Every day we see famous artwork. Either on social media, in advertisements, or other ways. But, how have you ever sat and thought about the backstory? How did these paintings become so popular and what’s the backstory behind them? Well, the Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa was painted for the wife of a wealthy Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. The painting was thought to be commissioned for Lisa and Francesco’s new home in celebration of the birth of their second son, Andrea. Another famous painting, The Starry Night, painted by Vincent van Vogh, was inspired by a view outside of his window at the Saint-Remy in southern France where the artist spent twelve months seeking reprieve from his mental illness. Paintings are already beautiful with their symbolism and genuine attraction towards the idea that people can be so creative, but the idea that even paintings can have such backstories behind them makes them even more enticing.