Events

One of the great things about art is that it's always open to interpretation. You can revisit your favorite paintings repeatedly and still discover something new. Art Historians relish the hunt for an unnoticed detail or a cryptic symbol begging to be deciphered. In this lecture, Ervin will take you on a hunt for hidden messages and secrets in famous artworks. Thanks to new hyperspectral imaging technologies, art researchers can now even peer below the surface of paintings. Artists often made adjustments to a painting; however, some of the hidden images point to different motives. Ervin will conclude by looking at how some contemporary artists have taken hidden meanings in new directions. For a teaser: The official White House portrait of President Clinton, created by Nelson Shanks in 2005, actually has a hidden reference to Monica Lewinsky's dress!