Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh,… These names are certainly familiar to you. And for good reason, they are the greatest painters the world has ever known.
Over the centuries, these geniuses of the brush have imagined and created true masterpieces, which have marked the history of the world forever. There is undoubtedly a known painting that has already marked your own history.
The Mona Lisa (Mona Lisa) – Leonardo da Vinci (1517)
The Mona Lisa, also known as “Mona Lisa”, is undoubtedly the most well-known and famous painting all over the world. Leonardo da Vinci, its creator, is an illustrious figure of the Renaissance. Painter, but also sculptor, draftsman, architect and engineer, this Italian will have represented on this famous painting Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco di Bartolomeo di Giacondo. Painted in oil, this work would have been made when Leonardo da Vinci was in Florence. He would have carried it in his luggage when the King of France François I brought him to the Kingdom of France. After the death of the illustrious artist, François I installed the Mona Lisa at the Château de Fontainebleau. It will finally be exhibited at the Louvre Museum, after Napoleon Bonaparte’s donation.
Exhibition: Louvres Museum, Paris, France
The Girl with a Pearl Earring – Johannes Vermeer (1665)
Originally named “La Jeune au Turban”, this work of art by Vermeer is a famous painting from Northern Europe. It is not uncommon to hear the nickname “Mona Lisa” of Northern Europe. This famous painting strikes its admirers with the mystery it exudes. This young girl, who is probably the oldest of Vermeer’s daughters, is interrupted in her tasks. We are struck by his piercing gaze and the color reflected in his face. The pearl, which was probably not painted via a model given its size, may have religious significance. The artist also often wore this kind of accessories. This well-known painting is Vermeer’s most famous work of art.
Exhibition: Mauritshuis Museum, The Hague, Netherlands
The Virgin and Child – Jean Fouquet (1450)
This well-known painting is undoubtedly Jean Fouquet’s most controversial. You can recognize through this Virgin and Child the features of Agnès Sorel, famous mistress of the King of France Charles VII. This famous painting was undoubtedly requested by the Sovereign himself. Jean Fouquet, of a cautious nature, would never have dared to create an incongruous work. The contrast between the whiteness of the Virgin – aka royal mistress – and the bright colors of the cherubim and seraphim is striking. Agnès Sorel is represented here with royal attractions: the coat and the crown.
Exhibition: Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium
The Raft of the Medusa – Théodore Géricault (1819)
This 5 by 7 meter work of art propelled its creator, Géricault, to center stage. Thanks to this famous painting, this artist became one of the pioneers in his field. This famous painting will scandalize the 19th century. Géricault wanted to put on canvas one of the greatest failures of the French Navy: the sinking of the frigate La Méduse off the coast of Mauritania. After several years of in-depth investigation and research, the artist is ready to represent everything. This well-known painting represents both death – with all these men who perished – and hope with this boat that can be seen in the distance. He was able to represent this moment of horror experienced by several dozen men.
Exhibition: Louvre Museum, Paris, France
The Arnolfini Spouses – Jan Van Eyck (1434)
This famous Flemish oil painting is the work of Jan Van Eyck, a much sought-after artist living in Bruges. This well-known painting is particularly appreciated because it reveals an exceptional precision of the artist. This famous painting, which dates from the middle of the 15th century, represents a couple in their bridal chamber. While the beginning of the century saw many religious paintings, the representation of private life was increasingly in vogue during this period. A controversy arises on the other hand about the characters. Even if in our time the painting presents us with the Arnolfini couple, it has not always been so. At the beginning of the 16th century, the known painting apparently represented “Hernoul-le-Fin avec sa femme” – Hernoul meaning cuckold. Many historians even mention the fact that the artist would be represented with his wife on this famous painting. It was not until 1857 that “The Arnolfini Spouses was mentioned.
Exhibition: National Gallery, London, UK
American Gothic – Grant Wood (1930)
A famous painting from the 20th century, this masterpiece by Grant Wood represents the inhabitants of the rural American Midwest, who were then suffering the crisis of the 1930s in the USA. The painter was introduced to painting in Europe, and was inspired by famous Flemish paintings. Here we find many similarities to the known painting presented above, “The Arnolfini Spouses”. This painting has become famous all over the world because it has been hijacked many times. You may have seen it in the credits of the “Desperate Housewives” series, or find some allusions in the cartoon “Mulan” or even in “The Simpsons”.
Exhibition: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA
The Sunflowers – Vincent Van Gogh (1888)
“The Sunflowers” is undoubtedly the most famous painting by the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh. The artist did not content himself with painting a single known painting, but a series of 7 paintings representing sunflowers, all painted between August 1888 and January 1889. The 7 paintings – one of which was destroyed during a fire – have an international reputation.
Exhibition: Neue Pinakothek, Munich, Germany
Official Portrait of Louis XIV – Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701)
Claimed by the King of France Louis XIV , this well-known painting from the 17th century was originally intended to be sent to the King of Spain, his grandson. Captivated by the quality of Hyacinthe Rigaud’s work, and the striking resemblance, the Sun King finally kept the masterpiece for his personal collection, and requested a copy from the artist to have it sent as promised. The Sun King is represented in his finest clothes, with the famous red heels of Louis XIV.
Exhibition: Louvre Museum, Paris, France
Guernica-Picasso
This well-known painting of extraordinary dimensions (3.5m high and 7.8m wide) is the most famous work of the Spanish prodigy Pablo Picasso. This painting, commissioned by the Spanish Republican government, was intended to represent Spain at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1937. Guernica is a Basque town, which was bombed in April 1937. The genius Picasso therefore wanted to represent through this painting celebrates the horror suffered by all beings present. We can observe a man with a sword, women, a horse, a bull and a dove. The bombardments are represented through a bulb. We observe on this known painting the very particular style of Picasso, an aspect specific to cubism.
Exhibition: Reina Sofía Museum, Madrid, Spain
Luncheon on the Grass – Edouard Manet (1863)
Father of Impressionism, Edouard Manet created controversy and scandal through his work “Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe”. In a great Paris of the 19th century where nudity is regularly presented through allegories and mythology, the famous painting reveals a real gap with its time. The eye is immediately drawn to this naked woman, surrounded by two men, chatting.
Exhibition: Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
Ball at the Moulin de la Galette – Auguste Renoir (1876)
This well-known and famous painting by Renoir, painted at the end of the 19th century, reveals a typical scene of the time: the joyful atmosphere of a Sunday afternoon in Montmartre. Auguste Renoir, who had rented a small studio in Montmartre, rue Cortot, liked to walk around, easel in hand. He regularly went to the guinguette “Le Moulin de la Galette”. Every Sunday afternoon, people gather there to dance and have fun with friends. It is this jovial scene that Auguste Renoir wanted to show through this well-known painting. A true masterpiece!
Exhibition: Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
The Kiss – Gustav Klimt (1909)
A true hymn to love, Gustav Klimt wanted to show through this famous painting the richness of the human being. This life-size canvas (1.8m by 1.8m) is very much inspired by Japanese art. We can observe a real distinction between the two beings in love, even if both have been represented in golden tones. This well-known painting reveals a multitude of contrasts, whether in colors or in spaces, which are perfectly delimited. This famous painting unveils the difference between man and woman. The lover’s dress shows rectangular patterns, rather hard and strict, while that of the woman displays round patterns in faded colors.
Exhibition: Belvedere Palace, Vienna, Austria
The Water Lilies – Claude Monet (1926)
Emblematic work of the famous Claude Monet, the Water Lilies is in fact a set of 250 paintings. Fond of the principle of series, Claude Monet has represented during the last thirty years works imprinted with nature, landscapes of water and flowers. We can however observe on this series of Monet that the line is much more abstract than on his other famous paintings. This is simply explained by the fact that Claude Monet gradually lost his sight. And this is reflected in his art. Despite this health problem, Monet created true masterpieces with this series of known Water Lilies paintings.
Exhibition: Orangerie Museum, Paris, France
The Baptism of Christ – Piero della Francesca (1450)
Piero della Francesca is undoubtedly one of the greatest artists of his time. Besides being a talented painter, he was also a renowned mathematician for his time. And it shows in this familiar painting. The artist applied mathematical rules to his famous work, which boils down to proportionality. Even if this level of science seems light to us for our time, in the 15th century it was revolutionary. This famous painting illustrates the biblical event of the baptism of Christ. We see John the Baptist pouring the water of the Jordan on the head of Jesus.
Exhibition: National Gallery, London, UK
The Starry Night – Vincent Van Gogh (1889)
This famous painting is certainly the most beautiful work of the famous Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch painter. While the artist was in a difficult period of his life, he painted this masterpiece in June 1889. Even if the artist represents a starry night, we feel a particularly heavy and agitated atmosphere that emerges from this famous painting. Imbued with suicidal desires, Vincent Van Gogh asked to be interned in a psychiatric hospital. This famous painting would therefore have been painted from his cell.
Exhibition: Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
The Last Supper – Leonardo da Vinci (1498)
Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper is the most iconic work of all time. This almost 9 meter long fresco reveals a kind of mysticism. This famous painting, which presents us with a biblical scene of Jesus speaking to his disciples, is a perfect example of 15th century Christian art. The genius Leonardo da Vinci used a completely revolutionary technique to paint a picture. In order to touch up the paint more easily as he went along, he did not wish to use wet paint. He therefore opted for a dry medium. But this technique has not helped the preservation of the famous painting, which is aging very badly. But that undoubtedly adds to the mystery that emanates from this canvas.
Exhibition: Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy
The Syndic of the Clothiers’ Guild – Rembrandt (1662)
This painting is a fabulous representation of the talent of Rembrandt, a famous Dutch painter. The artist wanted to represent 6 men dressed in black suits, with hats and strawberries. These characters are in the process of checking the accounts of the guild of drapers of Amsterdam. Completed in 1662, this famous painting shows Rembrandt’s ease in painting a representation soberly.
Exhibition: Riijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Death of Socrates – Jacques-Louis David (1787)
This allegorical portrait by Jacques-Louis David represents the last moments of Socrates, who chooses the philosopher’s farewell to his disciples. This well-known painting by Jacques-Louis David was commissioned by Trudaine, a close friend of the artist.
Exhibition: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
The Luncheon of the Boating Party – Auguste Renoir (1880)
This famous painting perfectly reflects the festive style that Auguste Renoir likes to represent. Witness of the war of 1870, he makes it a point of honor to reflect the joy of living on his canvases. This well-known painting is a marvelous testimony to this. Le Déjeuner des canotiers represents a group of young people returning from a boat trip on the Seine, and enjoying a festive lunch at the Auberge d’Alphonse Fournaise. The attention is not focused on a single character, each having its importance. We can see in the foreground Aline Charigot, looking happy, who is none other than the companion of Auguste Renoir.
Exhibition: The Phillips Collection, Washington, USA
The Great Odalisque – Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1814)
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres liked to represent a mixture between the Orient and mythological nudity. This work is the perfect representation. Painted in 1814, this well-known painting was commissioned by Caroline Murat, sister of Napoleon I and Queen of Naples. This canvas evokes sensuality and eroticism, while bringing mystery.
Exhibition: Louvre Museum, Paris, France
Café terrace at night – Vincent Van Gogh (1888)
A fan of open-air paintings, Van Gogh could set up his easel both in nature and in the city. Through this famous painting, the artist wanted to represent the terrace of a café in Arles, on a summer evening. His positioning perpendicular to the café allowed him to give his work great depth. He was therefore able to enrich his painting with several elements, thus reflecting the gaiety that emanates from this nocturnal moment.
Exhibition: Kröller-Müller Museum, Netherlands
The Creation of Adam – Michelangelo (1512)
Commissioned by Pope Julius II, this fresco represents the biblical event of the birth of Adam. Considered to be one of the most beautiful works of the Renaissance, this fresco by Michelangelo adorns the great vaults of the Sistine Chapel. It is located right next to the Creation of Eve. The artist reveals God to us, as a father figure but showing power and power. Adam holds out his index finger for the famous divine touch.
Exhibition: Sistine Chapel, Rome, Vatican
The Seasons – Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1573)
Painted in 1573 by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, The Seasons is a series of famous paintings on display. Emperor Maximilian II of Habsburg commissioned this masterpiece from the portrait painter to thank his ally, Elector Augustus of Saxony, for supporting his son to the throne of the Holy Empire. This series represents the four seasons through four portraits, via an assemblage of seasonal vegetables, fruits and flowers. These famous paintings of a new genre have made the reputation of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who seems to be their inventor.
Exhibition: Louvres Museum, Paris, France
Liberty Leading the People – Eugène Delacroix (1830)
This well-known painting by Eugène Delacroix very quickly became a universal icon of France. We can see an armed woman with bare breasts, brandishing a tricolor flag and sporting a Phrygian cap, called the liberty cap. Around her, men of the people ready to fight. Often associated with the Republic, this masterpiece is nevertheless the representation of the Revolution of 1830.
Exhibition: Louvre Museum, Paris, France
The Desperate – Gustave Courbet (1845)
A well-known painting from the series of youthful self-portraits painted by Gustave Courbet, The Desperate is undoubtedly the most mysterious of all. The artist greatly appreciated this work painted between 1843 and 1845, and took it everywhere with him during his travels. This famous painting reveals a particularly dramatic air, bordering on fear. The color of this masterpiece, the posture of the character as well as his eyes bring fear.
Exhibition: Private collection
Arrangement in gray and black n°1 (portrait of the artist’s mother) – James McNeil Whistler (1871)
The double name given by James McNeil Whistler to this known painting is unequivocal about his purpose for this painting. On one side, we can clearly see the dark colors made of gray and black, associated with very rectangular shapes. This shows a certain severity in his work. This contrasts with the central character, who is none other than the artist’s mother.
Exhibition: Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
The Card Players – Paul Cézanne (1890)
Paul Cézanne is a great specialist in serial paintings. This famous painting, made in 1890, is the starting point of a real change in the career of the artist. Paul Cézanne struggled to see his work recognized, and his paintings were not appreciated. From 1890, he was finally invited to exhibit, and had the pleasure of having his own exhibition in 1895.
Exhibition: Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
Gleaners – Jean-François Millet (1857)
This famous painting by Millet represents the hard life in the countryside as the artist could see it in his time. We see a group of women at the end of the day bending down to pick up ears of wheat left over from the harvest. This is what was called in the 19th century the “gleaners”: women of the working class being authorized to recover the remaining ears of wheat. This work was not appreciated by all, because it reveals to everyone the precariousness and misery of the peasant world.
Exhibition: Musée d’Orsay, Paris
The Birth of Venus – Sandro Botticelli (1485)
This famous painting is undoubtedly one of the most famous nudes in the whole world. Painted in 1485 by the famous Botticelli, this masterpiece represents an event from mythology known to all: the birth of Venus in Cyprus. This painting was done in “tempera”, it is a painting made from crushed pigments. This impressive 1.72mx 2.78m painting is a true ode to nature.
Exhibition: Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
Absinthe – Edgar Degas (1876)
On this canvas, Edgar Degas represented two figures seated at a café. The woman is none other than Ellen André, an actress. This famous painting shows him a serious and melancholy air. She has a glass of absinthe in front of her. The man is Marcelle Desboutin, an engraver and painter.
Exhibition: Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
Las Meninas – Diego Velázquez (1656)
This painting is the most famous family photo that we can know throughout the world. Painted in 1656, this canvas represents the Spanish Court of King Philip IV. The central character, this little girl who attracts all eyes, is none other than the Infanta Margarita. She is surrounded by her bridesmaids, the Meninas, who gave the name of this famous painting.
Exhibition: Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain
The Night Watch – Rembrandt (1642)
Made in 1642 by the famous Rembrandt, this famous painting represents a company of the bourgeois militia of the Musketeers of Amsterdam.
Exhibition: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Last Voyage of the Bold – JMW Turner (1838)
The Last Voyage of the Bold by Joseph Mallord William Turner is one of England’s most famous paintings. It elegantly mixes a historical representation and an artistic touch. The Téméraire was none other than Admiral Nelson’s second ship during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Exhibition: National Gallery, London, UK
Saturn devouring one of his sons – Francisco de Goya (1823)
This famous painting is among the darkest paintings our world can know. His Spanish artist, Francisco de Goya, went deaf, plunging him into a deep melancholy. In order to get away from the world, he acquires a house near Madrid. It is in this house that Goya will paint a series of 14 frescoes on its walls, among which “Saturn devouring one of his sons”.
Exhibition: Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain
The Kiss – Francesco Hayez (1859)
It is an ode to love that emerges from this famous painting painted by Hayez. While he lives in a time when modesty is required, the painter did not hesitate to represent a particularly sensual gesture, and one of the most realistic. Yet it marks the beginning of a new era, that of the romantic.
Exhibition: Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan, Italy
The Marriage of the Virgin – Raphael (1504)
A masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, The Marriage of the Virgin is a famous painting painted by Raphael, a true prodigy. The artist was only 21 when he created this painting. This spiritual painting, imbued with realism, represents the Virgin Mary at her marriage to Joseph.
Exhibition: Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan, Italy
The Tower of Babel – Bruegel the Elder (1563)
Pieter Bruegel the Elder is a great Flemish artist of the 16th century. He is even considered to be one of the masters of the Flemish School. Through this well-known and famous painting, he wished to represent the biblical episode of the construction of the Tower Babel. Through this canvas, Bruegel the Elder wanted to show the daily life of a city in the 16th century.
Exhibition: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria
Women of Tahiti (or On the beach) – Paul Gauguin (1891)
It was the year of his departure for French Polynesia that Paule Gauguin decided to paint this splendid canvas, in 1891. He reveals to us two Tahitian women sitting on the beach, and looking very pensive, bordering on melancholy. What is very original about this well-known painting is that the artist had the same person pose twice in order to be able to paint this canvas. This is notably why there is no interaction between the two characters, when they are side by side.
Exhibition: Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
The Garden of Earthly Delights – Hieronymus Bosch (1503)
This famous work is undoubtedly the most mysterious and disconcerting in the entire history of painting. These three panels brought together in one are to be read chronologically. The first painting would represent the creation of the world with Adam and Eve, the second represents Humanity before the Flood, and the third would represent hell.
Exhibition: Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain
Saint Jerome Writing – Caravaggio (1606)
Through this famous painting, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known as Caravaggio, wished to show his opposition to the criticisms of Protestants vis-à-vis the image of the Saint. The artist has therefore represented Saint Jerome, known for having translated the Bible into Latin, in the process of getting down to this translation.
Exhibition: Borghese Gallery, Rome, Italy
The Ambassadors – Hans Holbein the Younger (1553)
Conserved at the National Gallery in London, this famous painting from the 16th century reveals a double portrait. That of Jean de Dinteville, bailiff of Troyes and French ambassador, as well as Georges de Selve, clergyman and diplomat. This canvas is particularly famous because the artist painted a grandiose anamorphosis in the foreground. What you might think is a cuttlebone is actually a human skull. But the very advanced technique of the artist makes it possible to completely deform the original element.
Exhibition: National Gallery, London, UK
A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte – Georges Seurat (1886)
This famous painting depicts a common Sunday scene from the 18th century. Characters gather and have a good time on the island of La Grande Jatte, better known as Île de la Jatte nowadays, located on the Seine towards Neuilly-sur-Seine and Levallois-Perret. This well-known painting is a precursor to the Impressionist movement. Claude Monet or even Van Gogh will draw a lot of inspiration from it for their own works.
Exhibition: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA
The Dance Class – Edgar Degas (1874)
Like many Parisians in the 19th century, Edgar Degas was a great fan of the Paris Opera. He liked to attend many performances. Thanks to a musician friend working for the Opera, he was able to discover behind the scenes. After hours of observation, he wanted to honor these hard-working ballerinas with this impressionist painting.
Exhibition: Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
The Rape of the Sabines – Nicolas Poussin (1637)
This well-known painting by Nicolas Poussin is a particularly violent canvas. The artist wanted to represent a scene from the Roman era, taken from Plutarch’s work “Life of Romulus”. We see the first generation of Romans kidnapping the Sabines in order to take them as wives.
Exhibition: Louvre Museum, Paris, France
The Great Wave off Kanagawa (The Wave) – Katsushika Hokusai (1831)
This is the first Japanese painting mentioned here, and without a doubt the best known in the history of painting. The artist wanted to evoke the nature and simplicity of everything through ukiyo-e art, where the representation of a “floating” world. Katsushika Hokusai has inspired great names in painting because he is at the origin of the Japanese movement.
Exhibition: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
At the Moulin Rouge – Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1895)
Before evoking this famous painting, it is important to talk about the life of Toulouse-Lautrec. This 19th century painter is an icon of the Belle Epoque. He spent a large part of his life in Montmartre, regularly attending cabarets. This universe quickly became a source of inspiration for his works. It is therefore quite natural that he wanted to represent the atmosphere at the Moulin Rouge through this famous painting.
Exhibition: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA
Impression, rising sun – Claude Monet (1872)
This work is undoubtedly Claude Monet’s most famous. Undisputed master of the Impressionist movement, this well-known painting is proof of that. His name is also unequivocal. It is precisely this canvas that gave the movement its name.
Exhibition: Marmottan Monet Museum, Paris, France
The Ladies of Avignon – Pablo Picasso (1907)
A famous painting of modern art, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Picasso is a very provocative canvas. The artist represented 5 naked women there, enjoying a moment together. Do you feel joy and cheerfulness there, in a totally unstructured environment, due to the very particular touch of Picasso?
Exhibition: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
The Persistence of Memory – Salvador Dali (1931)
We could not miss the famous artist Salvador Dali in this selection of known and famous paintings. The Persistence of Memory is unquestionably his greatest masterpiece. Often called “Les Montres Molles”, this famous painting shows that the battle that the world is waging against time is unfortunately lost in advance. It was one summer evening, watching a melting camembert, that Dali had this brilliant idea.
Exhibition: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
The School of Athens, Raphael
Raphael’s School of Athens is the most famous work in Vatican City. It was at the request of Pope Julius II, who wanted to move into different apartments from those of his predecessor, that Raphael painted this masterpiece of Italian art. It thus represents the most famous philosophers and mathematicians of Antiquity, discussing in the same room.
Exhibition: Vatican Museums, Italy
Mount Sainte-Victoire seen from Bellevue, Paul Cézanne (1895)
With this well-known and famous painting, Cézanne sought to represent the Montagne Saint-Victoire and all that surrounds it. In the foreground you can see some houses and vegetation. In the background, Cézanne painted dwellings at the foot of the mountain, and finally the Sainte-Victoire. It is a natural model that he very often represented.
Exhibition: Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, US