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Although thinking about art as a factual entity might seem a bit odd at first (you know, based on the notion that art is all about emotions and feelings), you would be surprised how many fun facts about art there really are. So many that we’ve filled a whole list with facts about art so you can entertain your friends at the most unexpected times with them. Or, you can also dish out these interesting facts about art at any old gallery opening when there’s nothing else to talk about.
Anyway, these interesting facts will absolutely give you pieces of information you’ve never heard before and, at the same time, will entertain you like nothing else before. Here’s a snippet of what to expect from these amusing art facts. Did you know that the Mona Lisa is so popular among her fans that she (well, not she, exactly, but the painting) has her own mailbox for fan letters at the Louvre? Neither did we, but now we are so tempted to write to her and see if we get a reply! Or did you know that the color wheel existed way before the United States did? Now there’s a piece of useless information we will absolutely remember for the rest of our lives!
Now that you got the gist that these cool facts about art will absolutely be worthy of your attention and time, it is our cue to urge you to scroll on down and check them out. Once you are there, rank the fun facts since now they are in no particular order. And lastly, if you feel the need to share this article with your friends, do not hesitate to do so!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Bob Ross Once Helped A Color-Blind Viewer By Spending An Entire Episode Painting In Only In Grey
RELATED:
#2
There Are Two Starry Nights By Van Gogh
#3
The Most Well-Known Graffiti Artist In The World Is Banksy, Yet No One Knows His Real Name
#4
Leonardo Da Vinci Was A 15th Century Animal Rights Activist And Vegetarian
#5
91% Of Americans Believe That A Well-Rounded Education Must Include The Arts
Bored Panda got in touch with Skaistė Kirslys, painter and illustrator from Klaipėda, Lithuania to talk about art and what it’s all about these days. Among many things, Skaistė focuses her talents on delicately intricate watercolor illustrations of natural landscapes with occasional ventures into urban scenery. Or a mix of both.
The beauty of visual art is the idea that, in its core, it was always the same. Only the form of delivery differed. “I think that the purpose of visual art has not changed as time went on. It has always been relevant because it conveyed a message that represented everything that really mattered in its respective time,” elaborated Skaistė.
#6
Art Used To Be A Competition In The Olympics
#7
Roman Sculptures Were Designed With Removable Heads So That One Head Could Be Swapped Out For Another
#8
Leonardo Da Vinci Was Ambidextrous - Able To Write With One Hand While Simultaneously Drawing With The Other
#9
Recent Discovery Made In Spain Found That The Oldest Paintings Discovered To Date, Made By Humans, Were Made More Than 42,000 Years Ago
Steve Robert 3 years ago
A prehistoric parent said Yeah my kid drew that even though I told him no painting on the walls
#10
Van Gogh Captured His Perspective From An Asylum In The Starry Night
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
I always see Starry Night as Van Gogh showing us his impression (you know, being an impressionist and all) of what the wind and stars actually look and feel like—-painting them for someone who needed to physically see the swirls of the wind and feel the glow of the stars. All to make us feel them much more keenly. It just FEELS like a clear June night, with the wind blowing, the starlight glowing in the sky, and a village not far away. Maybe a better example of his work that explains what I mean more clearly is his Sunflowers. The chromium yellow paint he used to paint them makes you actually feel heat radiating off the canvas, as if you’re standing in a real field of sunflowers—-or rather, tiny suns giving off heat—-on a bright summer day. Even before I read about the man, Van Gogh’s paintings always inspired such reactions from me, as well as a huge amount of emotion. My belief is that THAT was what he strived to achieve. I wish I could tell him that he succeeded. Far far beyond even his own expectations.
The creation and rise of technology ushered in a new age in visual art. On a professional level, you have everyone from architecture to graphic and web design to film creation and animation to fashion design and the like all using technology to make art a tangible and practical reality. It’s amazing what a keyboard, a mouse, and drawing pad can achieve.
But then there’s technical innovation that has introduced completely new forms of art, like laser shows and digital performance art.
“The most popular forms of modern art these days are often created using technology—computers. Not only have they become easily accessible to the majority of people, but they also don’t require a spacious art studio, a variety of tools, and it’s just fast,” added Skaistė.
#11
Leonardo Da Vinci Was A Procrastinator
#12
Picasso Believed That Art Is Done To Wash Away The Dust Of Our Daily Lives From Our Souls
#13
Romanticism Was A Cultural Movement That Originated In Europe And Also Gave Rise To The Importance Of Plein Air Painting
Kea_Tortilla 2 years ago
Apparently, it was a direct reaction to the Industrial Revolution. The romantics were great lovers of nature and despised the growing industrialisation of cities such as London and Sheffield
#14
'The Scream', The Most Well-Known Piece By Expressionist Artist Edvard Munch, Exists In Five Different Versions
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
They figured out why the sky is red, too! Seems he painted it when there had been a major volcanic eruption a long way off, which made the sky look like that. Also I read that the guy in the foreground isn't actually screaming but covering his ears to blot out the sound of something else screaming.
#15
Pablo Picasso Was A Prime Suspect In The Theft Of The Mona Lisa In 1911, But He Was Proven To Be Innocent After The Trials
She continued: “What’s happening now—AI (Artificial Intelligence) art—is an inevitability. Back in the day, when the digital art era was just kicking off, a lot about it was unknown to us. Some feared for the fate of those who chose traditional and classic forms of expression. In the end, nothing bad really happened. Some artists adapted—others stayed true to the classics.”
“It’s also important to consider the audience: each has its own taste and opinion. Some like digital works, while others disagree and look for more authentic, hand-made pieces of art. Art evolves just like humankind always has.”
“AI is what’s trending now, but it’s hard to speculate what the future holds at this point. Who knows, maybe analog will become the next big thing.”
#16
Salvador Dali Got The Idea For His Famous Melting Clocks From Watching Pieces Of Camembert Cheese Melt In The Sun
#17
Pablo Picasso Was An Animal Lover Who Had A Monkey, Goat, Owl, Turtle, Lots Of Cats And Dogs
#18
One Of The Fathers Of The Impressionist Movement, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Had Suffered From Rheumatoid Arthritis
#19
The 3500-Year-Old Kerala Murals Were Made Entirely Of Natural Paints And Vegetable Dyes, Leaving Them Completely Eco-Friendly
#20
Before Committing Suicide In 1890, Van Gogh Sold Only One Painting, 'The Red Vineyard'
Lastly, we’ve asked Skaistė about the challenges that modern professional artists face. She singled out competition as being among the biggest offenders. Sure, competition has always been a thing, but considering how much tech has made art accessible, this in turn empowered more players in the market.
But, on the other hand, there’s also a variety of ways to get your art out there—all you need to do is to use them.
#21
Like Maths, Creativity Can Be Learned
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
Not necessarily the creativity itself, but the understanding that it’s OK to let it loose TO BE creative. People, institutions, and society itself are guilty of suppressing a vast amount of talent, by making so many talented people feel embarrassed or paralyzingly insecure about letting their creativity flow and flourish. So don’t be an a*****e. Be careful of the words and tone of voice you use when a child shows you something they created (painted, wrote, composed, invented, etc). Same goes for the grades they worked hard to achieve in school. Realize and recognize the effort, not just the letter or GPA, ffs. Of course, that means you have to pay attention to your kids, to know how hard they worked to bring a grade up, no matter how far up they got it. Callous words and an insulting tone of voice can absolutely kill a child’s desire to explore, develop, and expand talents and intellect they possess.
#22
Claude Monet Was Advised To Work As A Grocer Rather Than As An Artist
RoanTheMad 3 years ago
And yet he painted one of my favourite paintings. His series of Water Lilies ... I just look at and feel a sense of calm. They're beautiful.
#23
Due To All The Love Messages She Gets, The Mona Lisa Has Her Own Mailbox In The Louvre
#24
The Easter Island Heads Have Bodies
#25
In 1961, 'Le Bateau' By Henri Matisse Was Hung Upside Down At The Museum Of Modern Art In New York, And It Was Around 46 Days Before Anyone Noticed
Be sure to check out more from Skaistė on her Etsy store where you can buy her originals as well as prints. Or you can also follow her Instagram if you love seeing lovely things in your feed.
But there’s still more to see in this artsy fartsy list, so continue scrolling. And while you’re at it, leave a comment with a fun art fact that you wish more people knew about!
#26
Michelangelo And Leonardo Da Vinci Revolutionized The Way Human Bodies Were Portrayed In Paintings
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
If you look at paintings—-specifically those more like portraits of real people—-before and after Da Vinci, you’ll see the difference in proportion, as well as more, sometimes gritty, realism.
#27
Even Though There Are Over 50 Casts Of Auguste Rodin's Well-Known Sculpture The Thinker All Across The World, Its Beginnings Were Far More Modest
"What makes my Thinker think is that he thinks not only with his brain, with his knitted brow, his distended nostrils, and his compressed lips, but with every muscle in his arms, back, and legs, with his clenched fist, and with his gripping toes", as the creator himself described what made his sculpture so difficult and predetermined to make.
Edda Kamphues 2 years ago
I'm in two minds about Rodin. He claimed a lot of Camille Claudel's works as his own...
See Also:
#28
The First Pencil Was Invented In England In 1565
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
Was the first pencil sharpener that wasn’t a knife (which is an overly difficult and really s****y sharpener) invented in 1566?
#29
The Seven Different Types Of Art Include Painting, Literature, Music, Architecture, Sculpture, Theater, And Cinema
sofacushionfort 3 years ago (edited)
Industrial design, high couture, and cuisine can also be considered arts. “Martial arts,” “the Art of War” etc. may be a form of theater, but I’ll prefer not to attend
#30
The Main Themes In Romanticism Art Were Human Psychology, Expression Of Personal Feeling And Nature
#31
Rococo Artwork Showed Wealthy People Engaging In Luxurious Leisure Activities And Romantic Adventures
Apachebathmat 2 years ago
That painting is beautiful but did the artist just say “f**k it” when it came to painting the book?
#32
Dali Believed He Was The Reincarnation Of His Older Brother Also Named Salvador Dali
#33
Michelangelo Painted The Sistine Chapel’s Fresco Ceiling Entirely Standing Up, Including The Most Famous Wall, 'The Creation Of Adam'
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
His back must’ve been made of steel, because standing up while looking and reaching up to paint a ceiling would just totally f**k my back, neck, and painting arm up.
#34
The Most Expensive Paintings Ever Sold Is Leonardo Da Vinci 'Salvator Mundi': Sold For $450.3 Million
#35
Art Is A Tool For Developing Critical Thinking And Imagination
Steve Robert 3 years ago
And yet we still won't fund it in our primary schools. Shameful and sad
#36
Warli Art Origins Go Back To 2500 BC
#37
In 1911 After The Mona Lisa Was Stolen From The Louvre, More People Came To See The Empty Gap Left On The Wall Than Ever Before
#38
The Color Wheel Existed Before United States
#39
Willard Wigan, An Artist, Once Inhaled His Own Creation
Abigail Strong 3 years ago (edited)
For any of you wondering how, he is a miniature artist, once creating a sculpture of the white house that could fit on the head of a pin. Look him up, he's really cool (edit) also he's hot
#40
The Word “Art” Is Derived From The Latin Word “Ars,” Which Means “Art, Talent, Or Craft"
#41
A Perfect Example Of Baroque Architecture Is The Trevi Fountain In Rome
#42
Learning Art Is Closely Correlated With Success In Math And Literacy
#43
Because Of His High Debts, Rembrandt Was Banned From Selling Art And Had To Sell His House Instead
Danish Susanne 2 years ago
But selling his art might go a long way toward paying his depts. The decision makes no sense.
#44
Picasso Could Draw Before He Could Walk
#45
Pablo Picasso First Word Was The Spanish Word For Pencil
#46
Greeks Took Inspiration For Sculpture-Making From Ancient Egyptian Art
#47
Baroque Originated As A Style Of Architecture, Later Artists Have Adapted This Movement Into Their Paintings And Other Works Of Art
Jonathan Brooks 2 years ago
“And, as I always say, if it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it.” - Cogsworth, #BeautyAndTheBeast
#48
The Louvre Museum In Paris, France, Is The Most Visited And Famous Museum In The World
Almostfoxlike 2 years ago
Mistakenly bought a museum pass for all museums in Paris and went to the Louvre first. Could have spent 3 days in there and not seen everything, much less have time for *other* museums.
#49
1000 Used Tea Bags Were Put Together To Form The Queen Elizabeth II Portrait By English Artist Andy Brown
RoanTheMad 3 years ago
since BP has decided not to grace us with the actual artwork, here it is: God-Save-t...93053f.jpg 
#50
The Youngest Professional Artist, Arushi Bhatnagar Had Her First Solo Exhibition When She Was 11 Months Old And Sold Her First Art Work Through It
BluEyedSeoulite 3 years ago
I tried to find some early paintings of hers but couldn't. I saw one she did when she was 6 and it seemed a bit advanced for her age by maybe 2 years but not show stopping. Her recent stuff is really nice. It makes me wonder if her parents just had art connections and just encouraged her. Encouragement and giving kids supplies and freedom do a lot
#51
In The Tate Modern Museum In 2003, Street Artist Banksy Taped His Own Creations On The Wall
It's not the only joke that Banksy has pulled on the art world. Banksy entered the Louvre Museum in October 2004 and put his own replica of the Mona Lisa inside. The famous smile of the Mona Lisa had been changed to a yellow, acidic smiling expression. Mona Lisa Smile was the name of this painting. The painting was sold at auction for over £60,000 two years later.
How long the painting was left is not known to the general population.
#52
Five Picasso Paintings Are Represented In the Top 25 Most Expensive Paintings List
Biana Weatherford 2 years ago
Again....if you want to see, BP isn't helping. https://artincontext.org/most-expensive-paintings/
#53
Despite The Fact That The Renaissance Was Based In Italy, The Term Itself Is French
#54
The Statue Of David Has Slightly Crossed Eyes, Maybe On Purpose
#55
The Representation Of Biblical And Theological Themes Was A Major Focus Of Byzantine And Medieval Art During The Western Middle Ages
#56
There Are 7 Definitions Of The Word ‘Art’ In The Oxford Dictionary
#57
The Pop-Art Depiction Of Campbell’s Soup Comes In A Set Of 32
#58
Picasso's Abstract Representation Of Five Prostitutes In Barcelona Was Considered As Immoral When It Was First Displayed In The Artist's Studio In 1907
#59
USA's Capitol Is The Most Popular Example Of The Neoclassical Artform
sofacushionfort 3 years ago
“Hopefully, if we design it with enough grandeur, dignity and nobility, fat morons wearing camouflage won’t break in and poop on the floors.”
#60
In 2008, A World Record Of 8ft 6 Inches, For The Highest Flying Toast From A Pop-Up Toaster Was Set At The Royal College Of Art Graduate Show
#61
The British Museum’s Collection Of South Indian Paintings Consists Of Around 1000 Items
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