Masterpieces of world painting are the most famous paintings. The most beautiful paintings in the world

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 main sources of inspiration, taste and cultural education of any person, and even more creative.

There are certainly 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 by an interesting fact, an explanation of the artistic meaning or the 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 existence of the work, the fresco was repeatedly destroyed: 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. The famous fresco has been restored at least five times, with the most recent 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 who saw "The Persistence of Memory" once would forget it.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder "Tower of Babel" 1563

Stored at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

According to Brueghel, the failure that befell the construction of the Tower of Babel was not due to language barriers that suddenly arose according to the biblical story, but to mistakes made during the construction process. At first glance, the huge building 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 chest” went to the enemy.

Claude Monet "Impression. Rising Sun" 1872

Stored at the Musée Marmottan in Paris.

The name of the work "Impression, soleil levant" with the light hand of the journalist L. Leroy became the name of the 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 by the 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, based on the novel of the same name by Tracey Chevalier, the feature film "Girl with a Pearl Earring" was shot, in which the history of the creation of the canvas is hypothetically restored in the context of Vermeer's biography and family life.

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) "encrusted" 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". The demon is an image of the strength of the human spirit, internal struggle, doubts. 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 the 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. The main character of the picture is God at the moment of creation, who does not establish order, but limits freedom and marks the limits of 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 crowd of drinking, eating, talking and smoking, a barmaid is absorbed in her own thoughts, watching a trapeze acrobat, which 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 Worldly 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.

The first and most significant work from the cycle dedicated to Sergius of Radonezh. Until the end of his days, the artist was convinced that “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 “Young 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 painting depicts the famous eruption of 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 the 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 the moment, the painting is in the collection of the State Museum of 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. The modern name of the painting comes from the name of its owner, Count Litta, owner of a 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 "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov based on the plot of the fairy tale of the same name by A. S. Pushkin. Vrubel created sketches for the scenery and costumes for the 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. The work "Blue Dancers" refers to the late period of Degas's work, when his eyesight 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 (the west wind), in the arms of his wife Chlorida, blows on a shell, creating a wind filled with flowers. On the shore, the goddess is met by one of the graces. The Birth of Venus is well preserved due to the fact that Botticelli applied a protective layer of egg yolk to the painting.

Michelangelo "Creation of Adam" 1511

Located in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.

Quote message The most famous and significant paintings of the world for the history of art. | 33 masterpieces of world painting.

Under the paintings with the artists they belong to, there are links to posts.

The immortal paintings of great artists are admired by millions of people. Art, classical and modern, is one of the main sources of inspiration, taste and cultural education of any person, and even more creative.
There are certainly more world-famous paintings than 33. There are several hundred of them, and all of them would not fit in one review. Therefore, for the convenience of viewing, we have selected several paintings that are most significant for world culture and often copied in advertising. Each work is accompanied by an interesting fact, an explanation of the artistic meaning or the history of its creation.

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 existence of the work, the fresco was repeatedly destroyed: 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. The famous fresco has been restored at least five times, with the most recent 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 who saw "The Persistence of Memory" once would forget it.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder The Tower of Babel 1563
Stored at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

According to Brueghel, the failure that befell the construction of the Tower of Babel was not due to language barriers that suddenly arose according to the biblical story, but to mistakes made during the construction process. At first glance, the huge building 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 do 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, "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 chest” went to the enemy.

Claude Monet Impression. Rising Sun" 1872
Stored at the Musée Marmottan in Paris.

The name of the work "Impression, soleil levant" with the light hand of the journalist L. Leroy became the name of the 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 by the 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, based on the novel of the same name by Tracey Chevalier, the feature film "Girl with a Pearl Earring" was shot, in which the history of the creation of the canvas is hypothetically restored in the context of Vermeer's biography and family life.

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) “encased” 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". The demon is an image of the strength of the human spirit, internal struggle, doubts. 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 the 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. The main character of the picture is God at the moment of creation, who does not establish order, but limits freedom and marks the limits of 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 crowd of drinking, eating, talking and smoking, a barmaid is absorbed in her own thoughts, watching a trapeze acrobat, which 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 Worldly 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.

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

Pieter Brueghel 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 kind of 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 painting depicts the famous eruption of 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 the 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 the moment, the painting is in the collection of the State Museum of 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. The modern name of the painting comes from the name of its owner, Count Litta, owner of a 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 "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov based on the plot of the fairy tale of the same name by A. S. Pushkin. Vrubel created sketches for the scenery and costumes for the premiere of the opera in 1900, and his wife sang the part of the Swan Princess.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo "Portrait of Emperor Rudolf II as Vertumn" 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.

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, the 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 (the west wind), in the arms of his wife Chlorida, blows on a shell, creating a wind filled with flowers. On the shore, the goddess is met by one of the graces. The Birth of Venus is well preserved due to the fact that Botticelli applied a protective layer of egg yolk to the painting.

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Art appeared almost immediately after the advent of mankind, and over the centuries many of the greatest works in painting, sculpture and other areas of art have been created. Which of them is considered the best is a very controversial issue, because even experts disagree on this matter. Today we will try to compile a list of the ten most famous works of art of all time.

10 PHOTOS

1. Starry Night, Van Gogh.

Painting painted by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh in 1889. The inspiration for this work of art was the night sky, which he observed from the window of his room at St. Paul's Orphanage.

2. Drawings in the Chauvet cave.

Prehistoric rock carvings of animals created approximately 30,000 years ago. The Chauvet cave is located in the south of France.

3. Moai statues.

Stone monolithic statues located on Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean. It is believed that the statues were created by the natives of the island between 1250 and 1500 AD.

4. "Thinker", Rodin.

The most famous work of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, created in 1880.

5. "The Last Supper", da Vinci.

This painting, painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1494 and 1498, is the scene of the last meal of Jesus with his disciples, described in the biblical gospel of John.

6. The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo.

One of Michelangelo's most famous frescoes is in the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The fresco illustrates the story of the creation of Adam from the biblical book of Genesis.

7. "Venus de Milo", the author is unknown.

One of the most famous ancient Greek sculptural works, created sometime between 130 and 100 BC. The marble sculpture was discovered in 1820 on the island of Milos.

8. The Birth of Venus by Botticelli.

The painting, painted by the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, depicts the scene of the appearance of the goddess Venus from the sea. The painting is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. 10. "Mona Lisa", da Vinci.

A masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci, created approximately between 1503 and 1506. The painting is in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

The greatest works of world painting, which had a significant impact on the development of world art and human culture in general. The works of painting included in this list have largely shaped the idea of ​​humanity about beauty and are the basis of the creative and cultural education of any person.

The main masterpieces of European and world painting

Duccio (c. 1260–1318/1319)
Madonna Rucellai
1285. Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Giotto (1266/1267–1337)
The Capture of Christ, or the Kiss of Judas
Between 1303 and 1305. Fresco of the Chapel del Arena (Scrovegni) in Padua

Simone Martini (c. 1284–1344)
Annunciation
1333. Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Andrei Rublev (c. 1360–1430)
Trinity
OK. 1425–1427 State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Masaccio (1401–1428)
Madonna and Child with Four Angels
The central part of the polyptych. 1426. National Gallery, London

Fra Beato Angelico (c. 1400–1455)
Transfiguration
Fresco. 1440–1441. Monastery of San Marco, Florence

Piero della Francesca (c. 1420–1492)
Baptism of Christ
OK. 1450. The central part of the polyptych. National Gallery, London

Jan van Eyck (c. 1390/1400–1441)
Ghent altarpiece
Closed everyday view. OK. 1425–1432 Cathedral of St. Bavo, Ghent
Ghent altar. Open holiday view
OK. 1425–1432 Cathedral of St. Bavo, Ghent
Portrait of a man in a red turban
1433. National Gallery, London
Portrait of the Arnolfini couple
1434. National Gallery, London

Rogier van der Weyden (1399/1400–1464)
St. Luke painting the Madonna
1450. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Andrea Mantegna (c. 1431–1506)
Plafond with false oculus
Fresco. OK. 1464–1474 Camera degli Sposi, Mantova
Dead Christ
After 1474. Brera Pinacoteca, Milan

Hugo van der Goes (between 1435 and 1445–1482)
Altar of Portinari
The central part of the triptych. OK. 1476–1478 Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Sandro Botticelli (1444/1445-1510)
Minerva and the centaur
1482. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Spring
1478. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Birth of Venus
OK. 1482–1483 Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Antonello da Messina (c. 1430–1479)
St. Jerome in the cell
Between 1456 and 1474. National Gallery, London
Giovanni Bellini (c. 1433–1576)
Sacred Allegory (Madonna of the Lake)
1490–1500. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Madonna in the Meadow
OK. 1500. National Gallery, London

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)
Madonna in the rocks
1483–1486 Louvre, Paris
The Last Supper
1495–1498 Wall painting. Tempera, oil on plaster. Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
Madonna Litta
1490s State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Mona Lisa (La Gioconda)
1503. Louvre, Paris

Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1460–1516)
Removing the Stupid Stone
Before 1500. Prado, Madrid
The Garden of Earthly Delights
Between 1510 and 1515. Triptych. Prado, Madrid
ship of fools
OK. 1500. Louvre, Paris
Carrying the Cross
1515–1516 Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528)
self-portrait
1493. Louvre, Paris
self-portrait
1500. Alte Pinakothek, Munich
Altar of All Saints, or Adoration of the Holy Trinity
1511. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Adam and Eve
1507. Diptych. Prado, Madrid
four apostles
1526. Diptych. Alte Pinakothek, Munich

Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538)
Battle of Alexander the Great with Darius III at Issus
1529. Alte Pinakothek, Munich

Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553)
Female portrait
1526. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Adam and Eve
1526. Courtauld Institute of Art, London
Portrait of Duke Henry the Pious

Michelangelo (1475–1564)
The Sistine Chapel
Fresco. 1508–1512 General view of the ceiling painting. Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome
Creation of Adam

Fall and Expulsion from Paradise
Fresco. 1508–1512 Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome
Holy Family (Tondo Doni)
1504. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Last Judgment
Fresco. 1536–1541 Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome

Titian Vecellio (1476/1477 or 1488/1490–1576)
Denarius of Caesar
1516–1518 Art gallery, Dresden
Heavenly love and earthly love
1518. Borghese Gallery, Rome
Venus Urbinskaya
OK. 1538. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Danae
1560s. National Prado Museum, Madrid

Raphael (1483–1520)
Donna velata (veiled lady)
OK. 1516. Palazzo Pitti, Florence
Madonna in green
1506. Art History Museum, Vienna
Sistine Madonna
1514. Picture gallery, Dresden
Athenian school
Fresco. 1510–1511 Stanza della Senyatura, Vatican City, Rome
Portrait of Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de' Medici and Luigi Rossi
1517. Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Hans Baldung (c. 1484/1485–1545)
Three ages of man and death
OK. 1541–1544 Prado, Madrid

Rosso Fiorentino (1494–1540)
Descent from the Cross
1521. City Pinakothek, Volterra

Jacopo Pontormo (1494–1557)
Descent from the Cross
1525–1528 Church of Santa Felicita, Florence

Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/1498–1543)
Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam
1523. Louvre, Paris
Ambassadors
1533. National Gallery, London
Portrait of King Henry VIII
OK. 1539. National Gallery, Rome

Agnolo Bronzino (1503–1572)
Portrait of Eleanor of Toledo with her son Giovanni
1544–1545 Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Parmigianino (1503–1540)
Madonna with a long neck
OK. 1535. Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Giorgione (1477/1478–1510)
Storm
Between 1506 and 1510. Accademia Gallery, Venice
Judith
Before 1504. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Sleeping Venus
OK. 1508. Picture gallery, Dresden

Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Vertumn. Portrait of Emperor Rudolf II as Vertumn
1591. Skokloster Castle, Sweden

Paolo Veronese (1528–1588)
Adoration of the Magi
Early 1570s. National Gallery, London

Pieter Brueghel the Elder (between 1525 and 1530–1568)
The Battle of Carnival and Lent
1559. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Hunters in the snow
1565. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
tower of babel
1563. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

El Greco (1541–1614)
Burial of Count Orgas
1586–1588 Church of Santo Tome, Toledo
Laocoön
1613–614. National Gallery of Art, Washington
View of Toledo
OK. 1600. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Caravaggio (1573–1610)
Bacchus
1594. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
fortune teller
Before 1595. Louvre, Paris
Conversion of Saul
1600–1601 Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome.

Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
Self portrait with Isabella Brandt
1610. Alte Pinakothek, Munich
Procession of Silenus
1618. Alte Pinakothek, Munich
Toilet of Venus
1615. Private collection
The abduction of the daughters of Leucippus
OK. 1618. Alte Pinakothek, Munich
Portrait of the Maid Infanta Isabella
OK. 1625. State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Three Graces

Frans Hals (between 1581 and 1585–1666)
Gypsy
1628–1630 Louvre, Paris

Jusepe de Ribera (1591–1652)
limp
1642. Louvre, Paris
Girl with a tambourine
1637. Private collection
St. Inessa in the dungeon
1641. Picture gallery, Dresden

Diego Velasquez (1599–1660)
Venus in front of a mirror
1649–1651 National Gallery, London
Spinners, or the Myth of Arachne
1650s National Prado Museum, Madrid
Meninas
1656. Prado, Madrid

Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641)
self-portrait
Between 1627 and 1632. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

Willem Claesz Heda (1593/1594–1680/1682)
Still life with cancer
1650–1659 National Gallery, London

Georges de Latour (1593–1652)
Sharpie with an ace of diamonds
1620s–1630s Louvre, Paris
Newborn (Christmas)
1640s Museum of Fine Arts, Rhine

Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665)
Landscape with Polyphemus
1649. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
arcadian shepherds
1650. Louvre, Paris

Claude Lorrain (1600–1682)
The Abduction of Europa
OK. 1635. State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow
Morning
1661. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669)
Self-portrait with Saskia on her knees
1635. Picture gallery, Dresden
Danae
1636. State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Return of the prodigal son
OK. 1668. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
The night Watch
1642. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Jacob van Ruisdael (1628/1629–1682)
Landscape with windmill
ca.1670. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Jan Wermeer (1632–1675)
Artist's workshop (allegory of painting)
OK. 1667. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Lacemaker
1664. Louvre, Paris
Girl with a pearl earring
1664–1665 Royal Cabinet of Paintings, The Hague

Jean Antoine Watteau (1684–1721)
Gilles
1717–1719 Louvre, Paris
Pilgrimage to the island of Cythera
1717. Louvre, Paris

Canaletto (1697–1768)
Reception of the French Ambassador in Venice
1725–1726 State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

William Hogarth (1697–1764)
Shrimp girl
1740–1745 National Gallery, London

Jean Baptiste Siméon Chardin (1699–1779)
Girl with a shuttlecock
OK. 1740. Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Jean Étienne Lyotard (1702–1789)
chocolate girl
1743–1745 Parchment paper, pastel. Art gallery, Dresden

François Boucher (1703–1770)
Toilet of Venus
1751. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792)
Portrait of Colonel of the Grenadiers Georg K. H. Kusmaker
1782. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Cupid unties the belt of Venus
1788. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Young Hare
1788–1789 Louvre, Paris

Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788)
Portrait of a lady in blue
Late 1770s. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Portrait of Robert Andrews with his wife Frances
OK. 1748. National Gallery, London

Anton Raphael Mengs (1728–1779)
self-portrait
OK. 1773. State Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Jean Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806)
Happy Swing Opportunities
OK. 1768. Wallace Collection, London

Johann Heinrich Fuseli (1741–1825)
Nightmare
OK. 1790. Goethe Museum, Frankfurt am Main

Francisco Goya (1746–1828)
Umbrella
1777. Prado, Madrid
Maha nude
OK. 1800. Prado, Madrid
Maha dressed
OK. 1800. Prado, Madrid
Portrait of Dona Isabel Cobos de Porcel
1805. National Gallery, London
Milkmaid from Bordeaux
1827. Prado, Madrid

Jacques Louis David (1748–1825)
The First Consul Crosses the Alps at the Saint Bernard Pass
1801. National Palace Museum, Malmaison

Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840)
On a sailboat
Between 1818 and 1820. State Hermitage, St. Petersburg

John Constable (1776–1837)
Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Garden
1823. Victoria and Albert Museum, London
jumping horse
1825. Royal Academy of Arts, London
hay wagon
1821. National Gallery, London

William Turner (1775–1851)
The last voyage of the ship "Brave"
1838. National Gallery, London

Karl Bryullov (1799–1852)
The last day of Pompeii
1833. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780–1867)
Portrait of Mademoiselle Caroline Riviere
1805. Louvre, Paris
Large odalisque
1814. Louvre, Paris

Théodore Géricault (1791–1824)
Raft "jellyfish"
1819. Louvre, Paris

Camille Corot (1796–1875)
woman with a pearl
1869. Louvre, Paris
Carriage of hay
1865–1870 State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow

Eugene Delacroix (1798–1863)
Freedom at the Barricades (July 28, 1830)
1831. Louvre, Paris

Alexander Ivanov (1806–1858)
Appearance of Christ to the People
1837–1857 State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Theodore Rousseau (1812–1867)
Clearing. Les l'Isle-Adam
1849. Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Jean Francois Millet (1814–1875)
Gatherers of ears
1857. Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Angelus
1857–1859 Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Ivan Aivazovsky (1817–1900)
Ninth Wave
1850. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Gustave Courbet (1819-1877)
Artist's workshop
1855, Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824–1898)
Girls by the sea
Before 1894. Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Arnold Böcklin (1827–1910)
Dead island
1880. Art Museum, Basel

Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882)
Syrian Astarte
1877 City Art Gallery, Manchester

Alexey Savrasov (1830–1897)
The Rooks Have Arrived

Édouard Manet (1832–1883)
Flutist
1866. Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Breakfast on the grass
1863. Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Olympia
1863. Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Music at the Tuileries
1863. National Gallery, London

Ivan Shishkin (1832–1898)
Morning in a pine forest
1889. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

James Whistler (1834–1903)
Symphony in White No. 1: The Girl in White
1862. National Gallery of Art, Washington

Edgar Degas (1834–1917)
Absinthe (In a cafe)
1876. Musee d'Orsay, Paris
blue dancers
OK. 1899. State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow
Combing woman
OK. 1886. Pastel. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

Ivan Kramskoy (1837–1887)
unknown
1883. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Alfred Sisley (1839–1899)
Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne
1872. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Flooding in Port Marly
1876. Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Paul Cezanne (1839–1906)
Maslenitsa (Pierrot and Harlequin)
1888. State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow
Still life with apples and oranges
OK. 1900. Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Smoker
1890–1892 State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Mount Sainte Victoire
1900. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
big bathers
1906. Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia

Claude Monet (1840–1926)
Camille Monet with her son Jean (Lady with an umbrella)
1875. National Gallery of Art, Washington
"Paddling pool"
1869. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Impression. Sunrise
1872. Museum Marmottan, Paris
Boulevard of the Capuchins
1873. State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow
Poppies near Argenteuil
1873. Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Rouen Cathedral. Sun effect, sunset
1892. Museum Marmottan, Paris
A pond with nymphs. Pink harmony
1900. Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Odilon Redon (1840–1916)
With closed eyes
1890. Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841–1919)
Lodge
1874. Courtauld Institute Gallery, London
Ball at the Moulin de la Galette
1876. Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Rowers breakfast
1880–1881 Private collection
Nude
1876. State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Portrait of Jeanne Samary
1877. State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin

Camille Pissarro (1830–1903)
red roofs
1877. Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Arkhip Kuindzhi (1841–1910)
Moonlit night on the Dnieper
1880. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Berthe Morisot (1841–1895)
At the cradle
1872. Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Vasily Vereshchagin (1842–1904)
Apotheosis of war
1871. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Henri Rousseau (1844–1910)
Jaguar attack on a horse
1910. State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow
self-portrait
1890. National Gallery, Prague

Ilya Repin (1844–1930)
Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan November 16, 1581
1885. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Vasily Surikov (1848–1916)
Morning of the archery execution
1881. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Viktor Vasnetsov (1848–1926)
Bogatyrs
1898. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Paul Gauguin (1848–1903)
girl holding fruit
1893. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Are you jealous?
1892. State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow
Where did we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?
1897-1898. Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)
Self portrait with severed ear and pipe
1889. Private collection
Night cafe in Arles
1888. Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven
Starlight Night
1889. Museum of Modern Art, New York

Georges Seurat (1859–1891)
Sunday walk on the island of Grand Jatte
1884–1886 Art Institute, Chicago

Valentin Serov (1865–1911)
girl with peaches
1887. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901)
Toilet (Redhead)

Gustav Klimt (1862–1918)
Kiss
1908. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Edvard Munch (1863–1944)
scream
1893. National Gallery, Oslo

Henri Matisse (1869–1954)
red fish
1912. State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow
red room
1908–1909 State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Dance
1910. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

Kazimir Malevich (1878–1935)
Black suprematist square
1913. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Georges Braque (1882–1963)
Houses in Estaca
1908. Art Museum, Bern

Amedeo Modigliani (1884–1920)
Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne in a yellow sweater
OK. 1919. S. Guggenheim Museum, New York

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
Composition VIII
1923, Solomon Guggenheim Museum, New York

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
Absinthe drinker
1901. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Girl with a dove
1901. National Gallery, London
Girl on the Ball
1905. State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow
Avignon maidens
1907. Museum of Modern Art, New York
Portrait of Ambroise Vollard
1909–1910 State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow

René Magritte (1898–1967)
Golconda
1953. Menil Collection, Houston

Salvador Dali (1904–1983)
Young woman standing by the window
1925. Reina Sofia Art Center, Madrid
The Persistence of Memory
1931. Museum of Modern Art, New York
Boiled Bean Soft Construction: A Premonition of Civil War
1935–1936 Museum of Art, Philadelphia
Appearance of a face and a bowl of fruit on the seashore
1938. Wordsworth's Athenium, Hartwood
A dream inspired by the flight of a bee around a pomegranate a moment before awakening
1944. Collection of Thyssen-Bornemisza, Lugano

200 best paintings of all time. Rating Ranker

Ranker is a well-known digital media company (USA) specializing in compiling lists of opinions on various topics. The company's website features user surveys on entertainment, brands, sports and culture, and hundreds of thousands of opinion lists. The project is one of the largest opinion databases in the world.

100 Great Paintings

"100 Great Paintings" (100 great paintings) - British television series, released in 1980 on the BBC. Series host and creator Edwin Mullins chose 20 themed groups and featured five well-known paintings in each group. The selection is quite varied, from 12th century China to the 1950s, with an emphasis on European paintings.

1000 Meister Werke

"1000 MeisterWerke2 (1000 masterpieces) is a German television series produced by WDR from 1980 to 1994. In each of the 10-minute episodes, one picture is presented and analyzed with the help of art historians. The series was very popular and attracted up to five million viewers in the evening broadcast .