The horror and mystery behind 'the Black Paintings'

Towards the end of his life, Francisco Goya began painting terrifying scenes directly onto the walls of his house.

Wikimedia Commons
  • The Black Paintings stand out in art history for their dark composition and themes.
  • The biggest mystery, though, is that Goya painted them directly onto the walls of his home and never told anybody about them.
  • With such little information, all we can do is speculate about the 14 horrifying Black Paintings.
Keep reading Show less
death humanity painting violence war art

10 people who got famous from the grave

Really puts the whole "don't give up until you're dead" thing to shame.

Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette, by Van Gogh
  • It's been said that "You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everybody dances with the grim reaper."
  • These ten folks made huge advances in their field... but never lived long enough to see the fruits of their labors.
  • Can you think of someone alive today who might make the list in the future?
Keep reading Show less
art music comedy painting performance geology science death

Leonardo da Vinci could visually flip between dimensions, neuroscientist claims

A neuroscientist argues that Da Vicni shared a disorder with Picasso and Rembrandt.

Christopher Tyler
  • A neuroscientist at the City University of London proposes that Leonardo da Vinci may have had exotropia, allowing him to see the world with impaired depth perception.
  • If true, it means that Da Vinci would have been able to see the images he wanted to paint as they would have appeared on a flat surface.
  • The finding reminds us that sometimes looking at the world in a different way can have fantastic results.
Keep reading Show less
sight senses neuroscience visualizations painting art science and art

The ‘tacky’ Trump painting artist created similar work for Obama

Andy Thomas, a Missouri-based painter, painted an imaginary image of Trump and past Republican presidents that now hangs in the White House.

'The Republican Club' by Andy Thomas
  • The artist Andy Thomas, a self-taught painter living in Missouri, said he was surprised to learn Trump has hung the painting in the White House.
  • Thomas also created a similar painting depicting former President Barack Obama alongside past Democratic presidents.
  • Thomas said there's a hidden feminist message lying in both of the paintings.
Keep reading Show less
art painting history media politics