Art Research · Education · Entertainment
Uncovering Secrets in Famous Artworks
For the past few years, I've privately catalogued details that master painters and sculptors have hidden in plain sight — the kind most art scholars assume to be mere artifacts of the viewer's imagination. If you own or are thinking about buying a piece of fine art, an Art Review uncovers what might be hidden in yours, which could affect its perceived value, attribution or authenticity. I've even hidden clues to details I've discovered in famous works of Christian art in the illustrations of my debut children's picture book titled, Nicky's Secret: A Christmas Story.
The non-refundable US$99 Quotation Fee is how an Art Review begins. The review itself is quoted separately and custom to your piece, typically starting from around US$10,000 for the simplest pieces. Details further down this page.
The Phenomenon
Artists Hide Things In Plain Sight
Pareidolia is the tendency of our minds to see faces and familiar forms in random visual noise — clouds, wood grain, a slice of toast. Mainstream scholarship tends to treat it as exactly that: noise, not intent. My research points to a different conclusion: that many of history's greatest artists were fluent in the language of pareidolia, and used it intentionally — hiding symbolic details in plain sight, for viewers willing to look closely enough to find them.
Below are two examples. The first one is fairly well-documented online; the other, to my knowledge, isn't described anywhere else — though Sidney Geist, author of Interpreting Cézanne, was clearly familiar with this kind of concealment himself, and may have already catalogued something similar among what he called "cryptomorphs." You can drag your cursor across the first image to see what's hiding.You can drag your finger across the first image to see what's hiding.
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These aren't isolated cases. My independent research — which draws on art history, science, and religious symbolism — has catalogued many such details across famous paintings, often significant to the work's subject matter. I think details like these have the potential to shift how a piece is valued, and could occasionally offer clues toward authorship or authentication.
Take the horse-rider hidden in the clouds above: it appears in The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, painted by Andrea Mantegna around 1470 and now in Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum. Two other versions of the same subject are also attributed to Mantegna — one in the Louvre, one in Venice's Ca' d'Oro.
I can't speak to the authorship of those other two versions, but my personal opinion is that the Vienna painting is an original, not a copy. The hidden horse-rider is clear evidence of real artistic invention, not mere copying. But I am not a licensed, accredited, or certified art valuer, appraiser, or authenticator, and I hold no formal qualification in art history, connoisseurship, forensic art analysis, or valuation. So this is just my two cents.
If you'd like this kind of analysis applied to a specific piece — one you own, or are thinking about buying — that's exactly what the Art Review service further down this page is for. It's available to clients in most countries, including the USA, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Researcher
About
I'm Bany Jaya — independent researcher, and author of Nicky's Secret: A Christmas Story, a children's picture book filled with fascinating details hidden in famous works of Christian art. As of this writing, nobody in the world knows about most of these details, which have remained secret for hundreds of years.
If you own, or are considering buying, a painting or sculpture, I offer the same kind of analysis directly — as an Art Review.
The Book
Nicky's Secret: A Christmas Story
Nicky's Secret is written for 4-to-8-year-olds, in language conforming to both American and British English. Kids and adults alike tend to be surprised and delighted by the twists and turns the story takes, right up to the end.
Use the links below to read the entire book for free in low-resolution, watch it being read aloud on video, or to learn more about it from the fact sheet.
Want to buy it? View bookshops worldwide carrying Nicky's Secret. In some countries you can even find the hardcover edition, which has noticeably better paper, binding and print quality than the softcover.
The Art Review
The Art Review: How It Works, What It Costs
What is hiding in that artwork you own or plan to buy?
I suspect hidden details could have a material effect on how a piece of art is valued. I think in some cases they might even provide evidence toward a work's authenticity or its attribution to a specific artist. It wouldn't surprise me if such evidence occasionally turns out to be decisive. Having exclusive knowledge about an artwork would presumably give you an advantage: in negotiating a price, in deciding whether to buy at all, or in making the case for a higher valuation down the line.
How It Works
Pay the Quotation Fee
US$99 via secure Stripe checkout. This protects you from frontrunning and limits requests to genuine clients.
Tell us about your piece
We'll ask you to send us a few digital photos — from several angles if it's a sculpture.
Get your custom quote
Within 48 hours, Bany or a team member is in touch with the precise fee for your specific piece.
Approve & pay
By international bank transfer, once you're ready to proceed. Larger transactions may require ID verification.
Receive your Art Review
A full written report detailing any hidden details found and possible significance.
Start with the non-refundable Quotation Fee
You'll provide your email and phone number so we can reach you. The receipt you get is your dated proof of claim under our frontrunning promise. The button opens a new window to the secure Stripe payment gateway.
Fee Estimate
While every quote is custom, the examples below should help you estimate your likely fees and turnaround time. Each estimate below includes five (5) review passes. A review pass is a full manual scan of the artwork for hidden details, usually lasting several hours to several days. Preparation time is required before each session — not unlike letting your eyes adjust before stargazing — with several days between passes producing the best results. Fees increase with the number of passes, the size of the piece, and the level of detail. The more valuable or important the purchase, the more passes it is worth having. Tap any image below to view it in full screen mode.
Verification & Eligibility
Prior to providing a quote for an Art Review, we will typically ask for government photo ID and a selfie to confirm your identity, and we reserve the right to refuse service if verification is unsuccessful. Large transactions warrant controls to help detect money laundering and other illicit activity. We do not provide services to, or conduct business with, countries subject to Australian sanctions, or with countries, regions, or groups identified by the Australian government as high-risk for money laundering, terrorism financing, or proliferation financing. Any payments received from such jurisdictions or entities will be frozen or rejected in accordance with Australian law. See a non-exhaustive list of such countries in our FAQ.
An Example
Below is a video that details selected findings from a recent study I undertook that loosely resembles the kind of analysis I perform as part of an Art Review.
Limitations on Assurances
An Art Review can't guarantee that an artist intentionally hid any detail I find because nobody can be certain of an artist's true intent, and interesting forms can appear by pure chance. I can't guarantee any effect, positive or negative, on your artwork's valuation, authenticity, or attribution, and I can't guarantee that every hidden detail the artist has included — or any detail at all — will be found. What you're paying for is a sincere, disciplined attempt to find what might be hidden in plain sight, applying pareidolia carefully and without slipping into delusion. These findings can then be taken to professional, accredited, or certified art professionals for a formal opinion on possible implications for valuation, authentication, and attribution of the artwork.
I am not a licensed, accredited, or certified art valuer, appraiser, or authenticator, and I hold no formal qualification in art history, connoisseurship, forensic art analysis, or valuation. My opinions are based on visual comparison and independent research and should not be relied upon as a substitute for formal authentication (e.g. by a recognised catalogue raisonné committee, forensic conservator, or accredited valuer) or a certified valuation (e.g. by a valuer accredited under the relevant professional body in your jurisdiction).
The opinions provided in an Art Review therefore reflect my personal research and visual analysis and do not constitute a formal appraisal, authentication, or valuation. Any decision to buy, sell, insure, restore, or otherwise act upon an artwork discussed on this site or in any consultation should be made only after obtaining independent advice from a suitably qualified and, where relevant, licensed professional. I accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on the opinions expressed therein.
General Enquiries
Get In Touch
Have a general question that isn't answered in the FAQ below? Send it here.
This form is for general enquiries only. If you're asking about pricing or requesting a quote, please use the Quotation Fee button above instead — pricing questions sent through this form won't usually receive a reply.
Questions, Answered
Frequently Asked Questions
If you find something interesting in an artwork I'm considering buying, will you try to buy it yourself?
Absolutely not. For a period of five (5) years from the time you've paid the Quotation Fee, neither Bany, The Hunch Trail, nor any of its staff will pursue any transaction involving your artwork, or, to the extent permitted by law, disclose your name or the artwork's identity to any third party except for the purposes of identity verification (unless you tell us to in writing). Your dated Quotation Fee receipt serves as proof of your prior claim. This is also why we don't begin any discussion with a prospective client, or wish to know the identity of the artwork, until after the Quotation Fee is paid.
Do you specialise in a particular genre?
Religious art is my preferred genre, and where I do my best work. It's the subject matter I find most engaging, and where I feel I am most likely to correctly identify intentional concealment by the artist.
Do I need to be from a particular country to use this service?
This service is available to residents of most countries, including the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Under Australian law, we cannot transact with residents of the following sanctioned countries: Russia (including Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine), North Korea, Iran, Syria, Libya, Myanmar, and Afghanistan.
What payment methods are available?
You'll need a valid credit card to pay the Quotation Fee via Stripe. If you go ahead with the full Art Review after receiving your quote, you'll pay by telegraphic transfer / international bank transfer to our Australian bank account.
How do I send you the artwork for analysis?
When you pay the Quotation Fee, you'll provide your email address and phone number on the payment form. Bany or a team member will then contact you to arrange submission of the artwork. You'll send digital photos of the piece (several angles for sculpture) and some background details, so we can prepare an accurate quote.
Do you have qualifications that authorise you to analyse, value, attribute, and authenticate art?
No.
The observations, opinions, and analysis presented on this website and as part of my Art Reviews regarding the attribution, authenticity, or value of any artwork are provided for informational and educational purposes only. They reflect my personal, independent research and visual analysis and do not constitute a formal appraisal, authentication, or valuation. The findings of an Art Review should be considered clues and pointers that you can present to licensed, accredited, or certified art professionals to obtain a formal opinion on possible implications for valuation, authentication, and attribution of the artwork.
I am not a licensed, accredited, or certified art valuer, appraiser, or authenticator, and I hold no formal qualification in art history, connoisseurship, forensic art analysis, or valuation. My opinions are based on visual comparison and independent research and should not be relied upon as a substitute for formal authentication (e.g. by a recognised catalogue raisonné committee, forensic conservator, or accredited valuer) or a certified valuation (e.g. by a valuer accredited under the relevant professional body in your jurisdiction).
Any decision to buy, sell, insure, restore, or otherwise act upon an artwork discussed on this site or in any consultation should be made only after obtaining independent advice from a suitably qualified and, where relevant, licensed professional. I accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on the opinions expressed in this website or in any reports that are provided as part of an Art Review.
How would I know whether your techniques are scientifically legitimate?
If legitimacy arises from a consensus of individuals who are recognised as experts within a field, I don’t think you can. The techniques I have developed, and the research I have performed, are not public. They are proprietary. It is my claim that they represent innovation in a field that has traditionally tended to ignore findings borne out of pareidolia. As a result, my methods are not part of the body of recognised, peer-reviewed scientific literature. This means that there are no formal qualifications to train anyone to perform the particular kind of technical research services I am offering. What makes it particularly hard to absorb into the scientific literature is the inherent subjectivity involved when dealing the level of the human perceptual system where pareidolia operates. There is a real possibility that no widespread scientific consensus ever forms around these techniques. Since most people equate a consensus of experts to ‘truth’, you might never get the cheery consensus you require to feel confident that you have the truth. But the scientific method was designed precisely to stand up to even the most unanimous agreement of recognised experts in any field. And the scientific method is ultimately performed by individuals.
Do you provide an opinion on the authenticity and attribution of artworks subjected to an Art Review?
No. I do not provide concrete opinions on attribution and authentication because I am not formally qualified, licensed, accredited or certified to do so. What I do instead is to use proprietary analytical methods to surface hidden details in an artwork, and I might flag other works with confirmed attribution to the same artist that contain what I consider to be hidden details. The similarities between the hidden details in such works could form the basis of a case for attribution and authentication. You can then take such information to a qualified, licensed or certified professional to perform formal assessments, such as attributions, authentications or valuations. I do not provide any absolute guarantees of authenticity or concrete attribution. I only provide the technical research services that have the potential to inform such processes.
Do you perform valuations and art appraisals?
No I do not. I only perform the technical research service of uncovering possible hidden details, and these could have an effect on the amount of interest in - and thus possibly demand for - a piece of art. That is how an Art Review could influence valuations. But the valuations and appraisals themselves must be performed by other qualified, licensed, accredited or certified art professionals.
Do you guarantee that my artwork increase in value, or at least not decrease in value as a result of the findings of an Art Review?
No. I offer no guarantees or assurances in regards to the effects of an Art Review on the valuations of any artwork.
What rules govern the use of this site and the services you offer?
Use of this site is subject to our Website Terms of Use. Collection and use of personal information is subject to our Privacy Policy.