10 Most Famous Paintings in Art History Of All Time
Every year, billions of dollars in art pass through international auction houses while leading museums each house tens of thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – of artworks. However, very few people achieve the level of fame required to be considered household names.
Because "famous" is a relative term, Wiki Learns Style turned to Google to see which paintings topped global search results over the last five years. We compared dozens of well-known masterpieces, including the "Mona Lisa," "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," and "Salavator Mundi," as well as more recent works like "Nighthawks" and even the "Dogs Playing Poker" series.
Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa, widely regarded as the most famous painting in the world, has delighted viewers since Leonardo da Vinci painted it in the early 1500s. The painting is named after Lisa del Giocondo, a member of a wealthy Florence family.
1911 The Mona Lisa was stolen by Peruggia, an Italian patriot who believed the painting should be returned to Italy. Peruggia was apprehended when he attempted to sell the painting to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence after keeping it in his apartment for two years.
The Mona Lisa now hangs in the Louvre in Paris, which 6 million people visit each year.
Great Wave off Kanagawa, Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave) (1829-33)
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Japan's most famous painting, was created by Hokusai between 1829 and 1833 using a woodblock print technique. A massive wave threatens to engulf three fishing boats in the stunning scenery, which features vivid blues.
The iconic Mount Fuji can be seen in the background, as it was created as part of the artist's 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' series. Initial impressions of The Great Wave off Kanagawa can be found in the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other places, due to the large number of prints made.
Vincent van Gogh. The Starry Night. Saint Rémy, June 1889
Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh's defining work, depicts the view from his asylum window in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence after he broke down and cut off part of his ear in 1888. The iconic scene depicts a swirling night sky dotted with stars above a still-sleeping village.
The stunning creation of the Dutch post-impressionist painter is now on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and is one of the most valuable works in their extensive collection.
The Last Supper(La Vinci) is a mural painting by the Italian High Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, dated c. 1495–1498
The Last Supper, painted in the 1490s on a refectory wall in the Convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan, is one of the world's most famous works of art. While the original has suffered from wear and tear over the years, visitors worldwide still flock to the convent to see the magnificent fresco.
The magnificent mural depicts the scene in which Jesus Christ informs the Twelve Apostles, seated on either side of him, that one of them will betray him.
Some writers believe the person seated to Jesus' left in the painting is Mary Magdalene rather than John the Apostle. This well-known theory is central to Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code.
The Girl with a Pearl Earring, c.1665 - Johannes Vermeer
Girl with a Pearl Earring, an oil painting on canvas by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer (circa 1665), is one of his most well-known works. It depicts a fictitious young woman wearing exotic attire and a large pearl earring. The work is permanently housed in The Hague's Mauritshuis Museum.
Tracy Chevalier created a historical novel based on the circumstances surrounding the painting's creation. The novel was adapted into a film in 2003, starring Scarlett Johansson as Johannes Vermeer's assistant, who wore the pearl earring. The Girl with a Pearl Earring, which stands out brilliantly against the dark background, now illuminates the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague.
Behind the Art: The Night Watch (1642) by Rembrandt van Rijn
The Night Watch, arguably the most famous work in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, is one of the most magnificent paintings to emerge from the Dutch Golden Age. The massive canvas, painted by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1642, depicts a group of civic guards on their way to practice shooting.
The painting is famous not only for its size but also for its dramatic use of light, which makes the life-size figures appear to be moving before us. The painting was coated with a dark varnish for much of its life, giving a false impression that it depicted a night scene, hence the name Night Watch.
Gustav Klimt, The Kiss, 1907–1908
The Kiss shimmers and shines before your eyes as gold, silver, and platinum radiate from the canvas. Painted between 1907 and 1908 during the height of Gustav Klimt’s ‘Golden Period,’ The painting depicts two gold-clad lovers in an intimate embrace, influenced by the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. The Kiss is Klimt's most popular and enthralling work, and it is just one of the many highlights of the Belvedere in Vienna's extensive collection.
The Scream, 1893 by Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch's The Scream is a series of expressionist paintings and prints depicting an agonized figure against a blood-red sky. The background landscape is Oslofjord, as seen from a hill in Oslo. Edvard Munch created several media versions of The Scream. The first version, painted in 1893, is on display at Norway's National Gallery.
It was stolen in a high-profile art theft in 1994 and was recovered several months later. Another version of The Scream was stolen from the Munch Museum in 2004, only to be found in 2006.
Pablo Picasso (Pablo Ruiz Picasso) - Guernica (1937)
Guernica, one of Pablo Picasso's most admired and celebrated works, depicts the tragic story of the bombing of the Basque town of the same name. The famous Cubist highlights the destruction wrought on the town by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy through a series of black, white, and gray shapes and figures.
Guernica, painted in 1937, is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most powerful anti-war works. Picasso's masterpiece is now on display at the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, and a replica tapestry of his famous work hangs at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The Creation of Adam, 1508 - 1512 - Michelangelo
The Creation of Adam, also known as Creazione di Adamo in Italian, is a painting by Michelangelo. It was created using the fresco technique on freshly laid lime plaster. The mural, also one of the most replicated famous paintings of all time, depicts the scene in which God gives life to Adam, as described in the Book of Genesis' creation narrative.
Rounding Up || Famous Paintings Arts
The most famous artworks in history: from da Vinci to Bruegel, Raphael to Dali, are in Artistro's list of the most iconic works of all time. Art history has produced some incredible paintings and sculptures, so narrowing the list down to twenty pieces is no easy task.
Certain works will always triumph. See how many of these twenty famous works of Western art you can identify. Are you in agreement with the list? What would be your twenty-first work?
Latest Articles-
Things A Cricket Lover Should Know About ICC World Cup 2023
FAQ || The Most Famous Paintings of All Time
What is the number 1 famous painting?
Undoubtedly, the Mona Lisa is the number #1 famous artist of all time in the world. It is a half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci The enigmatic painting of the smiling woman painted by the greatest Leonardo da Vinci dates back to 1503 to 15019.
Who is the most famous in art?
Leonardo da Vinci, the most important Renaissance artist, is widely recognized as the most famous artist of all time. He's the genius behind the iconic and his painting masterpiece.
What is the oldest famous painting?
This painting of 45000 years a wild pig in the Leang Tedongnge cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is considered the oldest figurative art in the world.
