For centuries people have wondered who was the model for Leonard do da Vinci's Mona Lisa and what was the reason for her smile. But the Mona Lisa is just one of the many mysteries in the art world. Here are some other notable unsolved art mysteries that might be a little less familiar.
Mystery 1: Who Is the girl in Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring?Around 1665, Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer painted a charming portrait of a young girl. People around the globe have long wondered who this fetching young lady was. Many say she must have been Vermeer's daughter or girlfriend. Others think she wasn't a real person, but rather an intentionally mysterious, timeless figure. The painting, referred to as the Mona Lisa of the North, has been part of The Hague's permanent collection since 1903. But it draws record-breaking crowds whenever and wherever it tours around the world.
Mystery 2: Where Is Raphael's Portrait of a Young Man?Portrait of a Young Man is considered one of the most important pieces of art to go missing during World War II. The painting was created around 1513 by Raphael, a famous Italian Renaissance artist, and stolen from Poland's Princes Czartoryski Museum in 1939.
The portrait had traveled to Germany and Austria before it was gone in 1945.
Mystery 3: Was Van Gogh Murdered?One of the main things people know about Vincent van Gogh is that he cut off his ear. That was likely because the Dutch post-impressionist painter suffered from mental illness, probably severe depression. The official cause is suicide from a gun shot at close range.
That certainly seems plausible (貌似有理的), given his poor mental health. However, no gun was found near his body, and locals reported two teenage boys bullying him shortly before his death.
