15 Famous Works of Art That Were Almost Completely Different
The masterpieces we know and love today often traveled winding paths to completion. Behind many iconic works lie surprising alternate versions, radical revisions, and last-minute changes that could have drastically altered art history. Preliminary sketches, x-ray analysis, and artists’ own accounts reveal fascinating glimpses into creative processes where famous works nearly took very different forms.
Here is a list of 15 famous artworks that were almost completely different from what we recognize today.
The Mona Lisa’s Missing Columns
The subject of Leonardo da Vinci’s most well-known painting was initially framed by side columns. The architectural features were painted over, according to X-ray analysis, changing the image from a formal composition to the more personal, moody scene we are familiar with today.
Instead of situating the figure in a strict classical context, this alteration drastically changed the painting’s focus to the enigmatic woman and her enigmatic smile.
Michelangelo’s Expanded Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel ceiling was initially commissioned as a simple project depicting the twelve apostles. Michelangelo convinced Pope Julius II to allow a more expansive vision, resulting in the creation of over 300 figures and one of the most magnificent artistic achievements in Western history.
Had the artist followed the original plan, the world would have been deprived of iconic scenes like The Creation of Adam.
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Picasso’s Demoiselles Transformed
Pablo Picasso’s revolutionary painting ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’ originally included male figures—a sailor and a medical student—among the five women. Early sketches show these characters entering from the left side of the composition.
Picasso ultimately removed the men, creating a more confrontational work that directly challenged viewers and laid crucial groundwork for Cubism.
Van Gogh’s Blue Starry Night
According to his early drawings for “The Starry Night,” Vincent van Gogh originally imagined a night sky that was much bluer and less dynamic. Later, when van Gogh processed his feelings about the night vista outside his asylum window, he added the swirling patterns and vivid yellows that give the painting its unique character.
His original, more literal approach lacked the cosmic energy that the final rendition captures.
Matisse’s Conservative Dance
Henri Matisse’s groundbreaking ‘Dance’ was originally conceived as a much more conventional composition with fully clothed figures in a less dynamic arrangement. Early studies show traditional positioning and more detailed figuration.
Matisse progressively simplified the forms and intensified the colors, creating the bold, primitive energy that makes the final painting so revolutionary.
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Grant Wood’s American Gothic Reversal
‘American Gothic’ was almost a completely different painting. Grant Wood initially planned to paint the house alone and only decided to include the now-iconic farmer and his daughter after being struck by the house’s distinctive window.
Furthermore, the woman was originally positioned on the right side before Wood repositioned the figures to create the more striking composition we know today.
Monet’s Smaller Water Lilies
Claude Monet’s famous Water Lilies series initially consisted of much smaller canvases with conventional compositions. As his vision evolved and his cataracts progressed, Monet began working on increasingly larger formats, eventually creating the immersive panoramic works that revolutionized landscape painting.
The grand scale and abstract quality that define these masterpieces were not part of his original conception.
Whistler’s Mother as a Standing Figure
James McNeill Whistler’s iconic ‘Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1’ (popularly known as ‘Whistler’s Mother’) was originally planned as a standing portrait. When the elderly Anna Whistler couldn’t maintain the standing pose for extended periods, Whistler adapted his composition, creating the seated arrangement that became one of America’s most recognizable paintings.
This practical adjustment resulted in the dignified, contemplative quality that defines the work.
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Edvard Munch’s Indoor Scream
‘The Scream’ was initially conceived as an indoor scene rather than the striking outdoor setting on a bridge. Munch’s preliminary sketches show the anguished figure in an interior space.
Moving the scene outdoors and adding the blood-red sky created the sense of cosmic anxiety that makes the painting so powerful. This environmental context transformed the work from a personal expression to a universal statement about modern existential dread.
Da Vinci’s Action-Packed Last Supper
Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ was nearly a much more dynamic composition. Early drawings show the disciples in animated poses, some standing and gesturing dramatically.
Leonardo refined his approach to create the more psychologically intense arrangement where all figures are seated but emotionally reactive to Christ’s announcement of betrayal. This restraint paradoxically heightened the dramatic tension.
Seurat’s Smaller Sunday Afternoon
Georges Seurat’s ‘A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte’ began as a much smaller composition with fewer figures. As his concept developed, Seurat expanded the canvas and added dozens more characters.
This evolution transformed what might have been a pleasant but forgettable scene into the monumental statement of Pointillism that revolutionized painting technique and influenced generations of artists.
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Vermeer’s Cupid Revealed
Johannes Vermeer’s ‘Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window’ contained a significant element that remained hidden for centuries. Restoration completed in 2021 revealed a painting-within-the-painting—a large cupid on the wall behind the girl—that Vermeer had included but was later painted over by someone else.
This cupid fundamentally changes the meaning of the work, suggesting the letter has romantic content rather than being ambiguous correspondence.
Pollock’s Careful Compositions
Jackson Pollock’s famous drip paintings were almost much more controlled and conventional. Early versions and studies show Pollock working with recognizable figures and planned compositions.
His breakthrough came when he placed canvas on the floor and developed his distinctive all-over drip technique. This radical shift in approach transformed modern art and established Pollock as a revolutionary figure.
Rodin’s Clothed Thinker
Auguste Rodin initially conceived ‘The Thinker’ as a clothed figure representing the poet Dante contemplating his Divine Comedy. Early models show the figure wearing a cap and robes.
Rodin’s decision to strip the figure of specific historical references created the universal symbol of human contemplation we recognize today. This transformation elevated the work from literary illustration to philosophical statement.
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Klimt’s Golden Transformation
Gustav Klimt’s ‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I’ underwent a dramatic evolution during its creation. Preliminary drawings show a much more conventional portrait with a relatively plain background.
Klimt later incorporated Byzantine-inspired gold elements and decorative patterns, transforming it into the shimmering masterpiece now known as ‘The Woman in Gold.’ This revolutionary approach merged portraiture with abstract decoration in an unprecedented way.
The Unpredictable Path of Artistic Vision
The metamorphosis these masterpieces underwent reminds us that art rarely emerges fully formed. Behind every iconic image lies a process of revision, reconsideration, and sometimes radical reinvention.
What appears inevitable in retrospect was often the result of circumstance, creative struggle, or brilliant improvisation. These alternative versions offer fascinating glimpses into how differently art history might have unfolded had these famous works remained in their original forms.
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