Vincent Van Gogh May Have Hidden 'The Last Supper' Within One Of His Most Famous Paintings

Vincent Van Gogh, most known for "Starry Night" and losing his left ear, may have left one final secret up his sleeve. His iconic painting "Cafe Terrace at Night" depicts a group of anonymous patrons enjoying an evening in Arles, France. Yet new research suggests that the individuals lurking in the group of 12 -- with a central, long-haired figure, another departing in the shadows and golden lookers-on -- may not be so nameless after all. Yes, it's possible that one of van Gogh's most famous artworks contains an allusion to an even more famous painting: Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper."

A religious allusion wouldn't be too out of character for Van Gogh. Before devoting his attention to painting, the famous Dutch artist had wished to "preach the gospel everywhere," and his father, Theodorus van Gogh, was a pastor for a Dutch Reformed church. Vincent's uncle was a renowned Dutch theologian and biblical scholar who helped his nephew in his endeavors to become a preacher, a pursuit at which he would fail multiple times.

Finally, at the age of 27 or 28, van Gogh began creating art in earnest, quickening the pace to complete nearly 900 works in the decade before his death in 1890. Of the hundreds of works, most people would likely recognize just a few. "Starry Night" certainly, but perhaps also the probable first attempt at a star-filled sky, "Cafe Terrace at Night." But how much do we really know about the glorious depiction of evening diners?

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