When you think about art that survived history, of course, you’ll see that most classic pieces have been around for decades and centuries. But today we’ll be looking at art that survived history, through the troubled times and destructive periods, like war, theft, and more. These pieces of art that survived history have more stories to tell, so let’s dive in and see which pieces they are.
5. Landsdowne Portrait of George Washington
An iconic story if you’re interested in art that survived history is the story of First Lady Dolley Madison, who evacuated artwork from the White House before the British set it on fire during the War of 1812, including the Landsdowne portrait of George Washington. However, a slave named Paul Jennings is believed to be the hero of many pieces of artwork, which is told in his autobiography A Colored Man’s Reminiscences of James Madison, published in 1865.
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4. “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci is known for several pieces of art, but one piece that survived history and theft is his iconic piece, “Mona Lisa”. In a 1911 heist, three Italian handymen camped out overnight in a closet and stole the painting, then boarded a train out of the city. The Louvre didn’t know the height of the painting until an artist asked about the location of the painting. The scandal made international newspapers and actually fueled interest in the painting in general. It wasn’t until 28 months later that one of the thieves tried to sell the painting to an art dealer in Florence, who then turned him in to the police.
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3. “The Scream” by Edvard Munch
The iconic painting, “The Scream”, is by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch and is considered his most famous work. Interestingly enough, the painting was stolen from the National Gallery in Oslo during a heist in 1994. The thieves stole the painting in less than one minute after breaking in through the window. However, it was later recovered three months later, undamaged, in a hotel room 40 miles away. In 2004, another version of the painting was stolen from the Munch Museum and later recovered by the police.
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2. “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci
Another one of Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic pieces is “The Last Supper”, and is considered one of his most famous works alongside “Mona Lisa”. Interestingly enough, it was actually near a horrendous event that could have destroyed the painting. A bomb landed just 80 feet from Leonardo da Vinci’s mural in Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Thanks to heavy sandbagging and braced scaffolding, the piece survived and was likely one of the only things to survive.
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1. Art During the French Revolution
Many of the country’s religious structures were vandalized during the French Revolution by the public acting out against the church. Unfortunately, several pieces would be destroyed during this period, except for the pieces that Alexandre Lenoir confiscated and collected, turning all the art into a museum. One of the most significant rescues he had was in the Basilica of St. Denis, the longtime burial ground of French royalty. Lenoir actually had the tombs transported to the museum, including the 16th-century tomb of Francis I and Claude de France.
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