A 162-year-old painting has the Internet incredibly confused. Looking at “The Expected One” by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller you see a woman in the center strolling through the scenic landscape toward a man waiting ahead in the bushes with a pink flower in his hand.
But the detail of the painting that has folks baffled is what the young lady is holding in her hands. At a quick glance, it seems like she’s looking down and scrolling through her smartphone as she walks. Of course, that wouldn’t be possible since the painting was finished in 1860 and the iPhone didn’t come out until 2007.
Fortunately, art critics clear things up with a simple explanation: The woman is reading a prayer book, not checking out her Instagram feed.“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,” explains Gerald Weinpolter, CEO of Art Agency Weinpolter.
Source: NY Post