A renaissance styled piece of imagery appeared on adidas Football social channels on Friday as the Lionel Messi starred in a piece the Three Stripes are calling 'A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words'. Inspired by the hidden meanings and secret symbols of renaissance art, this was an exploration into the life of the greatest player of all time.
Renaissance art is historically the bridge between the past, present and future, and this image plays on Messi's achievements, personal life and his ambitions to come with numerous hidden meanings scattered throughout the image. Some of them are easy to connect to the Argentine, some of them are less so. Here, we unravel the image, according to adidas.
The lavender traditionally represents desire." Ok. Yeah that one you didn't get. Those with a keen eye for Barcelona’s skyline will notice that the tiles on the floor depict the view of Barcelona from above. Another reference to his second home. Bit easier that one, still hard though.
Maté is Messi’s favourite drink from Argentina. It reminds him of close friends and being in Rosario. He takes it with him wherever he goes. That's another one done. The strawberries? Messi actually won the men's singles at Wimbledon in 2008. No that's not true, the strawberries represent, and we quote; "In renaissance art the strawberry stood for harmony. The bowl of strawberries tells us that to Messi, Barcelona is and will always be, home." You definitely didn't get that one without an Art History degree.
"The plant represents spiritual nourishment, triumph over temptation. The one thing that’s always been unquestionable for Messi is his commitment to club and country." Nope. The alien. The one we all actually got... out of this world isn't he?
The dog bowl? A tribute to his dog Hulk. Judging by the size of the dog, this bowl ain't empties pretty quickly. The mirror, partly covered by a drape, symbolises Messi’s disinterest in fame or the limelight.
The Vitruvian Man and the Sling Shot. "Messi has always lived with stigma towards his height, he has rewritten what we understand to be the perfect footballer. Demonstrating what can be achieved with passion and hard work." The sixth ball on the Newtons Cradle is Messi’s ambition to win another Ballon d’Or.
Boots: Easy one. They're his boots. Globe: The pins on the globe are the locations of Messi’s Champions League wins. The White pin is Madrid for this year's final. Book: Re-writing the record books. Date: The date of 2019's UCL final.
We done here? 10 internet points if you got even half of them.
