10 of the Most Famous Paintings in the World
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There are many famous paintings throughout the world. However, some have distinguished themselves above the others. They have become examples of their specific artistic historical period and become major influences on many artists that have followed. In addition, they have accurately depicted the times from which they were made. They reflect periods of joy and happiness in the world, personal internal struggles, or worldwide pain and suffering. These famous paintings accurately depict these feelings that many have but could not accurately express. There are many famous artwork that could be found on a list like this. However, check out the list below for the 10 most famous paintings in the world.
#10: A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is an oil on canvas painting made by Georges Seurat in 1884. Visitors can view it in the Art Institute of Chicago. This painting is a great example of pointillism. This style of art uses separate points connected together in order to create an image. This painting combined the scientific research on color theories by Michel Eugène Chevreul and Ogden Rood into the artwork.[1]Art Institute Chicago – Georges Seurat French, 1859-1891 At the same time, it still keeps to the traditional themes of pastoral scenery and people. However, at the same time, if you look closely at the details of the picture, it manages to truly show the cultural of Paris at the time.
#9: American Gothic
American Gothic is an oil on beaver board painting made by the American painter Grant Wood in 1930. It can currently be viewed in the Art institute of Chicago. This artwork is emblematic of American Realism which attempted to show the everyday life of normal people. Wood originally intended this painting to show the positive aspects of rural mid-western American values.[2]Art Institute Chicago – Grant Wood American, 1891–1942 However, this painting has become famous for something quite the opposite, being seen as a satirical commentary on the mid-western character.
#8: The Third of May
The Third of May is an oil on canvas painting made by Francisco Goya in 1814. Visitors can view it at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. Goya is one of the last masters of Romanticism as well as one of the founders of modern art. This can best be seen in the painting The Third of May. This painting is often called the world’s first modern painting. According to art historian Kenneth Clark, the painting is “the first great picture which can be called revolutionary in every sense of the word, in style, in subject, and in intention.”[3]Artchive – GOYA, Francisco It did this in two major ways. First, it was one of the first famous paintings that showed war in a bad light. Second, it took Christian symbolism and transformed it to show how inhuman humans could be to other humans.
#7: Guernica
Guernica is an oil on canvas painting created by Pablo Picasso in 1937. Visitors can see it in the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain. Picasso is one of the founders of the artistic style Cubism. This painting is one of Picasso’s most famous examples of this style. For its time, this style of art was revolutionary. It completely threw out all the traditional rules of art, such as perspective and depth. This “brought different views of subjects (usually objects or figures) together in the same picture, resulting in famous paintings that appear fragmented and abstracted.” [4]Tate – CUBISM This painting is so famous because it is able to use both a muted color palate and expressive figures to accurately depict the horrors and tragedies of war.
#6: Girl With A Pearl Earring
Girl with a Pearl Earring is an oil painting created by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer in 1665. Visitors can currently view it in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, Netherlands. This painting comes from the Dutch Golden Age of painting. This period of painting is part of the greater European Baroque painting period.
During this time, the Netherlands was the richest nation in Europe. It led it in everything including trade, science, and art. In addition, this painting is what also called a tronie. It was a popular style of Dutch Golden Age painters. This style typically depicts a person’s bust with exaggerated facial expressions. One of the things that make this painting so famous is Vermeer’s mastery of the lighting in the picture. He was able to use it to highlight the softness of the young girls face, the moistness of her lips, and of course the beautiful pearl earring that she is wearing.[5]Mauritshuis – Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665
#5: The Scream
The Scream is a famous Expressionist piece of art by Edvard Munch. It is interesting because he created five versions of it using various mediums including oil painting. He created the first version in 1893. It is the most famous one that you are probably familiar with. He painted it with oil and tempera. Visitors can see it in the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway. He made the second version with crayon on cardboard. Visitors can see it in the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway. He made the third version with pastel on cardboard. However, public visitors cannot see it as a private owner currently has it. He made the fourth version with tempera on cardboard. Visitors can see it in the Munch Museum. The fifth version is a lithography printing, where about 45 prints were made.
Edvard Munch is one of the founders and best examples of the Expressionist and Symbolism style of art that helped bring in a new generation of artistic style. His art helped move away from just displaying technical skill to an art form that truly expressed the inner feelings and emotions in the simplest way possible. [6]Edvard Munch – The Scream, 1893 by Edvard Munch
#4: Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh painted the oil canvas painting Starry Night. Its current location is the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It is one of the most world famous paintings and is practically everyone knows it. Van Gogh was an emotionally tortured man. He used his art to help express himself. In fact, he painted Starry Night in June 1889 while he was in an asylum at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It actually depicts the view from his window. The famous paintings is a great example of Post-Impressionistic style of art that he helped develop. This style of art, which has influenced many other artists, expresses emotions and psychological feelings about the natural world around us by using bold colors and expressive symbolic images. [7]MoMALearning – The Starry Night
#3: The Creation of Adam
The Creation of Adam is a fresco painting by Michelangelo. He painted it between 1508 to 1512 as part of decoration of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. This famous paintings is a great example of many Michelangelo’s artistic style including: the lounging positions of the main characters in the composition, the use of muscular twisting bodies, and creating figures that have sculpture like features.[8]Italian Renaissance – Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam The painting clearly depicts God and Adam reaching out to each other and almost touching. However, the rest is up to debate.
No one really knows why the two are in the laying positions that they are in or who and what surrounds God. In fact, it is things like these that have kept this painting as one of the most beloved to the art world. While the main theme is very clear and makes sense, the surrounding scene is nearly impossible to understand and open to multiple interpretations to its true meaning.
#2: The Last Supper
The Last Supper is a mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci. He started the painting between 1495 to 1496 as part of a renovation project for the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Visitors can still view the painting there today. It depicts the Last Supper of Jesus when he reveals to his disciples that one among them will betray him. He used this story as a medium.
Through it, he was not only able to use many of the traditional early Renaissance painting techniques such as composition and perspective, but elevate it by combining this with a study of emotional reactions and psychological reaction.[9]Italian Renaissance – Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper He was able to take this to such a high level that many artists have described The Last Supper as the “painting that speaks” something that was very unique at the time and has influenced many painters since.[10]Milan Museum – Leonardo’s Last Supper
#1: The Mona Lisa
The famous Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci painted the portrait artwork, the Mona Lisa. Historians do not know the exact date of its creation. Originally, they thought it da Vinci painted it between 1503 and 1506. Furthermore, they thought that da Vinci continued working on it as late as 1517. However, recent academic studies suggest that da Vinci did not start painting it until at least 1513. Unlike many famous paintings, the Mona Lisa has not moved around that much. According to Cuzin, the Curator of Painting at the Louvre, France, “It has always been at Fontainebleau – in the collection of King Francois I – in other royal palaces, and afterwards brought to the Louvre when it first became a public museum just over two centuries ago. So she has led a very calm existence.”[11]PBS – …the myth of Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa is the world’s most famous piece of art; however, this was not the case until the 20th century when in 1911 it was stolen and then returned. The news about this made its fame soar. It has several defining features. They have distinguished this painting over the years and influenced many famous artists since. These features include its use of perspective, portrait style, and the sense of mystery and romance that the woman in the painting portrays.
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