The Greatest Works Of Art

Italian Artists

Mona Lisa is a painting that everyone knows by name and had been mentioned in movies and even had songs written about beautiful mysterious women referred to as Mona Lisa. This painting is among the most famous artworks and was painted by Italian artist Leonardo Da Vinci. The lady in the painting is often referred to as the "lady with the mystic smile." The lady in the portrait is thought to be Lisa Gherardini.

Unfortunately, the painting is so popular it was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 by a museum worker who believed that the painting should be returned to its country of origin Italy. As of 1962, the Mona Lisa was valued at $100 million dollars and now holds the record for the most expensive insurance valuation. You can see the painting at the Louvre in Paris, France.

The Last Supper is also by Leonardo Da Vinci and is among his most famous artworks. The painting portrays the scene at the last supper of Jesus and his twelve apostles. The artist used oil paint and therefore has to seal the wall beneath with a double layer of gesso, mastic, and pitch. Unfortunately, very little of the original survives and has been restored many times. Today you can see this painting at the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazia in Milan, Italy.

The Birth of Venus is the creation of Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli and supposedly painted sometime in and around the mid-1480s. This painting depicts the Roman goddess Venus coming to shore having been born fully grown at sea. The painting was commissioned by the Medici Family, one of the most powerful banking dynasties of that time in Florence, Italy. The painting can be seen at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

The Creation of Adam is the creation of Italian artist Michelangelo and adorns the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican in Italy. It is one of the greatest artworks ever painted in the fresco style, The artist worked on this painting for more than four years. The total area of the fresco is about 500 square meters and depicts more than 300 figures. The central line of the ceiling has nine episodes from the Bible from the Book of Genesis.

The School of Athens is one of the Italian artist Raphael's finest frescos. The scene depicts almost every important Greek philosopher. It was painted between 1509 and 1511 in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican in Italy and is a fine example of High Renaissance art. Raphael used a technique he learned from Da Vinci.

Dutch Artists

Girl With a Pearl Earring is the artwork of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer created in 1665. The painting is known as a "tronie" which is Dutch from the 17th century loosely translates to as a head or mug shot and not meant to be a conventional portrait. An analysis of this painting shows that the current black background had a deep green which was done by applying a green glaze of the black layer underneath but the green glaze has long faded. The girl portrayed has become a timeless beauty and a painting easily recognized. The painting can be seen at the Mauritshuis Museum in the Netherlands.

Sunflowers is not just one painting but a series of twelve such paintings created by Dutch artist Vincente Van Gogh. The first set of sunflowers in a vase was painted in Paris, France with some of the flowers seen laying on a surface or tabletop, The later sunflower paintings were finished in Arles standing arranged and upright in vases. Van Gogh enjoyed working with yellow oil paint which had recently been available to artists. Some of these paintings can be seen at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The Starry Night is the artwork of Dutch artist Vincente Van Gogh, The artist painted it during the time he was in the asylum of Saint Paul de Mausole near Saint Remy de Provence in France. He was suffering from both depression and paranoia. At this time he looked out of his window and was inspired by the starry night outside. The artwork represents his vision of an ideal village before sunrise. Van Gogh produced some of his greatest artworks during this time. The painting can be seen at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Cafe Terrace at Night is the artwork of Dutch artist Vincente Van Gosh painted in 1888. It depicts an evening cafe scene in the town of Arles, France. Today people who visit Arles can experience the same view from the corner of Place du Forum. In the painting, the deep blue background and the warmer yellows of the cafe, artificially lit by gas lights create a sharp contrast. This artwork can be seen at the Kroller-Muller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands.

The Night Watch is a work of art created by Dutch artist Rembrandt in 1642. This is an exceptional painting that depicts the civic militia guards led by Captain Banning Cocq preparing to move out. It is a huge painting measuring 3.63m x 4.37m. It has become notable for the dramatic use of sunlight and shade to draw attention to the central-most characters in the depicted scene. Rembrandt painted this artwork at the pinnacle of his artistic career and this is looked upon as his most important artwork. It can be seen at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Spanish Artists

Guernica was painted by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso through the requst of Spanish Nationalist forces as an anti-war protest against the bombing of the town of Guernica by Nazi and fascist Italian forces. Picasso painted this artwork in 1937 and it became one of his best-known works of art and also the largest measuring 3.49m x 7.76m. It was first displayed at the 1937 Paris International Expo. Then the artwork was sent around the world to raise funds to help the Spanish war relief. The painting can be seen at Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain.

Las Meninas or Ladies in Waiting is the creation of Spanish artist Diego Velazquez in 1656. The painting depicts a scene from the Spanish court where the artist held the position of palace chamberlain. The painting has baffled many art historians since it shows such characters as Velazquez himself, a nun, a dwarf, and a princess. This work of art can be seen at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain.

French Artists

Impression Sunrise is a painting created by French artist Claude Monet and depicts his hometown of the port of Le Havre, France. This is the painting that inspired the naming of the Impressionist movement. At first, such paintings were not looked at favorably because the opinion was that one could not tell what they depicted. Therefore the artists of the Impressionist movement organized their own exhibitions to display their artwork. Impressionism became one of the true modern art movements and artist Monet was among the best. The painting can be seen at the Musee Marmottan Monet in Paris, France.

Dance at Le Moulin De La Galette is the creation of French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir and is considered one of his finest artworks. It depicts the regular Sunday gathering by Parisians at the Moulin de la Galette, an outdoor dance hall in a working-class neighborhood. The characters depicted at the table to the left of the painting all are Renoir's friends. A smaller almost identical version of this artwork was also painted by Renoir and is supposedly in a private collection in Switzerland with brighter colors used. The original artwork can be seen at the Musee D'Orsay in Paris, France.

Other Artwork

The Scream is the artwork of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch and was originally titled The Scream of Nature. Munch created four versions two in paint and two in pastel. This painting has become the symbol of anxiety and one of the most iconic images ever created. Unless introduced to or taught about this painting not many children or teenagers might know about it but every Halloween there are some children roaming the streets with masks on that represent the Scream.

Munch was inspired after taking an evening walk with friends and as the sun was setting the sky became blood red and the artists stopped and feeling exhausted, learned on a fence and saw that there was blood and tongues of fire about the blue-black fjord and the city. His friends continued walking and he trembled with anxiety. You can view the painting at the National Museum in Oslo, Norway.

The Kiss is the creation of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt painted around 1907. The painting is mostly oil on canvas that has been mixed with medium paints containing gold leaf, platinum, and silver. This is a large painting measuring 180cm x 180cm. It is one of the better pieces representing the Symbolism movement or genre of art. During the artist's Golden Period he used gold leaf to add a sort of glimmering appearance. The Kiss depicts a couple embracing with their bodies entwined in lovely robes that are decorated in a style influenced by the contemporary Art Nouveau. The painting can be seen at the Austrian Gallery Belvedere in Vienna, Austria.

American Gothic is the creation of American artist Grant Wood and one of the most famous images of American art painted in 1930. The painting depicts what the artist imagined people would look like who lived in that house and is based on rural life in Iowa. The Gothic in the painting refers to the style of the house "Carpenter Gothic" This image has been parodied many times but still remains as one of the most important American works of art. The painting can be seen at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.