6 Facts About Famous Artists That You Probably Don’t Know
Art history is full of wild tales and fascinating figures, which can make it tough to determine what is fact and fiction about artists.
Some of these stories endure because they remind us of the qualities we associate with artists—they’re creative, non-conforming, and more than a little eccentric. But in many cases, the truth is just as incredible as the art they create.
Don’t believe us? Here are six amazingly real facts about some of history’s most intriguing, famous artists.
Pablo Picasso Didn’t Steal the ‘Mona Lisa,’ But…
Pablo Picasso was many things during his prolific career—painter, sculptor, playwright—but there’s one occupation that historians leave off that list: accused art thief.
“Mona Lisa” (c. 1503), Leonardo da Vinci. Source: Public Domain.
On August 21, 1911, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” was stolen from the Louvre. Eight days later, a man named Joseph Géry Pieret revealed to the Paris-Journal that Picasso and his friend, avant-garde poet Apollinaire, were in possession of Iberian sculptures that had also been stolen from the Louvre. This made Picasso one of the top suspects in the theft of Leonardo’s painting.
Pablo Picasso (Image source: Public Domain)
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