The real object she’s holding is way less fun.
An art expert has finally solved the mystery of the so-called “time-traveling” woman who appears to be holding an iPhone in a 160-year-old painting.
The internet did a double take when a 19th-century painting went viral.
Some people thought they spotted a very modern-looking smartphone in the hands of a woman depicted in the artwork.
The painting in question is The Expected One, created by Austrian artist Ferdinand George Waldmüller in 1860.
In the painting (which you can see below), a woman walks alone through the countryside, holding something that resembles an iPhone in her hands.
Meanwhile, a man is waiting nearby with a flower, but honestly, that part of the scene didn’t get as much attention.
Do we all see the same thing?Wikimedia Commons
The real buzz was all about the “time-traveling iPhone,” which is currently on display at the Neue Pinakothek, a museum in Munich that showcases 18th and 19th-century art.
The curious object in the woman’s hands first caught the attention of Peter Russell, a tourist from Glasgow. He was one of the first to notice this odd detail in 2017.
Russell shared his thoughts on how our modern-day context can totally change how we interpret older artwork during a chat with Vice.
“Does Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller’s 1860 painting ‘The Expected One’ show a young woman walking along, staring at her smartphone?”
No. Obviously not. Why is this a topic?
People thinking that she is holding a mobile device are killing me.Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving! pic.twitter.com/fGood3PmQN
— Gerry Kissell – Comic Artist Official Page (@gerrykissell) November 24, 2022
“What strikes me most is how much a change in technology has changed the interpretation of the painting, and in a way has leveraged its entire context,” he said.
He added, “The big change is that in 1850 or 1860, every single viewer would have identified the item that the girl is absorbed in as a hymnal or prayer book.”
“Today, no one could fail to see the resemblance to the scene of a teenage girl absorbed in social media on their smartphone,” he concluded.
Despite knowing full well that the first iPhones were released in 2007, the painting sparked all kinds of wild time-traveling theories on Twitter/X.
Some people became convinced that jumping through centuries must be possible.
Meanwhile, others clung to their skepticism, dismissing any sci-fi explanation behind the painting.
Can a 1860 painting feature an iPhone? Of course not.Wikimedia Commons
Thankfully, art expert Gerald Weinpolter stepped in to put the matter to rest.
Weinpolter, an expert in 19th and 20th-century art, was certain about what the woman in the painting was actually holding, which made perfect sense considering the time period.
He said, “The girl in this Waldmüller painting is not playing with her new iPhone X but is off to church holding a little prayer book in her hands.”
With that, all the fun time-travel theories were put to bed for good.
