Art fans spot 'time traveller' in 17th century painting wearing Nike trainers

A National Gallery portrait sparked intrigue among art enthusiasts after a mother and daughter noticed what seems to be evidence of time travel within the artwork.

The painting, Portrait of a Boy, by Dutch Master Ferdinand Bol, from the 17th century, features an eight-year-old boy prominently in the foreground with a goblet resting on a table covered by a red cloth.

Dressed in a black jacket and cape, white shirt with ruffled sleeves, auburn socks, and black boots, the boy's attire is typical of the era, except for one detail.

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On closer examination, the boots seem to bear a white Nike tick - a curious anachronism considering Nike wasn't established until 1964, over three centuries later.

During a trip to the London gallery, Fiona Foskett, 57, from the Isle of Wight, and her daughter Holly, 23, were the sharp observers who noticed the unusual feature, reports the Daily Star.

Fiona recounted to The Sun: "I said to my daughter, 'Hold on, is he wearing a pair of Nike trainers? '".

She humorously added: "Looking at the age, he must have got his hands on the first pair of Nike trainers ever made. Or is he actually a time traveller?".

Speculation suggests that the boy depicted might be Frederick Sluysken, who was related to the artist's wife.

Responding to the buzz, a spokesperson for the National Gallery shared with the publication: "We are delighted that this picture has been such a hit with our visitors."

They also mentioned a social media prompt that had been shared: "It resonated with followers when we put out a Tweet asking people to see if they could spot a more 'modern' detail by taking a closer look at the shoes of the eight-year-old boy in the portrait."

It's not the first time that a modern object has been spotted in an antique piece of artwork. Art enthusiasts have also noticed what seemed to be an iPhone in a painting from nearly 90 years ago.

Umberto Romano painted Mr Pynchon And The Settling Of Springfield in 1937, a full 70 years before the first edition of the Apple smartphone was released.

Despite the time difference, fans are adamant they can see a man in the bottom right corner of the mural holding what appears to be a very modern piece of tech to his face, even gripping it in his palm with his thumb free, as one might while scrolling through Instagram or swiping on Tinder.

Many have speculated about what the mobile-like item could be, with some suggesting it could be a knife or a mirror.

Romano passed away in 1982 before most people even had a mobile phone so unfortunately we'll never know what the primitive piece of tech was meant to be.

A version of this story was published in 2023.