1.  The masterpiece sculpture Pietà (1498–1499) is the only work Michelangelo Buonarroti ever signed. It is housed in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Michelangelo signed the Pieta only after its completion when Lombard visitors to St. Petronilla thought the statue had been carved by “il Gobbo nostro da Milano”.  Read more

  2. The most money ever made by a single artist at auction was by Damien Hirst (UK) who earned $200.8 million (£111 million) during a two-day auction on September 15 and 16, 2008. 167 of his works went on sale at Sotheby’s in London. Only three of the 167 items available failed to find buyers. Read more

 

3. Writer, poet, and cartoonist Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” on a challenge from his editor Bennet Cerf who bet him that he couldn’t write a book using 50 words or less. “The Cat in the Hat” was simple and it used only 225 words. Enjoying a challenge, Seuss created “Green Eggs and Ham” which uses exactly 50 words. Read more

4. Aesthetics (also spelled æsthetics and esthetics) is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of art, beauty, and taste, with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste. More broadly, scholars in the field define aesthetics as “critical reflection on art, culture and nature. Read more

5. The Nike “Swoosh“ was created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, while she was a graphic design student at Portland State University. For her services, the company paid her $35. Read more