Discover the Art: Top 5 Fun Facts about Graffiti You Never Knew

1. Ancient Social Media

Graffiti: The social media of the ancients, where Facebook walls were real walls and "likes" were chiseled thumbs up: Ancient graffiti wasn't always seen as rebellious, but instead, it served as a form of communication and commemoration from Roman travelers etching on the Colossus of Memnon, to 19th-century scholars, and even wealthy Pompeii citizens using their own home walls as giant doodle pads!
Source => hyperallergic.com

2. Crusader Doodles

A knight's tale of Crusader graffiti: Despite fighting the heat in a suit of armor and presumably the lack of spray paint back then, the determined doodlers of the 12th and 13th centuries managed to leave their mark on the walls of Krak des Chevaliers, a medieval castle in Syria. These stunning frescoes, a rare testament to Crusader-era art, persist in their battle against the elements and time, as preservation remains a relentless challenge for castle caretakers.
Source => middleeasteye.net

Did you know that Picasso's painting Women of Algiers (Version O) holds the record for the most expensive painting ever sold at a jaw-dropping $179.4 million? Discover more astonishing art facts!

=> Fun Facts about Art

3. Viking Graffiti

Before Banksy, there were the Vikings: Members of the Varangian Guard, likely Viking mercenaries, left their unique mark on history by etching runic inscriptions into the marble parapets of Hagia Sophia during the Viking Age, with two such masterpieces discovered – one in 1964, and another in 1975 – possibly revealing the names of these ancient graffiti artists-cum-guardsmen.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Banksy's Balloon Tragedy

When Banksy's Girl with Balloon just couldn't "let it go" like Elsa from Frozen, she tragically lost her beloved heart-shaped balloon to the wind's merciless grip: This iconic street art masterpiece was voted as the UK's second favorite artwork in a 2017 poll, with the petite version of the melancholic mural selling for over £73,000, proving that Banksy's creations continue to paint the town red with demand.
Source => theguardian.com

5. Inked Paris Catacombs

Before tattooing became mainstream, the Paris Catacombs were sporting ink like an underground art museum with an unruly case of wanderlust: Since the 18th century, graffiti art has thrived in these subterranean tunnels, with Cataphiles creating and leaving hidden signs and artworks for others to stumble upon, though modern-day guests are discouraged from leaving their own potentially unsightly souvenirs.
Source => housicker.wordpress.com