Top 10 famous paintings. The most famous paintings in the world
Each of us has our own specific knowledge and experience, our own preferences and prejudices. As they say: “All markers have different tastes and colors.”
Some people like black, some like red, some like cubism, some like the Renaissance. There's nothing you can do about it. However, in my opinion, each of us should have a certain “base” - knowledge on the basis of which we can then build comparative series and draw parallels.
This is what we go to, we get higher education, . As part of this very self-development, I propose to get acquainted with the brightest, most interesting and unusual works world painting. Perhaps someone will look at them for the first time, and someone will remember why they love this or that artist so much, someone will want to learn something new and start looking for all the paintings of the author they liked, but one way or another everyone will be able to complement their “comparative series” and see the crowning achievements of authors in their genre.
(All the paintings are presented in a free order - I find them all interesting and eloquent, so, in my opinion, there is no point in putting them in any kind of rating)
1. “Impressions. Sunrise". Claude Monet, 1872
A wonderful, atmospheric picture, which at one time gave its name to an equally atmospheric movement in art - impressionism. After seeing it at an exhibition in 1874, critics began to call Monet and his paintings “impressionistic.”
Port of Le Havre early time, a lonely boat - all these are classic attributes of Monet. His landscapes always reflected the calm and at the same time the eternal movement and fleeting nature of nature.
The painting has almost always been (and is now) in the Marmottan-Monet Museum. She survived her abduction, attempts to “place” her somewhere and, after a long search, her return to her rightful place.
2. “Scream.” Edwar Munch, 1893
This picture has always been and now remains incredibly curious. It would seem that this is not a work of the era high Renaissance. There are no precisely adjusted strokes that merge into a single picture and accurately convey facial features or the mood of the picture.
A slightly angular, sketchy character who just stands on the bridge, already more than a century arouses interest and discussion. One of the most heated debates surrounding this work is Lately was the sale of this painting (one of four versions) at auction for $120 million.
As already mentioned, there are 4 versions of this picture in total - their essence is the same. They differ only in the materials with which the picture was painted.
You are unlikely to see the fourth version of the painting that was sold for a lot of money anywhere now (unless you are friends with the buyer). But the second one, no less interesting version This work of art can be seen in the Oslo National Gallery.
This fabric is also often used in modern pop culture and are inspired by it. Let’s take, for example, a mask from the movie “Scream” or characters from the science fiction series “Doctor Who” - when you look at them, certain associations immediately appear in your head.
3.”Algerian women”. Pablo Picasso, 1955
In fact, this is another one of Picasso's paintings, painted in his favorite style in late period creativity. There are a total of 15 paintings with this name in variations. Now we are seeing the last 15th work.
What's so noteworthy here, you ask? It's simple. The 15th painting (or officially called “Version O”) of this series is the most expensive painting sold at an official public auction - $179.3 million.
Now she is in private collection billionaire in Qatar.
4. “When is the wedding.” Paul Gauguin, 1892
Gauguin is a prominent representative post-impressionism, and all his paintings have a distinct style. This picture, in fact, reflects the typical style of the artist - a rich scene, bright colors, some neglect of details in favor of displaying the general mood of the picture.
What makes this particular picture so unique?
This painting is another representative of paintings sold for a huge amount on private and open auctions. This painting was sold to the Qatar Museum Authority for a previously unheard of $300 million.
5. “Turquoise Marilyn.” Andy Warhol, 1964
The second half of the twentieth century was famous unusual characters V different areas culture and art and, of course, it is impossible to forget such bright personality like Andy Warhol.
Everything he did, from his paintings to films, showed his originality and creativity.
This painting, along with his other works, is a “variegated” representative of pop art and is one of his longest works - $80 million.
6. “Suprematist composition.” Kazimir Malevich, 1916
Suprematism in Soviet culture was not received with the required enthusiasm and, it can be said that Kazimir Malevich achieved success and recognition at that time not for his works, but rather for his love for experiments that were not completely understandable. “Suprematist Composition” is just one such experiment.
However, abroad his work was perceived a little differently from the very beginning, and therefore no one was surprised at the price for which this painting was sold - $60 million.
7. “The constancy of time.” Salvador Dali, 1931
This painting is used in modern art (they are inspired by it, they make works “based on it”), its elements can often be found in design.
In a word, this picture is a shining example the extraordinary talent of El Salvador, reflecting his inner world and an interesting angle of view on everything that is happening around.
8. “Mona Lisa.” Leonardo Da Vinci, 1603-1505
An undoubted masterpiece of the genius of the Renaissance. The painting is as legendary as its author.
They write about her scientific works, she is glorified in various genres of art, she is already a “household name” - and all this is about small picture. It is now located in the Louvre, and you can go and admire it if you wish.
9. “The rowers’ breakfast.” Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1881
This is not the most famous painting Renoir, but, nevertheless, she is no less an excellent representative of her kind and genre.
If you look at this picture, you will be completely immersed in the atmosphere of a summer morning, and you will literally feel the light breeze blowing from the water.
Renoir, like many other impressionists, is always incredibly atmospheric and light.
It is this picture that has already cult film“Amelie” was sung by one of the heroes. It was with this girl who drinks water that Amelie herself was associated.
Perhaps you too will find a hero to match yourself, who knows.
10. “Freedom leading the people.” Eugene Delacroix, 1830
Delacroix is a representative of romanticism - it is logical that this painting of his is also a striking example of romantic rebellion against the state and a symbol of victory over enemies.
The picture is one of the most famous works artist. Exhibited at the Louvre in big hall, dedicated to creativity Eugene.
It is often used as inspiration in modern culture, design and other fields of art.
If you buy perhaps Coldplay's most musically interesting album, you will see that the cover of this collection is precisely this work of art.
End of part 1. To be continued.
The world's collection of paintings amounts to several tens of thousands of paintings, 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 belong to, then he can already be called cultured and educated (at least in the field of painting). But the essence is not in the pretentious swallowing of the “grade mark” - 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 anything like it - just a small part of the universe whose name is Art.
1. Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci)
Perhaps there are few civilized people in the world (not to mention wild tribes in pristine places on 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). The Mona Lisa owes its fame to a fateful 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. One more interesting point worthy of many years of worldwide discussion is the smile of Gioconda. In addition, there are even statements that the picture depicts a young man.
2. The Last Supper (Leonardo da Vinci)
last supper- one of best paintings world art. If the previous painting was stolen from a 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 Milan monasteries. The Last Supper was a decoration of the building even at a time when it served as an armory, a prison, and was bombed. The fresco was restored at least five times. It depicts Jesus with his twelve disciples seated around a table. The painting is of great importance not only for world art, but also for religion - Orthodoxy in particular.
3. Sistine Madonna (Raphael Santi)
A contemporary of Leonardo da Vicni was Raphael Santi, who painted one of the most famous paintings - the Sistine Madonna. It is noteworthy that the “platform” for the painting was not a wooden board, as in the vast majority of cases in painting of that time, but a canvas. The second point is its size: 265x196 centimeters. 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 Saint Sixtus and Saint Barbara. It is known that sitters for Sistine Madonna became his beloved (for main character), dad 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 differently. However, art historians who discovered it about two centuries ago thought that the action was taking place at night, and the painting received 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 world, this is the rare case when the name of a work was not preserved original, but was practically invented “on the spot.”
5. Starry Night (Vincent Van Gogh)
Asset contemporary art Van Gogh's painting also became Starlight Night" An interesting fact is that the artist wrote this work from memory, although he and many other artists primarily paint from life - something or someone. It is also interesting that at this time the artist was in a psychiatric hospital, because he suffered from attacks of insanity. This is how a mad artist painted a world masterpiece, this is how he practically created a new direction in fine arts, so he immortalized his name. And the world has seen quite a few crazy people and crazy people who turned out to be geniuses. And the world continues to laugh at the madmen!
6. The Persistence of Memory (Salvador Dali)
“Persistence of memory” is one of the most famous works Salvador Dali. The painting is located in the New York Museum of Modern Art. Continuing on about madmen and geniuses, it is worth saying that the artist got the idea for writing the work when... seeing processed cheese! The associations that the product evoked in Dali prompted the artist to present his ideas on canvas in exactly this form. Dali admitted this to the public personally, without even trying to hide the peculiar oddity that prompted him to paint the picture. And, returning in the evening on the day of painting the canvas from the cinema, Salvador’s beloved prophetically declared that anyone who once sees “The Persistence of Memory” 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 at least famous gallery Uffizi, which is located in Florence. In the painting, the artist depicted the mythology of the birth of the goddess Aphrodite: she floats across the sea to the shore on one of the halves of a shell, driven by Zephyr (the god of the west wind), who, being in the arms of his wife, fills the wind streams with flowers. Grace awaits her on the shore, preparing to cover the goddess with a mantle. Botticelli used egg yolk as a protective layer for the painting, thanks to which it has been perfectly preserved to this day.
8. The Ninth Wave (Aivazovsky)
Outstanding work domestic artist Ivan Aivazovsky’s “The Ninth Wave” makes us truly proud that our contribution is among the world’s greatest works of fine art. Aivazovsky is known for the fact that his artistic passion lay in the field of depicting the sea - he devoted his entire career as an artist to this. “The Ninth Wave” received a huge worldwide vocation and was included in one of the hundred greatest paintings in the world.
9. Impression. Rising Sun (Claude Monet)
Claude Monet's canvas “Impression. The Rising Sun,” kept in a Paris museum, marked the beginning of a whole movement of painting – impressionism. This work was born early in the morning at one of the old French outports, as is clear, from life. Clone Monet, using all his skill, tried to depict a fleeting feeling of pleasure from one single moment, which is the essence of impressionism, which began to develop in subsequent years. And this movement in fine art got its name thanks to the first word in the title of the painting, which in French sounds like “impressio”.
When in 2015 Paul Gauguin's painting “When is the wedding?” was sold for a record amount - 300 million dollars, the media wrote:
“What if some famous auction house puts up a Leonardo da Vinci painting for auction? Most likely, it will be sold at a very high price and will top the list of the most expensive paintings in the world. However, this will never happen. At least not in this life. After all, paintings by the great Leonardo are not in private collections, and this is the main condition for works that want to be sold.”
However, just two years later, on November 15, 2017, Salvator Mundi or Salvator Mundi, a 500-year-old work confidently attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, was auctioned at Christie's New York for $450,312,500 ( including the prize) and predictably topped the list of the most expensive paintings.
So here's what it looks like at the moment.
No. 10. $135,000,000. “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I”, Gustav Klimt, sold in 2006
One Austrian artist which is called " Golden Adele" and "Austrian Mona Lisa", was sold in 2006 for a then-record $135 million to American billionaire Ronald Lauder. Maria Altman sought the right to own the painting in court, since Adele Bloch-Bauer bequeathed it state gallery Austria, and her husband later canceled the donation amid the events of World War II. Having assumed legal rights, Maria Altman sold the portrait to Ronald Lauder, who exhibited it in his gallery in New York.
No. 9. $137,500,000. " Woman III", Willem de Koonin, sold in 2006
Film producer and renowned collector David Geffen sold this strange abstraction in 2006 to billionaire Steven A. Cohen. The painting is part of a series of six masterpieces by Kooning, painted between 1951 and 1953.
No. 8. $140,000,000. "No. 5, 1948", Jackson Pollock
According to the New York Times, this painting was also sold by David Geffen, this time to David Martinez, managing partner of FinTech Advisory. The latter did not confirm this information, so the story remains a mystery, shrouded in darkness.
No. 7. $142,400,000. "Three Studies of Lucian Freud", Francis Bacon, sold in 2013
“A triptych of sketches for a portrait of Lucian Freud” by Francis Bacon, painted in 1969, was sold at a public auction at Christie’s in 2013 for $142.4 million. The lot was put up by an unknown collector from Europe, and the auction lasted only six minutes.
No. 6. $155 million “Le Reve” (“The Dream” or “The Dream”), Pablo Picasso, sold in 2013
This is one of Picasso's most famous paintings, in which he depicted his lover Marie-Thérèse Walter in just one day. In 2006, Steve Wynn agreed to sell the painting to Steven Cohen for $139 million, but the deal fell through because Wynn accidentally damaged the work. On March 26, 2013, according to the New York Post, Steven Cohen bought the painting from Wynne for $155 million.
No. 5. 170 million dollars. Amedeo Modigliani"Reclining Nude", sold in 2015
Painting Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani's "Reclining Nude" from the beginning of the 20th century was sold at Christie's for $170 million. The canvas went to a buyer from China, who placed bids by phone, in just 9 minutes. He acquired it for the collection of the private Long Museum, located in Shanghai.
No. 4. $179 million. Pablo Picasso, “Women of Algeria,” sold in 2015
Pablo Picasso's painting "Algerian Women (Version O)", estimated by experts at $140 million, was sold in New York for a then-record $179 million at Christie's auction house. Picasso painted this painting in 1955 in memory of Henri Matisse, who died a year earlier. Central figure on it is the artist’s lover and his muse Jacqueline Roque, who became Picasso’s wife in 1961. The painting is part of a series of 15 paintings created by the artist between 1954 and 1955.
No. 3. $250 million. “Card Players”, Paul Cezanne, sold in 2011
“The Card Players” by Paul Cézanne, written by him in 1892 - 1893, is the third painting in a series of five works French artist, which, as the name suggests, depicts people playing cards. The remaining four works are kept in Orsay in Paris, the New York Metropolitan, London Cusco and in. The exact cost of the masterpiece is not known, but according to experts it ranged from 259 to 320 million dollars. The buyer of the masterpiece was the Qatar Museums organization.
No. 2. $300 million. Paul Gauguin “When is the wedding?”, sold in 2015
In 2015, Paul Gauguin’s painting “When is the wedding?” was sold for a record amount of $300 million. The painting became another work that went to Qatar royal family for the same national museum, and it was sold by the famous Swiss collector Rudolf Staehelin.
No. 1. $450 million. “Savior of the World” by Leonardo da Vinci, sold in 2017
Salvator Mundi or Salvator Mundi, a 500-year-old work confidently attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, sold for $450,312,500 (including premium) at Christie's New York.
Nowadays, only less than 20 paintings by the Renaissance genius are known, and “Savior of the World” is the last one remaining in private hands. Others belong to museums and institutes. The work has been called “the greatest artistic discovery” of the last century.
Almost a thousand collectors, antique dealers, advisors, journalists and spectators gathered for the auction in the main auction hall at Rockefeller Center. Several thousand more watched the sale live. The betting battle started at $100 million and lasted less than 20 minutes. After the price rose from $332 million in one step to $350 million, the battle was fought by only two contenders. The price of 450 million, named by the buyer over the phone, became the final price. On this moment identity of the new owner historical paintings- including gender and even region of residence - are kept secret.
The image of Jesus Christ, which has already been dubbed the “male Mona Lisa,” became not only a record holder among paintings at public auction, but also the most expensive painting on the planet - and remains so to this day.
There are works of art that seem to hit the viewer over the head, stunning and amazing. Others draw you into thought and a search for layers of meaning and secret symbolism. Some paintings are shrouded in mystery and mystical riddles, while others surprise with exorbitant prices.
We carefully reviewed all the main achievements in world painting and selected from them two dozen of the most strange paintings. Salvador Dali, whose works completely fall within the format of this material and are the first to come to mind, were not included in this collection on purpose.
It is clear that “weirdness” is a rather subjective concept and everyone has their own amazing paintings, standing out from other works of art. We will be glad if you share them in the comments and tell us a little about them.
"Scream"
Edvard Munch. 1893, cardboard, oil, tempera, pastel.
National Gallery, Oslo.
"Scream" counts significant event expressionism and one of the most famous paintings in the world.
There are two interpretations of what is depicted: it is the hero himself who is gripped by horror and silently screams, pressing his hands to his ears; or the hero closes his ears from the cry of the world and nature sounding around him. Munch wrote four versions of “The Scream,” and there is a version that this painting is the fruit of manic-depressive psychosis from which the artist suffered. After a course of treatment at the clinic, Munch did not return to work on the canvas.
“I was walking along the path with two friends. The sun was setting - suddenly the sky turned blood red, I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned against the fence - I looked at the blood and flames over the bluish-black fjord and city. My friends moved on, and I stood, trembling with excitement, feeling an endless scream piercing nature,” Edvard Munch said about the history of the creation of the painting.
“Where did we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?"
Paul Gauguin. 1897-1898, oil on canvas.
Museum fine arts, Boston.
According to Gauguin himself, the painting should be read from right to left - three main groups of figures illustrate the questions posed in the title.
Three women with a child represent the beginning of life; middle group symbolizes the daily existence of maturity; in the final group, according to the artist’s plan, “the old woman, approaching death, seems reconciled and indulged in her thoughts,” at her feet “a strange White bird...represents the futility of words.”
Deep philosophical picture post-impressionist Paul Gauguin was painted by him in Tahiti, where he fled from Paris. Upon completion of the work, he even wanted to commit suicide: “I believe that this painting is superior to all my previous ones and that I will never create something better or even similar.” He lived another five years, and so it happened.
"Guernica"
Pablo Picasso. 1937, oil on canvas.
Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid.
Guernica presents scenes of death, violence, brutality, suffering and helplessness, without specifying their immediate causes, but they are obvious. It is said that in 1940, Pablo Picasso was summoned to the Gestapo in Paris. The conversation immediately turned to the painting. “Did you do this?” - “No, you did it.”
The huge fresco painting “Guernica,” painted by Picasso in 1937, tells the story of a raid by a Luftwaffe volunteer unit on the city of Guernica, as a result of which the city of six thousand was completely destroyed. The painting was painted literally in a month - the first days of work on the painting, Picasso worked for 10-12 hours, and already in the first sketches one could see main idea. This is one of best illustrations the nightmare of fascism, as well as human cruelty and grief.
"Portrait of the Arnolfini couple"
Jan van Eyck. 1434, wood, oil.
London National Gallery, London.
The famous painting is completely filled with symbols, allegories and various references - right down to the signature “Jan van Eyck was here”, which turned the painting not just into a work of art, but into historical document, confirming the reality of the event at which the artist was present.
The portrait supposedly of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife is one of the most complex works Western school of painting of the Northern Renaissance.
In Russia, over the past few years, the film has gained great popularity thanks to portrait resemblance Arnolfini with Vladimir Putin.
"Demon Seated"
Mikhail Vrubel. 1890, oil on canvas.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
"The hands resist him"
Bill Stoneham. 1972.
This work, of course, cannot be ranked among the masterpieces of world painting, but the fact that it is strange is a fact.
There are legends surrounding the painting with a boy, a doll and his hands pressed against the glass. From “people are dying because of this picture” to “the children in it are alive.” The picture looks really creepy, which gives rise to a lot of fears and speculation among people with weak psyches.
The artist assured that the picture depicts himself at the age of five, that the door is a representation of the dividing line between real world and the world of dreams, and the doll is a guide who can guide the boy through this world. Hands represent alternative lives or possibilities.
The painting gained notoriety in February 2000 when it was put up for sale on eBay with a backstory saying that the painting was “haunted.” “Hands Resist Him” was bought for $1,025 by Kim Smith, who was then simply inundated with letters from creepy stories and demands to burn the painting.
12.11.2013
Today we will talk about the most famous paintings in the world, which are immortal masterpieces of world art. The cost of a painting does not always reflect it true value, therefore, the most expensive paintings in the world, which were discussed last time, are not always internationally recognized and famous. The works that we will talk about today are priceless examples of painting and are kept in the most famous and revered museums around the world.
Scream
This is the only one sold famous picture from this list, which was won by billionaire Leon Black, paying $119.9 million for it. The painting was painted by Norwegian expressionist artist Edvard Munch. It took about 27 years to create, from 1983 to 1910, and subsequently the artist even created a lithograph following the plot of the painting. The man depicted on the canvas is distinguished by his unusual appearance: big head, a frightened look, an open mouth and hands placed on the face symbolize despair.
The Persistence of Memory
Quite a young creation of small size - 24x33 cm. Image famous painting arose in the imagination of the brilliant Salvador Dali when he observed a piece of processed cheese. The painting was painted in 1931, and since 1934 it has been the property of the New York Museum of Art.
Sistine Madonna
A work by Raphael, commissioned by Pope Julius II. The main character of the picture is the Madonna, who is holding a baby in her arms. On either side of her are Pope Sixtus II and Barbara, and below is a pair of angels with a pensive look. The canvas measuring 256x196 cm decorates the altar of the church in the monastery of St. Sixtus. She is in the top 5 the most famous paintings in the world.
Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan
This monumental canvas measures 2.03 x 3.58 m great Russian artist Ilya Repin wrote for eleven years. The painting depicts the moment the Cossacks, led by Koshe chieftain Ivan Serko, wrote a response letter to the Turkish Sultan Mehmed IV. There are several versions of this painting painted by Repin. One of them is presented in St. Petersburg, and the second is located in Kharkov.
Creation of Adam
The painting “The Creation of Adam” is a masterpiece by the Italian artist Michelangelo, painted in 1511. This painting is very deep and symbolic; in it the artist expressed his view on the emergence of life on Earth. On the composition, which is part Sistine Chapel, God is depicted surrounded by wingless angels, he touches Adam’s hand and breathes life into his body, after which Adam comes to life and stretches out his hand to meet God. Opens three the most famous paintings in the world.
last supper
Duke Ludovico Sforza commissioned this painting from Leonardo da Vinci. The picture tells us about the last supper of Jesus Christ. In the center of the canvas is Jesus sitting at a table, and around him are the apostles and Mary Magdalene, or perhaps this is the Apostle John? Leonardo da Vinci painted this painting between 1495 and 1498, but exact date the writing of the masterpiece has not yet been established.
Mona Lisa (La Gioconda)
Authorship of this the most famous painting in the world belongs to the brush of Leonardo da Vinci. Many art connoisseurs consider this work to be the pinnacle of his creativity. Probably every person has heard at least something about the Mona Lisa or seen this mysterious image, mysterious smile. The full title of the painting is “Portrait of Madame Lisa del Gioconda.” It depicts Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a silk merchant. Now every connoisseur of painting can see this masterpiece of world art in the Louvre in Paris.
