulfuric acid and slashed the canvas while it was on display in the Hermitage Museum.

The painting was severely damaged, but painstakingly restored over 12 years. It remains one of Rembrandt’s most enigmatic and haunting works.

Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, 1503-19
Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, 1503-19

18. Mona Lisa

Last but certainly not least is the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. It’s one of the most enigmatic paintings in history, and it absolutely belongs on the list of mysterious artworks with hidden meanings.

First, the famous smile. As you likely will have heard, the Mona Lisa’s smile is “ambiguous.” Sometimes it looks warm and inviting, other times distant and unreadable.

Leonardo used a painting technique called sfumato. This softens the transitions between light and shadow.

And, in this case, it actually creates an illusion that makes her expression shift depending on the angle and lighting. Is she watching you as you watch her?

And who does the painting depict? The most accepted theory is that she was Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine merchant.

detail of the Mona Lisa's face

However, some believe the painting could actually be various things:

  • a self-portrait of Leonardo as a woman
  • a composite image blending multiple faces
  • an idealized figure rather than a real person
  • Leonardo’s lover Salai

Apart from this mystery, in 2010, an Italian researcher claimed to have found tiny letters and numbers in her eyes when magnified.

Art historian Silvano Vinceti claims to have found hidden symbols in the Mona Lisa: an “S” in her left eye, an “L” in her right, and “72” under the bridge.

He believes “L” stands for Leonardo, while the meanings of “S” and “72” are debated. Some link “S” to the Sforza dynasty and “72” to religious symbolism in Judaism and Christianity.

Some believe these could be hidden codes or symbols. Others argue they’re just cracks in the paint.

da Vinci self portrait?

Another oddity is that, unlike most Renaissance portraits, the Mona Lisa has no visible eyebrows or eyelashes. Some believe they faded over time. Others think Leonardo deliberately left them out to amplify the painting’s mysterious aura.

Plus, there’s the fact that Leonardo never delivered the paintings to his client.

The Mona Lisa was supposedly commissioned by Lisa Gherardini’s husband. But Leonardo never gave it to him.

Instead, he kept it with him for many years, even when he moved to the Loire Valley in France. He continuously refined it until his death.

Was he too attached to the painting? Was there something more personal about it? We’ll probably never know for sure.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to mysterious paintings with hidden meanings. You may enjoy these other art-related guides:

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Pinterest pin graphic showing famous paintings with hidden meanings
Pinterest pin graphic showing famous paintings with secret and mysterious meanings