50 most famous artists. The best artists of all time

Art has accompanied man throughout his history, starting from the moment the first primitive brush was invented. Whether it was the Bhimbetka rock paintings or the Mona Lisa in Paris, art found its way everywhere. It doesn't matter who and how created the art of antiquity or modern art - every little episode in the life of any creative person has the right to be recorded in history. But among the people there will definitely be a place for those who not only deserve this place, but are simply obliged to take it. Not because the works he created were incredibly complex, but because they made people feel real emotions. Meet 15 of the greatest artists who ever lived.

1. Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Anyone who showed any interest in art as a child must have heard the name Picasso. The Spanish artist led a creative life, becoming one of the most influential and famous artists of the 20th century. He not only painted pictures, but was also a sculptor, poet, playwright. And all this in addition to a huge number of his other activities. One of his best works can be considered "Guernica" (1937), created as a response to the bombing of the Basque city of Guernica by the Nazi troops.

It was one of many bombing raids that lasted over two hours and claimed thousands of innocent lives. Today, the picture is a reminder of this tragedy and the consequences of the war for people, ordinary citizens in particular. After Picasso completed Guernica, the painting went on a short tour, becoming a popular anti-war symbol and gaining fame among critics and ordinary people alike.

2. Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Vincent van Gogh is a Dutch post-impressionist who is to this day considered one of the most famous and influential artists in Western art. He created about 2,000 works in a time span of just over 10 years. Among them, about 800 were written in the last few years of his life. He committed suicide at the age of 37 due to serious mental disorders and poverty.

Starry Night (1889) is one of his most famous works, written during his stay in a psychiatric hospital in France. It represents a window view of a fictional village, over which a bright yellow sun rises. This is one of the most recognizable paintings not only in the art world, but throughout the world.

3. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian painter, sculptor, mathematician and inventor, as well as doing research in architecture, science, music, engineering, astronomy, geology and many other fields. That is why he received the name "Renaissance Man", as he had knowledge in almost all areas available at that time. Probably his most famous painting is the Mona Lisa (1503-1506), which is considered the most visited, recognizable and parodied painting in its history.

The reason for its popularity is the elusive mystery, the mysterious smile depicted in the portrait of a girl. Many historians, when they first saw this picture, described it as something that no photograph could capture. The portrait is believed to be Lisa del Giocondo, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The Italian name for the Mona Lisa is “La Gioconda”, which means “jocund” (happy or alive, which can be considered a play on words with the family name - Giocondo. The French title of the painting, “La Joconde”, has the same meaning).

4. Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669)

Rembrandt van Rijn, better known simply as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Baroque painter. He was a master of his craft in three areas - drawing, painting and creating engravings. Due to his versatility, he is rightfully considered the greatest visual artist in the history of art. His versatility allowed him to paint everything from landscapes and portraits to historical events and biblical scenes.

One of his most popular works, The Night Watch (1642), is now in the Amsterdam State Museum. The painting is remarkable for three of its qualities: its size (about 360 centimeters wide and 430 centimeters high), the play of movement in the traditionally still military portrait, and the use of light and shadow, in which Rembrandt was exceptionally experienced and skilled.

5. Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675)

Johannes Vermeer was another Dutch artist who specialized in depicting the interiors of poor houses and middle-class life. Although he was not recognized during his lifetime, his work was rediscovered in 1860.

Then some of his paintings were mistakenly attributed to other artists, but soon the true author was established thanks to the painstaking work of art critics and historians. To date, 34 works by Vermeer are known. The most famous of his paintings is Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665). The portrait is notable for the lively, breathing gaze of a European girl dressed in exotic clothing, as well as an unusually large polished earring, supposedly considered a pearl.

6. Michelangelo (1475-1564)

As a rival to Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo was also considered a renaissance man due to his skills in sculpture, painting and poetry. His influence and contribution to the development of Western art is unparalleled to this day. His most famous creation is the statue of David (1501-1504), a 17-meter marble sculpture of the biblical hero of the same name, a favorite of the Florentine artists of the time.

The statue eventually came to symbolize the civil liberties that were under threat in the Republic of Florence, a city that rivaled all the powerful cities of the time and opposed their political hegemony.

7. Edvard Munch (1863-1944)

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian expressionist painter and printmaker. He is known for his psychological themes and overtones, which were heavily influenced by 19th century symbolism. His work also strongly influenced German expressionism of the early 20th century.

His most famous and recognizable painting is The Scream (1893-1910), which has four separate versions in two different versions: oil and pastel. The painting is remarkable for its painful and sharp, but at the same time tasteful colors, and the frozen emotion depicted on a highly primitive face against a bright orange background.

8. Salvador Dali (1904-1989)

One of the most famous artists of the surrealist movement, Dali is best known for his absurdly whimsical aesthetic that shifts from painting to painting. His art was an extension of himself, but given his Spanish expressiveness and love of attention, he was no less famous for his eccentric behavior. His most famous work is The Persistence of Memory (1931).

One of the interpretations of the picture is how time begins to melt, as soon as a person falls asleep. When asked what exactly inspired Salvador Dali to write this picture, he replied that the shape of the melting clock was inspired by Camembert cheese melting in the sun.

9. Claude Monet (1840-1926)

Claude Monet, often referred to as one of the founders of Impressionism, was a French painter and one of the most brilliant and talented pioneers of the French Impressionist movement. In fact, the very term "Impressionism" was coined after he created a painting called "Impression, Soleil Levant" ("Impression, Sunrise").

His most famous work is Water Lilies (from 1840 to 1926), a series of 250 paintings depicting a garden in the French artist's house in Giverny, France. This series was the main focus of the artist's work during the last 30 years of his life.

10. Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)

Jackson Pollock was an American painter and leader of abstract impressionism. He became famous for his unusual drip painting techniques, in which paint is poured or dripped onto the canvas. Pollock was notorious for his drinking, which led to the car accident that took his life in 1956.

One of his most famous paintings, “No 5, 1948” (1948) is one of the most expensive paintings in the world. The artist showed immense control and discipline in an image full of chaos. The painting acquired the name "Bird's Nest", thanks to the gray, brown, yellow white paints tangled with each other.

11. Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was one of the leaders of the Impressionist movement. The French artist is well known for his depictions of feminine sensuality and for his worship of beauty. One of his most famous works is Ball at the Moulin de la Galette (1876), which captures, in typical impressionist fashion, the essence of an open-air party on Sunday evenings in Paris where the city's inhabitants could drink, dance, chat and be entertained.

12. Gustav Klimt (1862-1918)

Gustav Klimt was an Austrian symbolist painter, best known for his work on overt eroticism, paintings, sketches and still lifes. Along with the depiction of the female body, Klimt also painted landscapes and scenes, partly influenced by Japanese art. One of his most famous works is The Kiss (1907-1908), one of the gems of his golden period. This period of his work was defined by the spectacular use of golden hues in his work, often using real gold leaf.

13. Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

One of the most powerful female artists of her time, and one that remains to this day, Frida Kahlo was a Mexican surrealist best known for her self-portraits of loneliness and detachment. Her writings are regarded as emblematic of Mexican traditions, and are widely loved by feminists for their vivid and believable portrayal of the inner world of a woman.

One of her most famous works is Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940). They are most notable as an example of her free use of symbolism. The spiked necklace and the lifeless hummingbird may have symbolized her inner agony.

14. Rene Magritte (1898-1967)

René Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist best known for using everyday objects to convey his ornate perception of the everyday world. He was also known for creating works that make the viewer think, encouraging them to break away from preconceived notions of reality.

One of his famous works that respects this principle is “Treachery of Images” (928-1929), which is a smoking pipe with the inscription “Ceci n "est pas une pipe” (This is not a pipe). And it really is not a pipe, simply because that this is just an image of her.This technique and style of changing what we know as reality was common to all his works and ideas.

15. Andy Warhol (1928-1987)

Andy Warhol was an American visual artist who is best known for his style called Pop Art:. In his writings, he explored the relationship between the glamorous film industry, advertising, popular culture, and artistic expression.

His most famous work is Campbell's Soup (1962), which consists of 32 pieces, each 51 centimeters high and 41 centimeters wide. Each of the elements can be considered a separate picture. The custom pieces were made using semi-automated screen printing, which greatly helped in the development of pop art and the convergence of popular culture with visual art as we know it today.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was a famous Italian painter, architect, philosopher, musician, writer, explorer, mathematician, engineer, anatomist, inventor and geologist. Known for his paintings, the most famous of which are The Last Supper and Mona Lisa, as well as numerous inventions that were far ahead of their time, but remained only on paper. In addition, Leonardo da Vinci made an important contribution to the development of anatomy, astronomy and technology.

Raphael Santi (March 28, 1483 – April 6, 1520) was a great Italian painter and architect active during the Renaissance, covering the period from the end of the 15th century to the early years of the 16th century. Traditionally, Raphael is considered one of the three great masters of this period, along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Many of his works are in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, in a room called Raphael's Stanza. Among others, here is his most famous work - "The School of Athens".

Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez (June 6, 1599 - August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter, portrait painter, court painter of King Philip IV, the greatest representative of the golden age of Spanish painting. In addition to numerous paintings depicting historical and cultural scenes from the past, he painted many portraits of the Spanish royal family, as well as other famous European figures. The most famous work of Velasquez is the painting "La Meninas" (or "Family of Philip IV") of 1656, located in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuseno Maria de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santisima Trinidad Martir Patricio Ruiz and Picasso (October 25, 1881 - April 8, 1973) is a world-famous Spanish artist and sculptor, the founder of the direction in fine arts - cubism. Considered one of the greatest artists who influenced the development of fine arts in the 20th century. Experts, was recognized as the best artist among those who have lived over the past 100 years, as well as the most "expensive" in the world. During his life, Picasso created about 20 thousand works (according to other sources, 80 thousand).

Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) was a famous Dutch painter who gained fame only after his death. According to many experts, Van Gogh is one of the greatest artists in the history of European art, as well as one of the most prominent representatives of post-impressionism. Author of more than 2,100 works of art, including 870 paintings, 1,000 drawings and 133 sketches. His numerous self-portraits, landscapes and portraits are among the most recognizable and expensive works of art in the world. The most famous work of Vincent van Gogh, perhaps, is considered a series of paintings called "Sunflowers".

Michelangelo Buonarroti (March 6, 1475 - February 18, 1564) is a world famous Italian sculptor, artist, architect, poet and thinker who left an indelible imprint on the entire world culture. The most famous work of the artist, perhaps, are the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Among his sculptures, the most famous are "Pieta" ("Lamentation of Christ") and "David". Of the works of architecture - the design of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Interestingly, Michelangelo became the first representative of Western European art, whose biography was written during his lifetime.

In fourth place in the ranking of the most famous artists in the world is Masaccio (December 21, 1401-1428) - a great Italian artist who had a huge impact on other masters. Masaccio lived a very short life, so there is little biographical evidence about him. Only four of his frescoes have survived, which, without a doubt, are the work of Masaccio. Others are believed to have been destroyed. Masaccio's most famous work is the Trinity fresco in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy.

Peter Paul Rubens (June 28, 1577 – May 30, 1640) was a Flemish (South Dutch) painter, one of the greatest artists of the Baroque era, known for his extravagant style. Considered the most versatile artist of his time. In his works, Rubens emphasized and embodied the vitality and sensuality of color. He painted numerous portraits, landscapes and historical paintings with mythological, religious and allegorical subjects. The most famous work of Rubens is the triptych "Descent from the Cross" written in the period from 1610 to 1614 and brought the artist worldwide fame.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (September 29, 1571 – July 18, 1610) was a great Italian artist of the early Baroque period, the founder of European realistic painting of the 17th century. In his works, Caravaggio skillfully used the contrasts of light and shadow, focusing on details. Often depicted ordinary Romans, people from the streets and markets in the images of saints and Madonnas. Examples are "The Evangelist Matthew", "Bacchus", "Conversion of Saul", etc. One of the most famous paintings of the artist is "The Lute Player" (1595), which Caravaggio called the most successful piece of painting for him.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) is a famous Dutch painter and engraver, who is considered the greatest and most famous artist in the world. Author of about 600 paintings, 300 etchings and 2 thousand drawings. Its characteristic feature is a masterful play with light effects and deep shadows. The most famous work of Rembrandt is the four-meter painting "Night Watch", written in 1642 and now stored in the State Museum of Amsterdam.

There are works of art that seem to hit the viewer on the head, dumbfounded and amazing. Others drag you into reflection and in search of semantic layers, secret symbolism. Some paintings are covered with secrets and mystical mysteries, while others surprise with an exorbitant price.

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 under the format of this material and are the first to come to mind, were not included in this collection intentionally.

It is clear that “strangeness” is a rather subjective concept, and for everyone there are amazing paintings that stand out from a number of 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 seized with 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 picture is the fruit of a 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 the city. My friends went on, and I stood, trembling with excitement, feeling the endless cry that pierces nature,” Edvard Munch said about the history 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.

At the direction of Gauguin himself, the picture should be read from right to left - the 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, "an old woman approaching death seems reconciled and given over to her thoughts", at her feet "a strange white bird ... represents the futility of words."

A deeply philosophical picture of the post-impressionist Paul Gauguin was written by him in Tahiti, where he fled from Paris. At the end of the work, he even wanted to commit suicide: "I believe that this canvas 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, atrocities, 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 picture. "Did you do that?" - "No, you did it."

The huge fresco "Guernica", painted by Picasso in 1937, tells about the raid of the Luftwaffe volunteer unit on the city of Guernica, as a result of which the six thousandth city was completely destroyed. The picture was painted in just a month - the first days of work on the picture, 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 Arnolfinis"

Jan van Eyck. 1434, oil on wood.
London National Gallery, London.

The famous painting is completely filled with symbols, allegories and various references - up 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, which was attended by the artist.

The portrait, presumably of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, is one of the most complex works of the Western school of painting of the Northern Renaissance.

In Russia, in 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.

"Hands Resist Him"

Bill Stoneham. 1972.

This work, of course, cannot be ranked among the masterpieces of world art, but the fact that it is strange is a fact.

Around the picture with a boy, a doll and palms pressed against the glass, there are legends. From "because of this picture they die" to "the children in it are alive." The picture looks really creepy, which gives rise to a lot of fears and conjectures in people with a weak psyche.

The artist assured that the picture depicts himself at the age of five, that the door is a representation of the dividing line between the real world and the world of dreams, and the doll is a guide that can lead the boy through this world. The hands represent alternative lives or possibilities.

The painting gained notoriety in February 2000 when it was listed for sale on eBay with a backstory that said the painting was "haunted". "Hands Resist Him" ​​was bought for $1,025 by Kim Smith, who was then inundated with letters with creepy stories and demands to burn the painting.

The mysterious world of art may seem confusing to an inexperienced person, but there are masterpieces that everyone should know. Talent, inspiration and painstaking work on every stroke give rise to works that are admired centuries later.

It is impossible to collect all the outstanding creations in one selection, but we have tried to select the most famous paintings that collect gigantic 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: 1889
Museum

Shishkin was an excellent landscape painter, but he rarely had to draw animals, so Savitsky, an excellent animal painter, painted the figures of the cubs. At the end of the work, Tretyakov ordered Savitsky's signature to be erased, believing that Shishkin had done much more extensive work.

"Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan on November 16, 1581" by Ilya Repin

Years of creation: 1883–1885
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

To create a masterpiece, better known as "Ivan the Terrible kills his son", Repin was inspired by the symphony "Antar" by Rimsky-Korsakov, namely, its second movement called "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.

Seated Demon, Mikhail Vrubel

Year of creation: 1890
Museum: 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 "seated 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 "Demon flying" and "Demon defeated".

"Boyar Morozova", Vasily Surikov

Years of creation: 1884–1887
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The plot of the Old Believer life "The Tale of the Boyar Morozova" formed the basis of the picture. The understanding of the key image came to the artist when he saw a crow spreading its black wings like a spot on a snowy canvas. Later, Surikov searched for a prototype for the noblewoman’s face for a long time, but could not find anything suitable, until one day he met an Old Believer woman with a pale, frantic face in the cemetery. The portrait sketch was completed in two hours.

"Bogatyrs", Viktor Vasnetsov

Years of creation: 1881–1898
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The future epic masterpiece was born as a small pencil sketch in 1881; for further work on the canvas, Vasnetsov painstakingly collected information about the heroes from myths, legends and traditions for many years, 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: 1912
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Initially, the painting was conceived as a household sketch from the life of a Russian village, but during the work, the artist’s canvas acquired a huge number of symbols. By the red horse, Petrov-Vodkin meant "The Fate of Russia"; after the country's entry into 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 of the canvas as a "harbinger of revolutionary fires."

"Trinity", Andrey Rublev

Year of creation: 1411
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The icon that laid the foundation for the tradition of Russian icon painting of 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: 1850
Museum

A pearl in the "cartography" of the legendary domestic marine painter, who can be without hesitation classified as one of the most famous artists in the world. We can see how miraculously surviving sailors after the storm cling to the mast in anticipation of a meeting with the "ninth wave", the mythical apogee of all storms. But the warm shades that dominate the canvas give hope for the salvation of the victims.

"The Last Day of Pompeii", Karl Bryullov

Years of creation: 1830–1833
Museum: Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Completed in 1833, Bryullov's painting was originally exhibited in the largest cities of Italy, where it caused a real sensation - the painter was compared with Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael ... At home, the masterpiece was met with no less enthusiasm, securing Bryullov's nickname "Charles the Great". 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 by Leonardo da Vinci

"Mona Lisa"

Years of creation: 1503–1505
Museum: Louvre, Paris

A masterpiece of Florentine genius that needs no introduction. It is noteworthy that the painting received cult status after the incident with the abduction from the Louvre in 1911. Two years later, the kidnapper, 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: 1495–1498
Museum: Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan

Five centuries later, a fresco with a classical story on the wall of the refectory of a Dominican monastery in Milan is recognized as one of the most mysterious paintings in history. As conceived by Da Vinci, the picture depicts the moment of the Easter meal, when Christ notifies the disciples of the imminent betrayal. The sheer quantity of hidden symbols has given rise to an equally vast array of studies, allusions, borrowings, and parodies.

"Madonna Litta"

Year of creation: 1491
Museum: Hermitage, St. Petersburg

The painting, also known as the Madonna and Child, was kept in the collection of the Dukes of Litta for a long time, and in 1864 it was bought by the St. Petersburg Hermitage. Many experts agree that the figure of the baby was not painted personally by da Vinci, but by one of his students - a pose that is too uncharacteristic for a painter.

The most famous paintings of Salvador Dali

Year of creation: 1931
Museum: Museum of Modern Art, New York

Paradoxically, the most famous work of the surrealist genius was born from thoughts of Camembert cheese. One evening, after a friendly dinner that ended with appetizers with cheese, the artist immersed himself in thoughts about the “spreading pulp”, and his imagination painted a picture like a melting clock with an olive branch in the foreground.

Year of creation: 1955
Museum: National Gallery of Art, Washington

A traditional plot that received a surreal canvas using arithmetic principles studied by Leonardo da Vinci. The artist put the original magic of the number "12" at the forefront, moving away from the hermeneutical method of interpreting the biblical story.

The most famous paintings by Pablo Picasso

Year of creation: 1905
Museum: Pushkin Museum, Moscow

The painting became the first signs of the so-called "pink" period in the work of Picasso. A rough texture and a simplified style are combined with a sensitive play of lines and colors, a 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 the Russian philanthropist Ivan Morozov, already for 13 thousand francs.

Year of creation: 1937
Museum: Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid

Guernica is the name of a city in the Basque country that was bombed by the Germans in April 1937. Picasso had never been to Guernica, but was stunned by the scale of the catastrophe, like a "blow of a bull's horn." The artist conveyed the horrors of war in an 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: 1512–1513
Museum: Old Masters Gallery, 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 known almost more than the masterpiece itself, due to the wide circulation in mass art.

The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli

Year of creation: 1486
Museum: Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The painting is based on the 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 with which Botticelli prudently covered the work.

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo Buonarotti

Year of creation: 1511
Museum: Sistine Chapel, Vatican

One of the 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 first portrayed God as a wise-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: 1642
Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The full title of the painting is "Speech of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenbürg." The painting received its modern name in the 19th century, when it was found by art critics, who, because of the layer of dirt covering the work, decided that the action in the painting takes place under the cover of night darkness.

The Garden of Earthly Delights Hieronymus Bosch

Years of creation: 1500–1510
Museum: Prado Museum, Madrid

Perhaps the most famous Bosch triptych, named after the central part of the composition: the figures depicted on it selflessly indulge in the sin of voluptuousness. In contrast to the full of small, "bustling" details of the middle part, the left wing of the picture, depicting a true paradise, conveys an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, while the right wing, full of diabolical mechanisms, on the contrary, recalls hellish torments.

The most famous paintings of the XX century

"Black Square", Kazimir Malevich

Year of creation: 1915
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Malevich wrote Black Square for several months; the legend says 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, smeared over 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).

"Scream", Edvard Munch

Year of creation: 1893
Museum: National Gallery, Oslo

Due to the 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 catastrophes 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: 1918
Museum: Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

If you were also tormented by the question: “Why do people in the painting by Marc Chagall soar in the air?”, Here is the answer from the artist himself - the power that can give a person the opportunity to fly is nothing more 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: 1948
Museum: Private collection, New York

This painting still causes a lot of controversy. Some art historians believe that the hype around the painting, painted in the proprietary spatter technique, was artificially created. The canvas was not sold until all the other works of the artist were bought, respectively, the price for a non-objective masterpiece skyrocketed. Number Five was sold for $140 million, making it the most expensive painting in history.

Diptych Marilyn, Andy Warhol

Year of creation: 1962
Museum: Tate Gallery, London

A week after the death of Marilyn Monroe, the scandalous artist began work on the canvas. 50 stencil portraits of the actress were applied to the canvas, stylized in the pop art genre based on a 1953 photograph.
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Many people who are fond of painting are forced to give up such an occupation, since it is not easy to break into people and become a famous and sought-after artist. And yet, some succeeded. Find out which artists are the most famous.

The most famous artists

So, the top 10 most famous artists in the world:

I started drawing by chance and not in childhood. At the age of 20, Henri had an operation to remove it, and his mother bought him paints and paper. Matisse first copied colored postcards, and then became so interested in drawing that he even decided to become a professional artist.

Despite the protests of his father, Henri began to study painting. Matisse's drawing style was very unusual and similar to impressionism. At first, Henri copied the works of foreign masters, and then began to create his own masterpieces. The most famous works of Henri Matisse are "Parisian Dance", "Joy of Life", "Conversation", "Family Portrait", "Red Room".

By the way, Matisse even opened his own school of painting. Today, his paintings are kept in the best museums and are in the collections of the richest people.

He was a difficult teenager and at school lessons, instead of completing assignments, he painted the covers of notebooks with funny portraits of classmates and teachers. Soon, many people learned about Claude's talent, and he became a very famous cartoonist in his city, and later began to take money for his work. But then Monet met an experienced landscape painter who took up his training.

And only then Claude fell in love with nature and learned to feel it. The guy expressed his emotions in drawings, which later became so popular that today they are included in the best collections of paintings. The most famous works: “Sunset over the Sea”, “Sunflowers”, “Holland Tulips”, “By the Sea”, “Road in the Forest”, “Still Life with Meat”.

Today everyone knows his name, as well as the best works, which include such as "The Girl on the Ball", "Life", "Bathers", "Avignon Girls" and many others. And his painting "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" became the most expensive painting ever sold.

Picasso was a talented artist, graphic artist, designer, ceramist, decorator and sculptor. He is the founder of cubism. In addition, Picasso made a huge contribution to the development of the art of the last century, it probably would not have been the same without this person.

In total, during his life, Pablo completed about 20 thousand works, each of which was unique and inimitable. Picasso began to draw from a very early age, and he took his first painting lessons from his father, who was a drawing teacher (later Pablo himself held this position). And young Picasso drew inspiration from fairy tales that his mother invented herself and told her son at night.

4. Vincent van Gogh- A Dutch post-impressionist artist who created many amazing and unusual works. Vincent was a difficult teenager, but to outsiders he seemed thoughtful and serious. Van Gogh began to draw later, when he began working in an art and trading company.

Every day Vincent was in contact with works of art, so he learned to appreciate them. After an unsuccessful love affair, the affairs of the young dealer Van Gogh began to deteriorate, and at some point he decided to try his hand at painting. But still, Vincent had to earn a living, although he did not like the work. After several failures, Van Gogh decided to devote himself entirely to painting and gave the world many masterpieces.

- an artist of Armenian origin (his real name is Hovhannes). From childhood, Ivan showed creative abilities, he even independently learned to play the violin. Aivazovsky also drew beautifully and constantly developed his abilities.

Ivan especially appreciated and idolized the sea, and that is why chic seascapes, which depict storms, shipwrecks, waves and depths, prevail among his works. The most famous paintings of the artist are "The Ninth Wave", "Venice", "Chaos", "Sinking Ship", "Ice Mountains", "Wave", "Black Sea".

- an artist who was practically a discoverer of the beauties of Russian nature. He loved everything: trees, every blade of grass, the sky, dew drops, flowers. And this love of his is perfectly visible in the paintings, each of which is a real masterpiece.

His landscapes proved to everyone that Russia is not a gray boring country, as they used to think, but an incredibly beautiful place. Here are some of the artist's most famous works: "Evening Bells", "March", "Golden Autumn". By the way, many of his landscapes are still used as illustrations and printed in textbooks.

- this is a truly unique and legendary artist who changed the views of society on painting. A distinctive feature of Pollock's work was that they bore little resemblance to paintings. It may seem that someone has spilled paint on paper, but upon closer and closer examination, you can see something mysterious and deep.

And Jackson himself was completely immersed in the process and expressed his emotions through the canvas. He spread paper on the floor, and for drawing he used broken glass, liquid paints, scoops, knives and sticks. Pollock's most famous works are "Number 5" (this is the artist's most expensive painting), "Moon Woman Cutting a Circle" and "She-Wolf".

Known for painting portraits of most famous people. But the stars turn to Nikas for a reason, he is very talented. Safronov was born into a simple family and achieved everything himself. In addition, this is one of the few artists who managed to become famous during his lifetime. Nikas's list of works includes portraits of such celebrities as Mike Tyson, Sophia Loren, Mick Jagger, Julio Iglesias, Elton John, Sting, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson and many others.

- perhaps the most iconic and significant person in the history of pop art. Andy started drawing as a child. At first he illustrated magazines, but then he decided to create independent works, drawing inspiration from food, drinks and other consumer goods.

He painted canned food, fruits, alcoholic drinks. But all the paintings were distinguished by a special manner of execution. The drawings were so eccentric and bright that they simply could not be overlooked.

- master of figurative painting and expressionist artist. The main theme of his work is the human body. But Francis painted bodies usually elongated, distorted, enclosed in some figures or objects. Bacon's most famous works are The Sleeping Man, The Woman, The Crucifixion Triptych, and Three Sketches for a Portrait of Lucian Freud.

These were the most famous artists of all time.