Pictures with people of famous Russian artists. The most famous paintings in the world

The property of the world art collection is estimated at several tens of thousands of canvases, of which more than one hundred are recognized as the world's greatest masterpieces. It is believed that if a person is familiar with the work of at least ten to fifteen artists, whose hand these numerous works, then it can already be called cultural and educated (at least in the field of painting). But the essence is not in the pathetic swallowing of the “grade of progress” - these canvases depict wisdom, subtlety, individuality, success, greatness, work ... The paintings of great artists contain sacred meaning, and truly educated and wise is he who is able to consider it. Next, we will talk about the ten most famous paintings in the world. This list is not a rating or its likeness - only a small fraction of the universe, whose name is Art.

1. Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci)

There are probably few civilized people in the world (not to mention wild tribes in the pristine places of the planet) who do not know what the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vicni looks like, and even more so those who have not heard of this famous painting. Today it is located in the Louvre (Paris). Mona Lisa owes its fame to a fatal event - at the beginning of the last century, the painting was stolen by one of the employees of this museum. For two years, the entire world press tirelessly talked about this case. Another interesting point worthy of many years of worldwide discussions is the smile of the Mona Lisa. In addition, there are even statements that the picture depicts a young man.

2. The Last Supper (Leonardo da Vinci)

The Last Supper- one of the best pictures world art. If the previous painting was stolen from the museum and disappeared from public view for two years, then this painting has a truly tragic past. It is a fresco located in one of the Milanese monasteries. The Last Supper was an adornment of the building even at a time when it served as an armory, a prison, and was bombed. The fresco has been restored at least five times. It depicts Jesus with his twelve disciples at a table. The picture has great value not only for world art, but also for religion - Orthodoxy in particular.

3. Sistine Madonna (Rafael Santi)

A contemporary of Leonardo da Vicni was Rafael Santi, who painted one of the most famous paintings - the Sistine Madonna. It is noteworthy that as a "platform" for the picture, not a wooden board was used, as in the vast majority of cases in the painting of that time, but a canvas. The second point is its size: 265x196 centimeters. A huge picture, handmade, the finest details (for example, the background of the picture is made up of the faces of angels, which many initially mistake for clouds) - this is a gigantic work! The canvas depicts the Madonna and Child, surrounded by St. Sixtus and St. Barbara. It is known that the sitters for the Sistine Madonna were his beloved (for main character), Pope Julius and the artist's niece (for the other two characters, respectively).

4. Night Watch (Rembrandt)

The Night Watch is one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings. Initially, this work was called completely different. However, art history figures who discovered it about two centuries ago thought that the action takes place at night, and the canvas got its current name. In reality, the action takes place during the day, and its darkness is a consequence of soot. But the world recognized the picture as "Night Watch", and to this day this name has remained unchanged. Among greatest paintings of the world, this is the rare case when the name of the work was not preserved in its original form, but was practically invented “for abum”.

5. Starry night (Vincent van Gogh)

property contemporary art Van Gogh's painting became Starlight Night". An interesting fact is that the artist wrote this work from memory, although he, and many other artists, mostly write from nature - something or someone. It is also interesting that at this time the artist was in a psychiatric hospital, because he suffered from bouts of insanity. This is how the mad artist wrote a world masterpiece, this is how he practically created a new direction in the visual arts, this is how he immortalized his name. And the world has seen quite a few crazy and insane people who turned out to be geniuses. And the world continues to laugh at the madmen!

6. Persistence of memory (Salvador Dali)

The Persistence of Memory is one of the most famous works Salvador Dali. The painting is in the New York Museum of Modern Art. In the continuation of the madmen and geniuses, it is worth saying that the artist got the idea for writing a work at the sight of processed cheese! The associations that the product evoked in Dali prompted the artist to express his ideas on the canvas in this form. Dali personally admitted this to the public, not even trying to hide the peculiar oddity that prompted him to paint the picture. And, returning in the evening on the day of writing the canvas from the cinema, Salvador's beloved, prophetically declared that anyone who sees "The Persistence of Memory" once will never be able to forget it.

7. Birth of Venus (Sandro Botticelli)

Among the most famous paintings in the world is The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli. The canvas is located in at least famous gallery Uffizi located in Florence. In the picture, the artist depicted the mythology of the birth of the goddess Aphrodite: she floats along the sea to the shore on one of the halves of the shell, driven by Zephyr (the god of the west wind), who, being in the arms of his wife, fills the wind with flowers. On the shore, grace awaits her, preparing to cover the goddess with a mantle. Botticelli used egg yolk as a protective layer of the painting, thanks to which it has been perfectly preserved to this day.

8. Ninth Wave (Aivazovsky)

The outstanding work of the Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky "The Ninth Wave" allows us to be truly proud of the fact that our contribution is among the world's greatest works of fine art. Aivazovsky is known for the fact that his pictorial predilection lay in the field of depicting the sea - he devoted all his activity as an artist to this. "The Ninth Wave" received a huge worldwide vocation and became one of the hundred greatest paintings in the world.

9. Impression. Rising Sun (Claude Monet)

Painting by Claude Monet “Impression. Rising Sun, stored in Parisian museum, marked the beginning of a whole direction of painting - impressionism. This work was born early in the morning on one of the old French outports, as you know, from nature. Clone Monet, using all his skill, tried to portray a fleeting feeling of pleasure from a single moment, which is the essence of impressionism, which began to develop in subsequent years. And this direction in fine arts got its name thanks to the first word in the title of the picture, which in French sounds like “impressio”.

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 piercing nature, ”Edward 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 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; middle group symbolizes the daily existence of maturity; in the final group, according to the artist’s intention, “an old woman approaching death seems reconciled and indulged in her thoughts”, at her feet there is 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 main idea. This is one of the best illustrations nightmare of fascism, and 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, on the other hand, 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 from creepy stories and demands to burn the painting.

Among Russian artists there are many talented individuals. Their work is highly valued all over the world and competes with such world masters as Rubens, Michelangelo, Van Gogh and Picasso. In this article, we have collected 10 of the most famous Russian artists.

1. Ivan Aivazovsky

Ivan Aivazovsky is one of the most famous Russian artists. He was born in Feodosia. From childhood, Aivazovsky showed his incredible Creative skills: He loved to draw and taught himself to play the violin.

At 12 young talent began to study in Simferopol at the Academy of Painting. Here he learned to copy engravings and paint from nature. A year later, he managed to enter the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy, although he had not yet reached the age of 14 years.

For a long time the artist traveled around Europe and lived in Italy, where his paintings were also recognized for their true worth. So the young artist from Feodosia became a fairly famous and rich man.

Later, Aivazovsky returned to his homeland, where he received the uniform of the Naval Ministry and the title of academician. The artist also visited Egypt and was present at the opening of the new Suez Canal. The artist described all his impressions in pictures. By this time, he had already developed his own unique style and the ability to write from memory. Aivazovsky briefly sketched complex elements in a notebook in order to later transfer them to the canvas. The paintings "Odessa", "The Ninth Wave" and "The Black Sea" brought him worldwide fame.

The artist spent the last years of his life in Feodosia, where he built himself a house in the Italian style. A little later, Aivazovsky added a small gallery to it so that everyone could freely enjoy it. amazing pictures and drown in the ocean of colors. Today, this mansion still serves as a museum and many visitors come here every day to see with their own eyes the skill of the marine painter, who lived a long and happy life.

2. Viktor Vasnetsov

Viktor Vasnetsov continues the list of the most famous Russian artists. He was born in the spring of 1848 in the family of a priest in the small village of Lopyal. The craving for painting woke up in him in a very early age, but his parents could not give him a proper education due to lack of money. Therefore, at the age of 10, Victor began to study at a free theological seminary.

In 1866, with virtually no money, he left for St. Petersburg. Vasnetsov easily passed the entrance exam and entered the Academy of Arts. Here began his friendship with famous artist Repin, with whom he later went to Paris. After returning to St. Petersburg, Vasnetsov begins to write his most famous paintings: "Three heroes", "Snow Maiden" and "God Sabaoth".

The artist was able to fully reveal his talent only after moving to Moscow. Here he is cozy and comfortable, and each subsequent picture is better than the previous one. It was in Moscow that Vasnetsov painted such paintings as Alyonushka, Ivan Tsarevich and grey Wolf and Nestor the Chronicler.

3. Karl Bryullov

This famous Russian artist was born in 1799. Karl's father was famous painter and professor at the Petersburg Academy of Arts. Therefore, the fate of the boy was a foregone conclusion. Fortunately, Karl Bryullov managed to inherit the artist's talent from his father.

Studying was given to the young artist very easily. He was many times superior to the rest of the students in his class and graduated from the Academy of Arts with honors. After that, Karl went to travel around Europe, stopping for a long time only in Italy. It was here that he created his masterpiece - "The Last Day of Pompeii", having spent about six years writing it.

Upon his return to St. Petersburg, Karl Bryullov was awaited by fame and glory. They were glad to see him everywhere and certainly admired his new paintings. During this period, the artist creates several of his immortal paintings: Horsewoman, Siege of Pskov, Narcissus and others.

4. Ivan Shishkin

Ivan Shishkin is one of the most famous Russian landscape painters, who in his paintings could present any inconspicuous landscape in the most favorable light. It seems that nature itself plays on the canvases of this artist with living colors.

Ivan Shishkin was born in 1832 in Yelabuga, which today belongs to Tatarstan. The father wanted his son to eventually take the post of city official, but Ivan gravitated towards drawing. At the age of 20, he left for Moscow to study painting. After successfully graduating from the Moscow School of Arts, Shishkin entered the Imperial Academy in St. Petersburg.

Later, he traveled a long time in Europe, sketching amazing landscapes. At this time, he created the painting "View in the vicinity of Düsseldorf", which brought him great fame. After returning to Russia, Shishkin continues to create with redoubled energy. According to him, Russian nature is several hundred times superior to European landscapes.

Ivan Shishkin painted many amazing paintings in his life: “Morning in pine forest”, “First snow”, “Pine forest” and others. Even death overtook this painter right behind the easel.

5. Isaac Levitan

This great Russian master of landscapes was born in Lithuania, but lived all his life in Russia. Repeatedly it Jewish origin caused him many humiliations, but did not force him to leave this country, which he idolized and praised in his paintings.

Already the first landscapes of Levitan received high marks from Perov and Savrasov, and Tretyakov himself even bought his painting “Autumn Day in Sokolniki”. But in 1879, Isaac Levitan, along with all the Jews, was expelled from Moscow. Only with the great efforts of friends and teachers he manages to return to the city.

In the 1880s, the artist painted many amazing paintings that made him very famous. These were "Pines", "Autumn" and "First Snow". But yet another humiliation forced the author to leave Moscow again and go to the Crimea. On the peninsula, the artist writes whole line amazing work and significantly improves its financial condition. This allows him to travel around Europe and get acquainted with the work of world masters. The pinnacle of Levitan's work was his painting "Above Eternal Peace".

6. Vasily Tropinin

The great Russian portrait painter Vasily Tropinin had an amazing fate. He was born into a family of serfs Count Markov in 1780 and only at the age of 47 received the right to be a free man. Even as a child, little Vasily had a penchant for drawing, but the count sent him to study as a confectioner. Later, he is still sent to the Imperial Academy, where he shows his talent in all its beauty. For his portraits "The Lacemaker" and "The Beggar Old Man" Vasily Tropinin was awarded the title of academician.

7. Petrov-Vodkin Kuzma

A rich heritage in world painting managed to leave behind a famous Russian artist Petrov-Vodkin. He was born in 1878 in Khvalynsk, and in his early years wanted to be a railroad worker. However, fate made him a painter of world renown.

8. Alexey Savrasov

The paintings of this Russian artist were already selling well, as soon as he was 12 years old. A little later, he entered the Moscow School of Painting and instantly became one of the best students. A trip to Ukraine helped Savrasov finish college ahead of schedule and receive the title of artist.

The paintings "Stone in the Forest" and "Moscow Kremlin" made this painter an academician at the age of 24! Interested in young talent royal family, and Tretyakov himself buys many of his works for international exhibitions. Among them were "Winter", "Rooks have arrived", "Thaw" and others.

The death of two daughters and the subsequent divorce take a toll on Savrasov. He drinks heavily and soon dies in a hospital for the poor.

9. Andrey Rublev

Andrei Rublev is the most famous Russian icon painter. He was born in the 15th century and left behind a great legacy in the form of the icons "Trinity", "Annunciation", "Baptism of the Lord". Andrei Rublev, together with Daniil Cherny, decorated many churches with frescoes, and also painted icons for iconostases.

10. Mikhail Vrubel

Completes our list of the most famous Russian artists, Mikhail Vrubel, who created many masterpieces in his life in various topics. He was engaged in painting the Kyiv temple, and later in Moscow he set about creating his famous series of "demonic" paintings. The creative throwing of this artist did not find proper understanding among his contemporaries. Only a few decades after the death of Mikhail Vrubel, art critics gave him his due, and the Church agreed with his interpretations of biblical events.

Unfortunately, the artist's personal life became the reason for the development of a severe form in him. mental disorders. The title of academician overtook him in a lunatic asylum, from which he was no longer destined to leave. Nevertheless, Mikhail Vrubel managed to create many amazing works of art that are worthy of genuine admiration. Among them, it is especially worth highlighting the paintings "Seated Demon", "The Swan Princess" and "Faust".

) in her expressive sweeping works was able to preserve the transparency of the fog, the lightness of the sail, the smooth rocking of the ship on the waves.

Her paintings amaze with their depth, volume, saturation, and the texture is such that it is impossible to take your eyes off them.

Warm simplicity Valentina Gubareva

Primitive artist from Minsk Valentin Gubarev not chasing fame and just doing what he loves. His work is insanely popular abroad, but almost unfamiliar to his compatriots. In the mid-90s, the French fell in love with his everyday sketches and signed a contract with the artist for 16 years. The paintings, which, it would seem, should be understandable only to us, the bearers of the "modest charm of undeveloped socialism", were liked by the European public, and exhibitions began in Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain and other countries.

Sensual realism by Sergei Marshennikov

Sergei Marshennikov is 41 years old. He lives in St. Petersburg and works in best traditions classical russian school realistic portrait painting. The heroines of his paintings are tender and defenseless in their half-naked women. Many of the most famous paintings depict the artist's muse and wife, Natalia.

The Myopic World of Philip Barlow

In the modern era of pictures high resolution and the heyday of hyperrealism creativity Philip Barlow(Philip Barlow) immediately attracts attention. However, a certain effort is required from the viewer in order to force himself to look at blurry silhouettes and bright spots on the author's canvases. Probably, this is how people suffering from myopia see the world without glasses and contact lenses.

Sunny Bunnies by Laurent Parcelier

Laurent Parcelier's painting is wonderful world in which there is neither sadness nor despondency. You will not find gloomy and rainy pictures in him. On his canvases there is a lot of light, air and bright colors, which the artist applies with characteristic recognizable strokes. This creates the feeling that the paintings are woven from thousands of sunbeams.

Urban Dynamics in the Works of Jeremy Mann

Oil on wood panels American artist Jeremy Mann paints dynamic portraits of the modern metropolis. “Abstract forms, lines, contrast of light and dark spots - everything creates a picture that evokes the feeling that a person experiences in the crowd and turmoil of the city, but can also express the calmness that one finds when contemplating quiet beauty,” says the artist.

The Illusory World of Neil Simon

In the paintings of the British artist Neil Simone (Neil Simone) everything is not what it seems at first glance. “For me, the world around me is a series of fragile and ever-changing shapes, shadows and boundaries,” says Simon. And in his paintings everything is really illusory and interconnected. Borders are washed away, and stories flow into each other.

The love drama of Joseph Lorasso

Italian-born contemporary American artist Joseph Lorusso transfers to canvas the scenes he saw in Everyday life ordinary people. Hugs and kisses, passionate impulses, moments of tenderness and desire fill his emotional pictures.

Village life of Dmitry Levin

Dmitry Levin is a recognized master of the Russian landscape, who has established himself as a talented representative of the Russian realistic school. The most important source of his art is his attachment to nature, which he loves tenderly and passionately and feels himself a part of.

Bright East Valery Blokhin

In the East, everything is different: different colors, different air, different life values ​​and reality is more fabulous than fiction - this is how a modern artist thinks

The most famous and significant for the history of art pictures of the world 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 creative.

There are definitely more world-famous paintings than 33. There are several hundred of them, and all of them would not fit in one review. Therefore, for ease of viewing, we have selected a few that are most significant for world culture and are often copied. Each work is accompanied interesting fact, explanation artistic sense or history of its creation.

Raphael "Sistine Madonna" 1512

Stored in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden.

The picture has a little secret: the background, which looks like clouds from a distance, upon closer examination turns out to be the heads of angels. And the two angels depicted in the picture below have become the motif of numerous postcards and posters.

Rembrandt "The Night Watch" 1642

Stored in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The true name of the painting by Rembrandt is "The performance of the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg." Art critics who discovered the painting in the 19th century thought that the figures were standing against a dark background, and they called it “Night Watch”. Later it turned out that a layer of soot makes the picture dark, and the action actually takes place during the day. However, the picture has already entered 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 made through the painting, and then a doorway was laid, the refectory of the monastery, where the image is located, was used as an armory, a prison, and bombed. famous fresco restored at least five times, with the last restoration taking 21 years. Today, to view the work of art, visitors must book tickets in advance and can only spend 15 minutes in the refectory.

Salvador Dali "The Persistence of Memory" 1931

According to the author himself, the picture was painted as a result of associations that arose in Dali at the sight of processed cheese. Returning from the cinema, where she went that evening, Gala quite correctly predicted that no one, having seen The Persistence of Memory once, would forget it.

Pieter Brueghel the Elder "Tower of Babel" 1563

Stored at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

According to Brueghel, in the failure that befell the construction Tower of Babel, are not guilty of sudden arising according to biblical story language barriers; and mistakes made during the construction process. At first glance, the huge structure seems solid enough, but upon closer inspection, 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 the "Black Square" (according to some sources, seven). According to one version, the artist was unable to complete the work on the painting in the right time, so he had to cover up the work with black paint. Subsequently, after the recognition of the public, Malevich painted new "Black Squares" already on blank canvases. Malevich also painted the paintings "Red Square" (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 picture turned out to be visionary. The red horse acts as the Destiny 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

Stored in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.

The painting "The Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus" is considered the personification of courageous passion and bodily beauty. The strong, muscular arms of young men pick up young naked women to put them on horseback. The sons of Zeus and Leda steal the brides of their cousins.

Paul Gauguin "Where did we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?" 1898

Stored at the Museum of Fine Arts in 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's intention, "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."

Eugene Delacroix "Liberty Leading the People" 1830

Stored 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 the Motherland, then at least I will write for her." The bare chest of a woman leading the people symbolizes the selflessness of the French people of that time, who, with “ bare chested' went to the enemy.

Claude Monet "Impression. Rising Sun" 1872

Stored at the Musée Marmottan in Paris.

The title of the piece is "Impression, soleil levant" with light hand journalist L. Leroy became a name artistic direction"impressionism". The painting was painted from nature in the old outport of Le Havre in France.

Jan Vermeer "Girl with a pearl earring" 1665

Stored in the Mauritshuis Gallery in The Hague.

One of the most famous paintings Dutch artist Jan Vermeer is often referred to as the northern or Dutch Mona Lisa. Very little is known about the painting: it is not dated, the name of the depicted girl is not known. In 2003 by novel of the same name Tracey Chevalier was filmed Feature Film"Girl with a Pearl Earring", in which the history of the creation of the canvas is hypothetically restored in the context of biography and family life Vermeer.

Ivan Aivazovsky "The Ninth Wave" 1850

Stored in St. Petersburg in the State Russian Museum.

Ivan Aivazovsky is a world famous Russian marine painter who has dedicated his life to depicting the sea. He created about six thousand works, each of which received recognition during the life of the artist. The painting "The Ninth Wave" is included in the book "100 Great Paintings".

Andrei 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 tsars (Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, Mikhail Fedorovich) "overlaid" the icon with gold, silver and precious stones. Today the salary is stored in the Sergiev Posad State Museum-Reserve.

Mikhail Vrubel "Seated Demon" 1890

Stored in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

The plot of the picture is inspired by Lermontov's poem "The Demon". Demon - the image of power 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

Stored in british museum in London.

The name of the painting "The Ancient of Days" literally translates from English as "Ancient of Days". This phrase was used as the name of God. Main character pictures - God at the moment of creation, who does not establish order, but limits freedom and marks the limits of the imagination.

Edouard Manet "Bar at the Folies Bergère" 1882

Stored at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

The Folies Bergère is a variety show and cabaret in Paris. Manet frequented the Folies Bergère and ended up painting this painting, his last before his death in 1883. Behind the bar, in the midst of a drinking, eating, talking, and smoking crowd, is a bartender absorbed in her own thoughts, watching a trapeze acrobat, who can be seen in the upper left corner of the picture.

Titian "Earthly Love and Heavenly Love" 1515-1516

Stored 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 that time, the painting had various titles: "Beauty embellished and unadorned" (1613), "Three types of love" (1650), "Divine and secular women" (1700), and, in the end, "Earthly love and Heavenly love" (1792 and 1833).

Mikhail Nesterov "Vision to the youth Bartholomew" 1889-1890

Stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

First and most significant work from the cycle dedicated to Sergius of Radonezh. Until the end of his days, the artist was convinced that “The Vision of the Young Bartholomew” was his best work. In his old age, the artist liked to repeat: “It’s not me who will live. The “Youth Bartholomew” will live.” Now, if in thirty, fifty years after my death he will still say something to people - that means he is alive, which means that I am also alive ."

Pieter Bruegel the Elder "The Parable of the Blind" 1568

Stored in the Capodimonte Museum in Naples.

Other names of the painting are “The Blind”, “Parabola of the Blind”, “The Blind Leading the Blind”. It is believed that the plot of the picture is based on the biblical parable of the blind: "If the blind lead the blind, then both of them will fall into the pit."

Viktor Vasnetsov "Alyonushka" 1881

Stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

The fairy tale "About sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka" is taken as a basis. Initially, Vasnetsov's painting was called "Fool Alyonushka". Orphans were called “fools” at that time. “Alyonushka,” the artist himself later said, “as if she had been living 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 longing, loneliness and purely Russian sadness in her eyes ... Some special Russian spirit emanated from her."

Vincent van Gogh Starry Night 1889

Stored at 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-Remy hospital, tormented by bouts of insanity.

Karl Bryullov "The Last Day of Pompeii" 1830-1833

Stored in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

The picture shows famous eruption Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. e. and the destruction of the city of Pompeii near Naples. The image of the artist in the left corner of the picture is a self-portrait of the author.

Pablo Picasso "Girl on a ball" 1905

Stored in Pushkin Museum, Moscow

The painting ended up in Russia thanks to the industrialist Ivan Abramovich Morozov, who bought it in 1913 for 16,000 francs. In 1918, the personal collection of I. A. Morozov was nationalized. AT this moment the painting is in the collection State Museum fine arts named after A.S. Pushkin.

Leonardo da Vinci "Madonna Litta" 1491

Stored in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

The original title of the painting is Madonna and Child. Modern name painting comes from the name of its owner - Count Litt, the 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 manner.

Jean Ingres "Turkish Baths" 1862

Stored in the Louvre in Paris.

Ingres finished painting this picture when he was already over 80 years old. With this picture, the artist sums up a peculiar result of the image of bathers, the themes of which have long been present in his work. Initially, the canvas was in the form of a square, but a year after its completion, the artist turned it into a round picture - 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 bears, but the collector Pavel Tretyakov, when he acquired the painting, erased his signature, so now only Shishkin is indicated as the author of the painting.

Mikhail Vrubel "The Swan Princess" 1900

Stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery

The picture was painted on the basis of the stage image of the heroine of the opera by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" according to the plot fairy tale of the same name A. S. Pushkin. Vrubel created sketches for the scenery and costumes for the premiere of the opera in 1900, and his wife sang the part of the Swan Princess.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo "Portrait of Emperor Rudolf II in the form of Vertumnus" 1590

Located in Skokloster Castle in Stockholm.

One of the few surviving works of the artist, who made 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 the 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. Work " blue dancers" refers to the late period of Degas's work, when his eyesight was weakened, and he began to work with large color spots, giving paramount importance to the decorative organization of the surface of the picture.

Leonardo da Vinci "Mona Lisa" 1503-1505

Stored in the Louvre, Paris.

The Mona Lisa might 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 ad in a newspaper and offered to sell the Gioconda to the director of the Uffizi Gallery. All this time, while the investigation was going on, "Mona Lisa" did not leave the covers of newspapers and magazines around the world, becoming an object of copying and worship.

Sandro Botticelli "The Birth of Venus" 1486

Stored in Florence at the Uffizi Gallery

The painting illustrates the myth of the birth of Aphrodite. The naked goddess floats to the shore in an open shell, driven by the wind. On the left side of the picture Zephyr ( West wind) in the arms of his wife Chlorida blows on the 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 to the picture protective layer from egg yolk.

Michelangelo "Creation of Adam" 1511

Is in Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.