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The color purple has a fascinating history.

5 Facts About the Color Purple

Purple has long been viewed as the color of royalty. In some societies, only those with power were allowed to wear it.

5 Riveting Facts About the Color Red

As one of the oldest colors in the world, red symbolizes aggression, power, and passion. Here are some surprising facts about the hue.

The Mystery Model In Gustave Courbet's Most Scandalous Painting

For many years, the nude model for Gustave Courbet's 'L’Origine du monde' remained unknown.

7 Misconceptions About the Renaissance

There are a lot of things we don't quite get right about the Renaissance, including when it actually took place.

The Singing Ringing Tree in England plays a haunting melody.

The Singing Ringing Tree, a Steel Sound Sculpture in the English Countryside, Is Straight Out of a Horror Movie

The 10-foot-tall sculpture in England is an aerolian harp, playing haunting music as the wind blows through it.

Napoleon Sarony, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

9 Fascinating Facts About Oscar Wilde

'My own business bores me to death; I prefer other people's,' Oscar Wilde once said. Read on for more about this master wit, poet, and playwright.

Curious George lives up to his reputation.

The Time Curious George Got High

Beloved childrens' book character Curious George got himself into some real pickles, including knocking himself unconscious while high on ether.

Pencils have a long evolutionary history.

Who Invented the Pencil?

French engineer Nicolas-Jacques Conté created what is considered the modern pencil, though many have since made improvements.

12 Illuminating Facts About Mary Cassatt

Mary Cassatt, known for her intimate paintings of mothers and children, was the only American artist invited to join the French Impressionists.

Michelangelo May Have Left a Thumbprint on This Wax Sculpture's Butt

Michelangelo is one of the most celebrated artists in history. While he disliked signing his work, time and humidity changes may have just revealed a thumbprint on a wax butt.

Penner, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

More Than 300 Pairs of Prince’s Custom Shoes Are on Display at Paisley Park

The legendary singer and performer Prince's massive shoe collection is on display at his former home and studio, Paisley Park.

This Marilyn Monroe sculpture has raised eyebrows.

7 Controversial Modern Statues

These works of art weren't criticized for political reasons or historical evils. They're just plain weird.

An illustration of cochineal insects, which brought vivid red hues to Europe.

The Bug the World Fought Over

The Cochineal insect creates a red dye so incredible, Europe nearly went to war over it.

Activist Ida B. Wells now has a monument in her honor.

Chicago Just Unveiled a Monument for Journalist Ida B. Wells—the City's First Honoring a Black Woman

The sculpture pays tribute to Wells, who shed light on discrimination as a reporter and activist until her death in 1931.

Some artists have won Olympic medals for making medals.

When the Olympics Gave Out Medals for Making Medals

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Olympics bestowed medals on artists for excellence in medal-making. Even if they were dead.

Pallavi Padukone with her citronella-scented textile.

"Reminiscent": How One Designer Used Scented Textiles to Capture the Fragrances of Home

For her project 'Reminiscent,' designer Pallavi Padukone infused textiles with smells that remind her of people and places from her home in India.

David Bowie at his first solo art exhibition in London in the 1990s.

A Painting by David Bowie Bought at a Thrift Store for $4 Will Sell for More Than $60,000

Original David Bowie artworks don’t surface often—but one was recently unearthed in a donation bin in Canada.

N.C. Wyeth's The Duel was recovered from a Beverly Hills, California pawn shop in 2014, thanks to the FBI's National Stolen Art File database.

How the FBI's National Stolen Art File Reunites Lost Works With Their Rightful Owners

Works by Monet, Warhol, and Dalí; Super Bowl rings; Stradivarius violins; and 1930s comic books are just some of the items you'll find in the FBI's National Stolen Art File, a public database of more than 5500 missing items of cultural value.

A High Schooler Will Have Their Hannibal Fan Art Displayed at the U.S. Capitol

A high school student's 'Hannibal' fan art was selected as a winner of the Congressional Art Competition and will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol building.

The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen or Spring Garden by Vincent van Gogh, stolen from the Singer Laren museum in March 2020.

Interpol’s New App Allows Anyone to Help Track Down Stolen Art

The next time you come across a portrait stolen from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, you can alert Interpol without making a single phone call.

A reconstruction of the skull of Peking man (Homo erectus pekinensis)

16 Priceless Things We've Lost Forever

From natural wonders like Guairá Falls to literary works from Hemingway and Byron to paintings by Picasso and Renoir, here's a list of just a few priceless things that are gone forever.

An FBI photograph of the crime scene after the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum robbery, as seen in This is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist (2021).

12 Facts About the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Robbery—the World's Biggest Art Heist

On March 18, 1990, two men—dressed as police officers—talked their way into the side door of Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Less than 90 minutes later, they had pulled off the largest art heist in history—which remains unsolved to this day.

The Staffordshire Hoard contains the one of the richest collections of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found.

20 Amazing Historical Discoveries in the Last 20 Years

Scientists and historians have made incredible finds—from the oldest human-made art to long-lost shipwrecks—in the 20 years since Mental Floss began.

The Great Sphinx with the Pyramids of Giza in the distance.

Visit the Pyramids of Giza Without Even Leaving Your Couch

The Great Pyramid, the Great Sphinx, and the rest of the Giza Plateau’s many wonders are a few clicks away.

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