The five most enigmatic artworks in the history of art

1. “The Mona Lisa”, Leonardo da Vinci, 1503

We'll start with the most obvious and then move on to less controversial works. This work of art is, after all, familiar to everyone. The figurehead of Leonardo da Vinci's work, Mona Lisa shines in the heart of the Louvre, and with her, her enigmatic smile. But who is she? Now that's a puzzle!

According to the painter Giorgio Vasari, she is Lisa Maria Gherardini, in other words the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The latter is said to have asked the artist to reproduce the portrait of his wife. This hypothesis remains unproven to this day. Some would even go so far as to suggest that the woman with the occult allure is in fact a female transposition of the artist himself.

2. “The Statue of Liberty”, Auguste Bartholdi, 1886

A famous gift from France to the United States orchestrated by Gustave Eiffel, "Liberty Enlightening the World" is a monumental work of art located in New York. A true sign of friendship and respect between the two powers, it was donated to celebrate the centenary of the American Declaration of Independence.

But on closer inspection, one particular detail stands out: at the feet of the statue is a chain. Is it a symbol of democracy? Is it an allegory of freedom in the open? No one knows...

3. “Traveller in front of a sea of clouds”, Caspar David Friedrich, 1818

What a romantic work of art! And where there's romance, there's mystery. In this painting, we can admire a male silhouette from behind, against the light. The man seems to be overlooking the rocks in a flash of mist.

Nature is hidden here, shrouded in a procession of clouds. It is easy to understand the quest for an unattainable ideal to which the figure is dedicated, lost in the immensity of the environment around him. Sensibility and veil combine here to create a mystical representation, the stakes of which are hard to guess.

4. “The Girl with the Pearl”, Johannes Vermeer, 1665

This marvellous creation is attributed to the Dutch painter Vermeer. The portrait of this woman is anonymous and raises many questions. Some have maintained the idea that it was one of his daughters, the pearl in her ear depicting youthful sweetness and purity. Others maintain that she was probably a woman loved by the artist, or even his neighbour. Who was she really? We don't know...

5. “Danaë”, Rembrandt, 1636-1643

If you're visiting St Petersburg, be sure to pay a visit to the Hermitage Museum. This is where you can admire this life-size painting. It shows a nude woman lying on a bed. This comes as no surprise, as women have always been a source of great inspiration to the artist. On many occasions, it was his wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh, whom he modelled on.

Nevertheless, the resemblance between the two women is not immediately obvious, to say the least! Don't worry, for this last secret, we've decided to give you the answer: two different women's faces can be seen. It would seem that, after the death of his wife, Rembrandt took over this painting, giving it the features of Geertje Dircx, another woman he knew. This woman's face would therefore be a mixture of the two above!

We warned you: art hides many secrets, and many of them have still not been revealed. Many paintings escape us because of the mystery they contain. But isn't that ultimately what makes them so beautiful?