The most famous and significant paintings of the world for the history of art for your inspiration.
The immortal paintings of great artists are admired by millions of people. Art, classical and modern, is one of the most important sources of inspiration, taste and cultural education of any person, and even more so a creative one.
There are certainly more than 33 world-famous paintings. There are several hundred of them, and all of them would not fit into one review. Therefore, for ease of viewing, we have selected several that are most significant for world culture and are often copied. Each work is accompanied interesting fact, an explanation of the artistic meaning or the history of its creation.
Raphael "Sistine Madonna" 1512
Kept in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden.
The painting has a little secret: the background, which from afar appears to be clouds, turns out to be the heads of angels upon closer examination. And the two angels depicted in the picture below became the motif of numerous postcards and posters.
Rembrandt "Night Watch" 1642
Kept in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The true title of Rembrandt’s painting is “The Performance of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” Art historians who discovered the painting in the 19th century thought that the figures were standing out against a dark background, and it was called “Night Watch.” Later it was discovered that a layer of soot makes the picture dark, but the action actually takes place during the day. However, the painting has already been included in the treasury of world art under the name “Night Watch”.
Leonardo da Vinci "The Last Supper" 1495-1498
Located in the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
Over the more than 500-year history of the work, the fresco has been destroyed more than once: a doorway was cut through the painting and then blocked, the refectory of the monastery where the image is located was used as an armory, a prison, and was bombed. The famous fresco was restored at least five times, with the last restoration taking 21 years. Today, to view the art, visitors must reserve tickets in advance and can spend only 15 minutes in the refectory.
Salvador Dali "The Persistence of Memory" 1931
According to the author himself, the painting was painted as a result of the associations that Dali had with the sight of processed cheese. Returning from the cinema, where she went that evening, Gala quite correctly predicted that no one, once they saw The Persistence of Memory, would forget it.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder "Tower of Babel" 1563
Kept in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
According to Bruegel, the failure that befell the construction of the Tower of Babel was not due to language barriers that suddenly arose according to the biblical story, but to mistakes made during the construction process. At first glance, the huge structure seems quite strong, but upon closer examination it is clear that all the tiers are laid unevenly, the lower floors are either unfinished or are already collapsing, the building itself is tilting towards the city, and the prospects for the entire project are very sad.
Kazimir Malevich “Black Square” 1915
According to the artist, he painted the picture for several months. Subsequently, Malevich made several copies of “Black Square” (according to some sources, seven). According to one version, the artist was unable to complete the painting on time, so he had to cover the work with black paint. Subsequently, after public recognition, Malevich painted new “Black Squares” on blank canvases. Malevich also painted “Red Square” (in two copies) and one “White Square”.
Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin "Bathing the Red Horse" 1912
Located in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Painted in 1912, the painting turned out to be visionary. The red horse acts as the Fate of Russia or Russia itself, which the fragile and young rider is unable to hold. Thus, the artist symbolically predicted with his painting the “red” fate of Russia in the 20th century.
Peter Paul Rubens "The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus" 1617-1618
Kept in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
The painting “The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus” is considered the personification of manly passion and physical beauty. The strong, muscular arms of young men pick up young naked women to put them on horses. The sons of Zeus and Leda steal their cousins' brides.
Paul Gauguin "Where did we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?" 1898
Kept in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
According to Gauguin himself, the painting should be read from right to left - three main groups of figures illustrate the questions posed in the title. Three women with a child represent the beginning of life; middle group symbolizes the daily existence of maturity; in the final group, according to the artist’s plan, “the old woman, approaching death, seems reconciled and given over to her thoughts,” at her feet “a strange white bird ... represents the uselessness of words.”
Eugene Delacroix "Liberty Leading the People" 1830
Kept in the Louvre in Paris
Delacroix created a painting based on the July Revolution of 1830 in France. In a letter to his brother on October 12, 1830, Delacroix writes: “If I did not fight for my Motherland, then at least I will write for it.” The bare chest of a woman leading the people symbolizes the dedication of the French people of that time, who went bare-chested against the enemy.
Claude Monet "Impression. Rising Sun" 1872
Kept in the Marmottan Museum in Paris.
The title of the work “Impression, soleil levant”, with the light hand of journalist L. Leroy, became the name of the artistic movement “impressionism”. The painting was painted from life in the old outport of Le Havre in France.
Jan Vermeer "Girl with a Pearl Earring" 1665
Kept in the Mauritshuis Gallery in The Hague.
One of the most famous paintings by the Dutch artist Jan Vermeer is often called the Nordic or Dutch Mona Lisa. Very little is known about the painting: it is undated and the name of the girl depicted is unknown. In 2003, based on the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier, the feature film “Girl with a Pearl Earring” was shot, in which the history of the creation of the painting was hypothetically restored in the context of biography and family life Vermeer.
Ivan Aivazovsky “The Ninth Wave” 1850
Kept in St. Petersburg in the State Russian Museum.
Ivan Aivazovsky is a world-famous Russian marine painter who devoted his life to depicting the sea. He created about six thousand works, each of which received recognition during the artist’s lifetime. The painting “The Ninth Wave” is included in the book “100 Great Paintings”.
Andrey Rublev "Trinity" 1425-1427
The Icon of the Holy Trinity, painted by Andrei Rublev in the 15th century, is one of the most famous Russian icons. The icon is a board in a vertical format. The kings (Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, Mikhail Fedorovich) “overlaid” the icon with gold, silver and precious stones. Today the salary is kept in the Sergiev Posad State Museum-Reserve.
Mikhail Vrubel "Seated Demon" 1890
Kept in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
The plot of the film is inspired by Lermontov’s poem “The Demon”. The demon is an image of the strength of the human spirit, internal struggle, doubt. Tragically clasping his hands, the Demon sits with sad, huge eyes directed into the distance, surrounded by unprecedented flowers.
William Blake "The Great Architect" 1794
Kept in the British Museum in London.
The title of the painting “The Ancient of Days” literally translates from English as “Ancient of Days.” This phrase was used as the name of God. The main character of the picture is God at the moment of creation, who does not establish order, but limits freedom and marks the limits of imagination.
Edouard Manet "Bar at the Folies Bergere" 1882
Kept at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.
The Folies Bergere is a variety show and cabaret in Paris. Manet often visited the Folies Bergere and ended up painting this painting, his last before his death in 1883. Behind the bar, in the middle of a crowd of drinking, eating, talking and smoking, a barmaid stands absorbed in her own thoughts, watching the trapeze acrobat, who can be seen in the upper left corner of the picture.
Titian "Earthly Love and Heavenly Love" 1515-1516
Kept in the Galleria Borghese in Rome.
It is noteworthy that the modern name of the painting was not given by the artist himself, but began to be used only two centuries later. Until this time, the painting had various titles: “Beauty, Embellished and Unadorned” (1613), “Three Types of Love” (1650), “Divine and Secular Women” (1700), and, ultimately, “Earthly Love and Heavenly Love” "(1792 and 1833).
Mikhail Nesterov "Vision to the youth Bartholomew" 1889-1890
Kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
The first and most significant work from the cycle dedicated to Sergius of Radonezh. Until the end of his days, the artist was convinced that “Vision to the Youth Bartholomew” was his best work. In his old age, the artist liked to repeat: “It’s not me who will live. “Youth Bartholomew” will live. Now, if thirty, fifty years after my death he still says something to people, that means he’s alive, that means I’m alive too "
Pieter Bruegel the Elder "Parable of the Blind" 1568
Kept in the Capodimonte Museum in Naples.
Other titles of the painting are “The Blind”, “Parabola of the Blind”, “The Blind Leading the Blind”. It is believed that the plot of the film is based on the biblical parable of the blind: “If a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit.”
Victor Vasnetsov "Alyonushka" 1881
Kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery.
It is based on the fairy tale “About Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka.” Initially, Vasnetsov’s painting was called “Fool Alyonushka.” At that time, orphans were called “fools.” “Alyonushka,” the artist himself later said, “seemed to have lived in my head for a long time, but in reality I saw her in Akhtyrka, when I met one simple-haired girl who struck my imagination. There was so much melancholy, loneliness and purely Russian sadness in her eyes ... Some special Russian spirit emanated from her.”
Vincent van Gogh "Starry Night" 1889
Kept in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Unlike most of the artist’s paintings, “Starry Night” was painted from memory. Van Gogh was at that time in the Saint-Rémy hospital, tormented by attacks of madness.
Karl Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii” 1830-1833
Kept in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.
The painting depicts the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. e. and the destruction of the city of Pompeii near Naples. The artist's image in the left corner of the painting is a self-portrait of the author.
Pablo Picasso “Girl on a Ball” 1905
Stored in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow
The painting ended up in Russia thanks to industrialist Ivan Abramovich Morozov, who purchased it in 1913 for 16,000 francs. In 1918, the personal collection of I. A. Morozov was nationalized. Currently the painting is in the collection of the State Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin.
Leonardo da Vinci "Madonna Litta" 1491
Kept in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
The original title of the painting was “Madonna and Child.” The modern name of the painting comes from the name of its owner - Count Litta, owner of the family art gallery in Milan. There is an assumption that the figure of the baby was not painted by Leonardo da Vinci, but belongs to the brush of one of his students. This is evidenced by the baby's pose, which is unusual for the author's style.
Jean Ingres "Turkish Baths" 1862
Kept in the Louvre in Paris.
Ingres finished painting this picture when he was already over 80 years old. With this painting, the artist sums up the image of bathers, the theme of which has long been present in his work. Initially, the canvas was in the shape of a square, but a year after its completion the artist turned it into a round painting - a tondo.
Ivan Shishkin, Konstantin Savitsky "Morning in a pine forest" 1889
Stored in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow
“Morning in a Pine Forest” is a painting by Russian artists Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky. Savitsky painted the bears, but the collector Pavel Tretyakov, when he acquired the painting, erased his signature, so now Shishkin alone is indicated as the author of the painting.
Mikhail Vrubel "The Swan Princess" 1900
Stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery
The painting is based on the stage image of the heroine of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” based on the plot of the fairy tale of the same name by A. S. Pushkin. Vrubel created sketches for the scenery and costumes for the 1900 premiere of the opera, and his wife sang the role of the Swan Princess.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo "Portrait of Emperor Rudolf II as Vertumnus" 1590
Located in Skokloster Castle in Stockholm.
One of the few surviving works of the artist, who composed portraits from fruits, vegetables, flowers, crustaceans, fish, pearls, musical and other instruments, books, and so on. "Vertumnus" is a portrait of the emperor, represented as the ancient Roman god of seasons, vegetation and transformation. In the picture, Rudolph consists entirely of fruits, flowers and vegetables.
Edgar Degas "Blue Dancers" 1897
Located in the Museum of Art. A. S. Pushkin in Moscow.
Degas was a big fan of ballet. He is called the artist of ballerinas. The work "Blue Dancers" dates back to the late period of Degas's work, when his eyesight weakened and he began to work in large spots of color, giving paramount importance to the decorative organization of the surface of the picture.
Leonardo da Vinci "Mona Lisa" 1503-1505
Kept in the Louvre, Paris.
The Mona Lisa may not have gained worldwide fame if it had not been stolen in 1911 by an employee of the Louvre. The painting was found two years later in Italy: the thief responded to an advertisement in the newspaper and offered to sell “Gioconda” to the director of the Uffizi Gallery. All this time, while the investigation was ongoing, the “Mona Lisa” did not leave the covers of newspapers and magazines around the world, becoming an object of copying and worship.
Sandro Botticelli "Birth of Venus" 1486
Kept in Florence in the Uffizi Gallery
The painting illustrates the myth of the birth of Aphrodite. A naked goddess swims to the shore in an open shell, driven by the wind. On the left side of the painting, Zephyr (the west wind), in the arms of his wife Chloris, blows on a shell, creating a wind filled with flowers. On the shore, the goddess is met by one of the graces. The Birth of Venus is well preserved due to the fact that Botticelli applied a protective layer of egg yolk to the painting.
Michelangelo "Creation of Adam" 1511
Located in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Today we present to your attention twenty paintings that are worthy of attention and recognition. These paintings were painted by famous artists, and they should be known not only by those who engage in art, but also by ordinary mortals, since art colors our lives, aesthetics deepens our view of the world. Give art its due place in your life...
1. “The Last Supper.” Leonardo Da Vinci, 1495 - 1498
Monumental painting by Leonardo da Vinci depicting the scene of Christ's last meal with his disciples. Created in 1495-1498 in the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
The painting was commissioned by Leonardo from his patron, Duke Ludovico Sforza and his wife Beatrice d'Este. The lunettes above the painting, formed by a ceiling with three arches, are painted with the Sforza coat of arms. The painting began in 1495 and was completed in 1498; work proceeded intermittently. The date of the start of work is not certain, since "the archives of the monastery were destroyed, and the negligible part of the documents that we have dates back to 1497, when the painting was almost completed."
The painting became a milestone in the history of the Renaissance: the correctly reproduced depth of perspective changed the direction of the development of Western painting.
It is believed that many secrets and hints are hidden in this picture - for example, there is an assumption that the image of Jesus and Judas was copied from the same person. When Da Vinci painted the picture, in his vision Jesus personified good, while Judas was pure evil. And when the master found “his Judas” (a drunkard from the street), it turned out that, according to historians, this drunkard several years earlier served as a prototype for painting the image of Jesus. Thus, we can say that this picture captures a person in different periods his life.
2. “Sunflowers.” Vincent Van Gogh, 1887
The title of two cycles of paintings by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. The first series was made in Paris in 1887. It is dedicated to lying flowers. The second series was completed a year later, in Arles. She depicts a bouquet of sunflowers in a vase. Van Gogh's friend Paul Gauguin acquired two Parisian paintings.
The artist painted sunflowers eleven times. The first four paintings were created in Paris in August - September 1887. Large cut flowers lie like some strange creatures dying before our eyes.
3. “The Ninth Wave.” Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky?, 1850.
One of the most famous paintings by the Russian marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky is kept in the Russian Museum.
The painter depicts the sea after a severe night storm and shipwrecked people. The rays of the sun illuminate the huge waves. The largest of them - the ninth shaft - is ready to fall on people trying to escape on the wreckage of the mast.
Despite the fact that the ship is destroyed and only the mast remains, the people on the mast are alive and continue to fight the elements. The warm colors of the picture make the sea not so harsh and give the viewer hope that people will be saved.
Created in 1850, the painting “The Ninth Wave” immediately became the most famous of all his marinas and was acquired by Nicholas I.
4. “Makha naked.” Francisco Goya, 1797-1800
Painting by Spanish artist Francisco Goya, painted around 1797-1800. Pairs with the painting “Maja Dressed” (La maja vestida). The paintings depict Macha, a Spanish townswoman of the 18th-19th centuries, one of the artist’s favorite subjects. "Maja Nude" is one of the earliest works of Western art to depict a fully nude woman without mythological or negative connotations.
5. “Flight of Lovers.” Marc Chagall, 1914-1918
Work on the painting “Above the City” began back in 1914, and the master applied the final touches only in 1918. During this time, Bella turned from a lover not only into an adored wife, but also the mother of their daughter Ida, forever becoming the painter’s main muse. The union of the rich daughter of a hereditary jeweler and a simple Jewish youth, whose father made a living by unloading herring, can only be called a misalliance, but love was stronger and overcame all conventions. It was this love that inspired them, lifting them to heaven.
Karina portrays Chagall’s two loves at once – Bella and Vitebsk, dear to her heart. The streets are presented in the form of houses separated by a high dark fence. The viewer will not immediately notice a goat grazing to the left of the center of the picture, and a simple man with his pants down in the foreground - humor from the painter, breaking out of the general context and romantic mood of the work, but this is all Chagall...
6. “The Face of War.” Salvador Dali, 1940.
Painting by Spanish artist Salvador Dali, painted in 1940.
The painting was created on the way to the USA. Impressed by the tragedy unfolding in the world and the bloodthirstiness of politicians, the master begins work on the ship. Located in the Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam.
Having lost all hope of a normal life in Europe, the artist leaves his beloved Paris for America. War covers the Old World and seeks to take over the rest of the world. The master does not yet know that his stay in the New World for eight years will make him truly famous, and his works will become masterpieces of world painting.
7. "Scream" Edvard Munch, 1893
“The Scream” (Norwegian Skrik) is a series of paintings by Norwegian expressionist artist Edvard Munch created between 1893 and 1910. They depict a human figure screaming in despair against a blood-red sky and an extremely generalized landscape background. In 1895, Munch created a lithograph on the same subject.
The red, fiery hot sky covered the cold fjord, which, in turn, gives birth to a fantastic shadow, similar to some kind of sea monster. Tension has distorted space, lines are broken, colors are inconsistent, perspective is destroyed.
Many critics believe that the plot of the picture is the fruit of the sick imagination of a mentally ill person. Some people see in the work a premonition of an environmental disaster, others decide which mummy inspired the author to create this work.
8. “The Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Jan Vermeer, 1665
The painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” (Netherlands: “Het meisje met de parel”) was painted around 1665. Currently kept in the Mauritshuis Museum, The Hague, the Netherlands, and is the hallmark of the museum. The painting, nicknamed the Dutch Mona Lisa, or Mona Lisa of the North, is painted in the Tronie genre.
Thanks to Peter Webber’s film “Girl with a Pearl Earring” in 2003, a huge number of people far from painting learned about the wonderful Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, as well as about his most famous painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring”.
9. "Tower of Babel." Pieter Bruegel, 1563
Famous painting by artist Pieter Bruegel. The artist created at least two paintings based on this subject.
The painting is located in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
There is a story in the Bible about how the inhabitants of Babylon tried to build a high tower to reach heaven, but God made them speak different languages, ceased to understand each other, and the tower remained unfinished.
10. "Algerian women." Pablo Picasso, 1955
“Women of Algeria” is a series of 15 paintings created by Picasso in 1954–1955 based on the paintings of Eugene Delacroix; the paintings are distinguished by the letters assigned by the artist from A to O. “Version O” was painted on February 14, 1955; for some time it belonged to the famous American art collector of the 20th century, Victor Ganz.
Pablo Picasso's painting "Women of Algeria (Version O)" sold for $180 million.
11. "New Planet". Konstantin Yuon, 1921
Russian Soviet painter, master of landscape, theater artist, art theorist. Academician of the USSR Academy of Arts. People's Artist of the USSR. Winner of the Stalin Prize, first degree. Member of the All-Union Communist Party since 1951.
This amazing painting “New Planet”, created in 1921 and not at all typical of the realist artist Yuon, is one of the brightest works that embodied the image of the changes that became October Revolution. New system new way and a new way of thinking in the newly emerging Soviet society. What awaits humanity now? Bright future? They didn’t think about it then, but the fact that Soviet Russia and the whole world was entering an era of change was obvious, as was the rapid birth of a new planet.
12. “Sistine Madonna.” Raphael Santi, 1754
A painting by Raphael, which has been in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden since 1754. It belongs to the generally recognized peaks of the High Renaissance.
The painting, huge in size (265 × 196 cm, as the size of the painting is indicated in the Dresden Gallery catalog), was created by Raphael for the altar of the church of the monastery of St. Sixtus in Piacenza, commissioned by Pope Julius II. There is a hypothesis that the painting was painted in 1512-1513 in honor of the victory over the French who invaded Lombardy during the Italian Wars, and the subsequent inclusion of Piacenza into the Papal States.
13. “Repentant Mary Magdalene.” Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), painted around 1565
A painting painted around 1565 by the Italian artist Titian Vecellio. Belongs to the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Sometimes the date of creation is given as "1560s".
The model for the painting was Julia Festina, who amazed the artist with her shock of golden hair. The finished canvas greatly impressed the Duke of Gonzaga, and he decided to order a copy of it. Later, Titian, changing the background and posing of the woman, wrote a couple more similar works.
14. "Mona Lisa". Leonardo Da Vinci, 1503-1505
Portrait of Mrs. Lisa del Giocondo, (Italian. Ritratto di Monna Lisa del Giocondo) - a painting by Leonardo da Vinci, located in the Louvre (Paris, France), one of the most famous works painting in the world, which is believed to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of the Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, painted around 1503-1505.
According to one of the put forward versions, “Mona Lisa” is a self-portrait of the artist.
15. “Morning in a pine forest”, Shishkin Ivan Ivanovich, 1889.
Painting by Russian artists Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky. Savitsky painted bears, but the collector Pavel Tretyakov erased his signature, so that the author of the painting is often indicated alone.
The idea for the painting was suggested to Shishkin by Savitsky, who later acted as a co-author and depicted the figures of the bear cubs. These bears, with some differences in poses and numbers (at first there were two of them), appear in the preparatory drawings and sketches. Savitsky turned out the animals so well that he even signed the painting together with Shishkin.
16. “We didn’t expect it.” Ilya Repin, 1884-1888
Painting by Russian artist Ilya Repin (1844-1930), painted in 1884-1888. It is part of the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery.
The painting, shown at the XII traveling exhibition, is part of a narrative cycle dedicated to the fate of the Russian revolutionary populist.
17. “Bal at the Moulin de la Galette”, Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1876.
A painting painted by the French artist Pierre Auguste Renoir in 1876.
The place where the painting is located is the Musée d’Orsay. Moulin de la Galette is an inexpensive tavern in Montmartre, where students and working youth of Paris gathered.
18. “Starry Night.” Vincent Van Gogh, 1889.
De sterrennacht- a painting by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, painted in June 1889, with a view of the pre-dawn sky over a fictional town from the eastern window of the artist’s home in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Since 1941 it has been kept at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Considered one of Van Gogh's best works and one of the most significant works of Western painting.
19. “The Creation of Adam.” Michelangelo, 1511.
Fresco by Michelangelo, painted around 1511. The fresco is the fourth of nine central compositions of the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
“The Creation of Adam” is one of the most outstanding compositions of the Sistine Chapel painting. God the Father flies in infinite space, surrounded by wingless angels, with a flowing white tunic. The right hand is extended towards Adam's hand and almost touches it. Adam's body lying on the green rock gradually begins to move and awakens to life. The entire composition is concentrated on the gesture of two hands. The hand of God gives the impulse, and the hand of Adam receives it, giving vital energy to the whole body. By the fact that their hands do not touch, Michelangelo emphasized the impossibility of connecting the divine and the human. In the image of God, according to the artist’s plan, it is not the miraculous principle that prevails, but gigantic creative energy. In the image of Adam, Michelangelo celebrates strength and beauty human body. In fact, what appears before us is not the creation of man itself, but the moment at which he receives a soul, a passionate search for the divine, a thirst for knowledge.
20. “Kiss in the starry sky.” Gustav Klimt, 1905-1907
Painting by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, painted in 1907-1908. The canvas belongs to the period of Klimt’s work, called the “golden”, the last work of the author in his “golden period”.
On a rock, on the edge of a flower meadow, in a golden aura, lovers stand completely immersed in each other, fenced off from the whole world. Due to the uncertainty of the place of what is happening, it seems that the couple depicted in the picture is moving into a cosmic state that is not subject to time and space, on the other side of all historical and social stereotypes and cataclysms. Complete solitude and the man's face turned back only emphasize the impression of isolation and detachment in relation to the observer.
Source – Wikipedia, muzei-mira.com, say-hi.me
20 paintings that everyone should know (history of painting) updated: November 23, 2016 by: website
The mysterious world of art may seem confusing to the untrained eye, but there are masterpieces that everyone should know. Talent, inspiration and painstaking work on every stroke give birth to works that are admired centuries later.
It is impossible to collect all the outstanding creations in one selection, but we tried to select the most famous paintings that attract giant queues in front of museums around the world.
The most famous paintings by Russian artists
“Morning in a pine forest”, Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky
Year of creation: 1889Museum
Shishkin was an excellent landscape painter, but he rarely had to draw animals, so the figures of bear cubs were painted by Savitsky, an excellent animal artist. At the end of the work, Tretyakov ordered Savitsky’s signature to be erased, considering that Shishkin had done much more extensive work.
“Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan November 16, 1581”, Ilya Repin
Years of creation: 1883–1885Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Repin was inspired to create the masterpiece, better known as “Ivan the Terrible Kills His Son,” by Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Antar” symphony, namely its second movement, “The Sweetness of Revenge.” Under the influence of the sounds of music, the artist depicted a bloody scene of murder and subsequent repentance observed in the eyes of the sovereign.
"The Seated Demon", Mikhail Vrubel
Year of creation: 1890Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The painting was one of thirty illustrations drawn by Vrubel for the anniversary edition of the works of M.Yu. Lermontov. “The sitting demon” personifies the doubts inherent in the human spirit, the subtle, elusive “mood of the soul.” According to experts, the artist was to some extent obsessed with the image of a demon: this painting was followed by “The Flying Demon” and “The Defeated Demon.”
“Boyaryna Morozova”, Vasily Surikov
Years of creation: 1884–1887Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The film is based on the plot of the Old Believer life “The Tale of Boyarina Morozova”. The understanding of the key image came to the artist when he saw a crow spreading its black wings like a blur on the snowy surface. Later, Surikov spent a long time looking for a prototype for the noblewoman’s face, but could not find anything suitable until one day he met an Old Believer woman with a pale, frantic face in a cemetery. The portrait sketch was completed in two hours.
"Bogatyrs", Viktor Vasnetsov
Years of creation: 1881–1898Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The future epic masterpiece was born small pencil sketch in 1881; For further work over the canvas, Vasnetsov spent many years painstakingly collecting information about the heroes from myths, legends and traditions, and also studied authentic ancient Russian ammunition in museums.
Analysis of Vasnetsov’s painting “Three Heroes”
“Bathing the Red Horse”, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin
Year of creation: 1912Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Initially, the painting was conceived as an everyday sketch from the life of a Russian village, but during the work the artist’s canvas became overgrown with a huge number of symbols. By the red horse, Petrov-Vodkin meant “The Fate of Russia”; after the country joined the First world war he exclaimed: “So that’s why I painted this picture!” However, after the revolution, pro-Soviet art critics interpreted the key figure in the painting as a “harbinger of revolutionary fires.”
"Trinity", Andrei Rublev
Year of creation: 1411Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The icon that laid the foundation for the tradition of Russian icon painting in the 15th–16th centuries. The canvas depicting the Old Testament trinity of angels who appeared to Abraham is a symbol of the unity of the Holy Trinity.
"The Ninth Wave", Ivan Aivazovsky
Year of creation: 1850Museum
A pearl in the “cartography” of the legendary Russian marine painter, who without hesitation can be considered one of the most famous artists in the world. We can see how the sailors who miraculously survived the storm cling to the mast in anticipation of meeting the “ninth wave,” the mythical apogee of all storms. But the warm shades dominating the canvas give hope for the salvation of the victims.
“The Last Day of Pompeii”, Karl Bryullov
Years of creation: 1830–1833Museum: Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
Completed in 1833, Bryullov’s painting was originally exhibited in largest cities Italy, where it caused a real sensation - the painter was compared to Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael... At home, the masterpiece was greeted with no less enthusiasm, securing the nickname “Charle the Great” for Bryullov. The canvas is truly great: its dimensions are 4.6 by 6.5 meters, which makes it one of the largest paintings among the creations of Russian artists.
The most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci
"Mona Lisa"
Years of creation: 1503–1505Museum: Louvre, Paris
A masterpiece of the Florentine genius that needs no introduction. It is noteworthy that the painting received cult status after the incident of theft from the Louvre in 1911. Two years later, the thief, who turned out to be a museum employee, tried to sell the painting to the Uffizi Gallery. The events of the high-profile case were covered in detail in the world press, after which hundreds of thousands of reproductions went on sale, and the mysterious Mona Lisa became an object of worship.
Years of creation: 1495–1498Museum: Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
After five centuries, a fresco with a classical plot on the wall of the refectory of the Dominican monastery in Milan is recognized as one of the most mysterious paintings in history. According to Da Vinci's idea, the painting depicts the moment of the Easter meal, when Christ notifies the disciples of imminent betrayal. The huge number of hidden symbols has given rise to an equally huge number of studies, allusions, borrowings and parodies.
"Madonna Litta"
Year of creation: 1491Museum: Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Also known as the Madonna and Child, the painting was kept in the collection of the Dukes of Litta for a long time, and in 1864 it was purchased by the St. Petersburg Hermitage. Many experts agree that the figure of the baby was painted not by da Vinci personally, but by one of his students - a pose too uncharacteristic for the painter.
The most famous paintings of Salvador Dali
Year of creation: 1931Museum: Museum of Modern Art, New York
Paradoxically, the most famous work of the genius of surrealism was born from thoughts about Camembert cheese. One evening, after a friendly dinner that ended with cheese appetizers, the artist was lost in thought about “spreading pulp,” and his imagination painted a picture of a melting clock with an olive branch in the foreground.
Year of creation: 1955Museum: National Gallery of Art, Washington
A traditional plot given a surreal twist using arithmetic principles studied by Leonardo da Vinci. The artist put the peculiar magic of the number “12” at the forefront, moving away from the hermeneutic method of interpreting the biblical plot.
The most famous paintings of Pablo Picasso
Year of creation: 1905Museum: Pushkin Museum, Moscow
The painting became the first sign of the so-called “pink” period in Picasso’s work. Rough texture and simplified style are combined with a sensitive play of lines and colors, the contrast between the massive figure of an athlete and a fragile gymnast. The canvas was sold along with 29 other works for 2 thousand francs (in total) to the Parisian collector Vollard, changed several collections, and in 1913 it was acquired by Russian philanthropist Ivan Morozov, already for 13 thousand francs.
Year of creation: 1937Museum: Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid
Guernica is the name of a city in the Basque country that was subjected to German bombing in April 1937. Picasso had never been to Guernica, but was stunned by the scale of the disaster, like “the blow of a bull’s horn.” The artist conveyed the horrors of war in abstract form and showed the real face of fascism, veiling it with bizarre geometric shapes.
The most famous paintings of the Renaissance
"Sistine Madonna", Raphael Santi
Years of creation: 1512–1513Museum: Gallery of Old Masters, Dresden
If you look closely at the background, which at first glance consists of clouds, you will notice that in fact Raphael depicted the heads of angels there. The two angels located at the bottom of the picture are almost more famous than the masterpiece itself, due to its wide circulation in mass art.
"Birth of Venus", Sandro Botticelli
Year of creation: 1486Museum: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
At the heart of the picture - ancient greek myth about the birth of Aphrodite from sea foam. Unlike many masterpieces of the Renaissance, the canvas has survived to this day in excellent condition thanks to the protective layer of egg yolk that Botticelli prudently covered the work with.
"The Creation of Adam", Michelangelo Buonarotti
Year of creation: 1511Museum: Sistine Chapel, Vatican
One of nine frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, illustrating the chapter from Genesis: “And God created man in His own image.” It was Michelangelo who was the first to depict God as a wise, gray-haired old man, after which this image became archetypal. Modern scientists believe that the contours of the figure of God and angels represent the human brain.
"Night Watch", Rembrandt
Year of creation: 1642Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
The full title of the painting is “Performance of the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Kok and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” The painting received its modern name in the 19th century, when it was found by art critics who, due to the layer of dirt covering the work, decided that the action in the painting was taking place under the cover of the darkness of night.
"The Garden of Earthly Delights", Hieronymus Bosch
Years of creation: 1500–1510Museum: Prado Museum, Madrid
Perhaps the most famous triptych by Bosch, named after the central part of the composition: the figures depicted on it selflessly indulge in the sin of voluptuousness. In contrast to the middle part, which is full of small, “hectic” details, the left wing of the picture, depicting genuine paradise, conveys an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, and the right wing, full of devilish mechanisms, on the contrary, recalls the torments of hell.
The most famous paintings of the 20th century
"Black Square", Kazimir Malevich
Year of creation: 1915Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Malevich wrote “Black Square” for several months; Legend has it that a painting is hidden under a layer of black paint - the artist did not have time to finish the work on time and, in a fit of anger, covered up the image. There are at least seven copies of the “Black Square” made by Malevich, as well as a kind of “continuation” of the Suprematist squares – “Red Square” (1915) and “White Square” (1918).
"The Scream", Edvard Munch
Year of creation: 1893Museum: National Gallery, Oslo
Due to its inexplicable mystical effect on the viewer, the painting was stolen in 1994 and 2004. There is an opinion that the picture created at the turn of the 20th century anticipated numerous disasters of the coming century. The deep symbolism of "The Scream" has inspired many artists, including Andy Warhol, directors, musicians and even animators.
"Walk", Marc Chagall
Year of creation: 1918Museum: Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
If you were also tormented by the question: “Why are the people in Marc Chagall’s painting soaring in the air?”, here is the answer from the artist himself - the force that can give a person the opportunity to fly is nothing other than love. It is believed that the man and woman on the canvas are Marc Chagall and his wife.
"No. 5, 1948", Jackson Pollock
Year of creation: 1948Museum: Private collection, New York
This painting still causes a lot of controversy. Some art critics believe that the excitement around the painting, painted using the proprietary splashing technique, was created artificially. The canvas was not sold until all the artist’s other works were purchased, and accordingly, the price for a non-figurative masterpiece skyrocketed. “Number Five” was sold for $140 million, becoming the most expensive painting in history.
"Marilyn Diptych", Andy Warhol
Year of creation: 1962Museum: Tate Gallery, London
A week after the death of Marilyn Monroe, the controversial artist began work on the canvas. 50 stenciled portraits of the actress were applied to the canvas, stylized in the “pop art” genre based on a 1953 photograph.
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There are works of art that seem to hit the viewer over the head, stunning and amazing. Others draw you into thought and a search for layers of meaning and secret symbolism. Some paintings are shrouded in secrets and mystical mysteries, while others surprise with exorbitant prices.
We carefully reviewed all the major achievements in world painting and selected two dozen of the strangest paintings from them. Salvador Dali, whose works completely fall within the format of this material and are the first to come to mind, were not included in this collection on purpose.
It is clear that “weirdness” is a rather subjective concept and everyone has their own amazing paintings, standing out from other works of art. We will be glad if you share them in the comments and tell us a little about them.
"Scream"
Edvard Munch. 1893, cardboard, oil, tempera, pastel.
National Gallery, Oslo.
The Scream is considered a landmark expressionist event and one of the most famous paintings in the world.
There are two interpretations of what is depicted: it is the hero himself who is gripped by horror and silently screams, pressing his hands to his ears; or the hero closes his ears from the cry of the world and nature sounding around him. Munch wrote four versions of “The Scream,” and there is a version that this painting is the fruit of manic-depressive psychosis from which the artist suffered. After a course of treatment at the clinic, Munch did not return to work on the canvas.
“I was walking along the path with two friends. The sun was setting - suddenly the sky turned blood red, I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned against the fence - I looked at the blood and flames over the bluish-black fjord and city. My friends moved on, and I stood, trembling with excitement, feeling an endless scream piercing nature,” Edvard Munch said about the history of the creation of the painting.
“Where did we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?"
Paul Gauguin. 1897-1898, oil on canvas.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
According to Gauguin himself, the painting should be read from right to left - three main groups of figures illustrate the questions posed in the title.
Three women with a child represent the beginning of life; the middle group symbolizes the daily existence of maturity; in the final group, according to the artist’s plan, “the old woman, approaching death, seems reconciled and given over to her thoughts,” at her feet “a strange white bird ... represents the uselessness of words.”
The deeply philosophical painting of the post-impressionist Paul Gauguin was painted by him in Tahiti, where he fled from Paris. Upon completion of the work, he even wanted to commit suicide: “I believe that this painting is superior to all my previous ones and that I will never create something better or even similar.” He lived another five years, and so it happened.
"Guernica"
Pablo Picasso. 1937, oil on canvas.
Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid.
Guernica presents scenes of death, violence, brutality, suffering and helplessness, without specifying their immediate causes, but they are obvious. It is said that in 1940, Pablo Picasso was summoned to the Gestapo in Paris. The conversation immediately turned to the painting. “Did you do this?” - “No, you did it.”
The huge fresco painting “Guernica,” painted by Picasso in 1937, tells the story of a raid by a Luftwaffe volunteer unit on the city of Guernica, as a result of which the city of six thousand was completely destroyed. The painting was painted literally in a month - the first days of work on the painting, Picasso worked for 10-12 hours, and already in the first sketches one could see the main idea. This is one of the best illustrations of the nightmare of fascism, as well as human cruelty and grief.
"Portrait of the Arnolfini couple"
Jan van Eyck. 1434, wood, oil.
London National Gallery, London.
The famous painting is completely filled with symbols, allegories and various references - right down to the signature “Jan van Eyck was here”, which turned the painting not just into a work of art, but into a historical document confirming the reality of the event at which the artist was present.
The portrait, supposedly of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, is one of the most complex works of the Western school of Northern Renaissance painting.
In Russia, over the past few years, the painting has gained great popularity due to Arnolfini’s portrait resemblance to Vladimir Putin.
"Demon Seated"
Mikhail Vrubel. 1890, oil on canvas.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
"The hands resist him"
Bill Stoneham. 1972.
This work, of course, cannot be ranked among the masterpieces of world painting, but the fact that it is strange is a fact.
There are legends surrounding the painting with a boy, a doll and his hands pressed against the glass. From “people are dying because of this picture” to “the children in it are alive.” The picture looks really creepy, which gives rise to a lot of fears and speculation among people with weak psyches.
The artist insisted that the painting depicted himself at the age of five, that the door represented the dividing line between the real world and the world of dreams, and the doll was a guide who could guide the boy through this world. The hands represent alternative lives or possibilities.
The painting gained notoriety in February 2000 when it was put up for sale on eBay with a backstory saying that the painting was “haunted.” “Hands Resist Him” was bought for $1,025 by Kim Smith, who was then simply inundated with letters with creepy stories and demands to burn the painting.
04/20/2017 at 22:25 · Pavlofox · 3 120
The most famous paintings by Russian artists
Art has been considered one of the most valuable assets of human culture for several centuries. Paintings by famous artists become state treasures, closely watched by thousands of specialists, and they cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In our country, art is valued much less, but everyone is probably familiar with the following the most famous paintings by Russian artists. Any educated person is sure to know about them.
10. The appearance of Christ to the people | Alexander Ivanov
"The Appearance of Christ to the People" worthily opens the top of the most famous paintings by Russian artists. Russian artist Alexander Ivanov became famous for his painting “The Appearance of Christ to the People,” which he painted for twenty years. The size of the painting is amazing, as is its detail. The author, of course, was inspired by scenes from the Bible, and it was not the artist’s first work on religious themes - Ivanov knew what everyone liked in the first picture and implemented it again - for the last time. Contemporaries called the picture not just stunning, but the most important event in their lives. Ironically, Ivanov himself died on the same day, and the Tsar bought the painting immediately after the author’s death.
9. Unequal marriage | Vasily Pukirev
One of the most famous paintings by Russian artists is considered to be an incredibly deep canvas by Vasily Pukirev. Pukirev is an unremarkable villager who became famous for only one painting - all the author’s other works remained forgotten. Why “Unequal Marriage”? The painting describes a plot from the life of Pukirev himself - he is even depicted in the painting itself. Young Pukirev stands in the background with his arms crossed, unable to do anything, because his bride is marrying an old general. Kostomarov himself, having seen the painting, took a young girl as his wife.
8. The rooks have arrived | Alexey Savrasov
"The Rooks Have Arrived"- the most famous painting by Russian artist Alexei Savrasov. The painting gained popularity even during its first exhibition, where its realism and sincerity were appreciated. “Such landscapes can only be found in The Rooks,” they said about Savrasov’s painting. Interestingly, the church that is shown in the background exists and stands in the same form to this day. In the same village the famous Susanin accomplished his feat.
7. Hunters at rest | Vasily Perov
The author of the picture "Hunters at Rest" is famous author Vasily Grigorievich Perov. Now everyone knows this one of the most famous paintings by Russian artists, but in the 19th century many described it as unsuccessful. There were also those who admired Perov's work. First of all, the great classic Dostoevsky admired the work. Some criticized the picture because of its unreliability, because Perov painted hunters based on his friends who were unfamiliar with this type of activity.
6. Three heroes | Victor Vasnetsov
Viktor Vasnetsov created one of the most famous paintings among Russian authors - "Three heroes". Vasnetsov said that he was inspired by the thick oak trees - he was amazed by their power, and a little later the heroes simply appeared to him in a dream. The painting depicts famous Russian characters folk tales. In the very center is Ilya Muromets, in whose hand is a spear, on the left is Dobrynya Nikitich, drawing a sword from its scabbard, and on the right is Alyosha Popovich with a bow and arrows. It is known that the artist drew Alyosha from Mamontov’s son, on whose estate the painting hung. And the rest of the heroes are similar to members of Vasnetsov’s own family.
5. Girl with peaches | Valentin Serov
Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov, unlike previous authors, after painting "Girl with Peaches", became one of the most important artists in the empire. The picture so amazed the public and even royal family that she approached the author with an order for several more paintings to decorate the royal palaces. “Girl with Peaches” is deservedly included in the Top of the most famous paintings by Russian artists thanks to the joy that the girl radiates. Critics call the picture “alive.” But imagine what it was like for the girl who had to pose for Serov, and he is not the only one who embodied this young lady on his canvases.
4. Barge haulers on the Volga | Ilya Efimovich
Ilya Efimovich is a native of Ukraine; as a child he never saw large ships, barge haulers, and especially the Volga. For the first time, Efimovich saw barge haulers on the Neva, where he developed the plot for his future masterpiece. Now "Barge Haulers on the Volga" one of the most representative paintings by Russian artists, which is deservedly included in the top 10. The picture was described more than once by great literary figures, including Dostoevsky himself. To paint the painting “Barge Haulers on the Volga,” the author needed only 200 rubles for the trip. Then it was sold for only 3,000 rubles to Vladimir Alexandrovich, the Grand Duke of Russia. Now the painting is a heritage of Russian culture and its value cannot be estimated.
3. Boyarina Morozova | Vasily Surikov
"Boyaryna Morozova" Russian author Vasily Surikov is one of the most important exhibits of the Tretyakov Gallery and, concurrently, one of the most famous paintings by Russian artists. The picture has big sizes, and visitors are amazed at how well detailed life is on such a large canvas. The Tretyakov Gallery purchased the painting for only 25 thousand rubles - a lot of money, of course, for the 19th century, but now its value cannot be overestimated. It is interesting that buying the painting was a risk for the gallery, because the majority did not accept the painting.
2. Stranger | Ivan Kramskoy
The second most famous painting by Russian artists is rightfully mysterious "Stranger" Ivan Kramskoy. The small canvas depicts a young woman dressed in the most expensive and fashionable clothes of the late 19th century. Some claim that the painting depicts Anna Karenina, and some even believe that “The Stranger” brings great misfortune to everyone who looks into her eyes. “Unknown” is the most famous painting of all Kramskoy’s works, and the world still does not know who the artist based the picture on. The author himself did not mention anything.
1. Morning in a pine forest | Ivan Shishkin
"Morning in a pine forest." Ivan Shishkin, an artist who answered at the academy that he would be a landscape painter, painted the famous painting “Morning in a Pine Forest.” Even small children know about the canvas, although they call it “bears”, since they are depicted on chocolates of the same name. Among Russian artists, the painting “Morning in a Pine Forest” by Shishkin is the most recognizable and often criticized for its lack of realism. The most persistent ones object to why there are three cubs, since a female bear rarely has such offspring. The painting gained popularity thanks to the fabulously beautiful forest landscape with the addition of animalism in the plot, that is, a bear family.
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