Mysterious world art may seem confusing to the unsophisticated, but there are masterpieces that everyone should know. Talent, inspiration and painstaking work on every stroke give birth to works that are admired centuries later.

It is impossible to collect all the outstanding creations in one selection, but we tried to select the most famous paintings that attract giant queues in front of museums around the world.

The most famous paintings by Russian artists

“Morning in a pine forest”, Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky

Year of creation: 1889
Museum

Shishkin was an excellent landscape painter, but he rarely had to draw animals, so the figures of bear cubs were painted by Savitsky, an excellent animal artist. At the end of the work, Tretyakov ordered Savitsky’s signature to be erased, considering that Shishkin had done much more extensive work.

“Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan November 16, 1581”, Ilya Repin

Years of creation: 1883–1885
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Repin was inspired to create the masterpiece, better known as “Ivan the Terrible Kills His Son,” by Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Antar” symphony, namely its second movement, “The Sweetness of Revenge.” Under the influence of the sounds of music, the artist depicted a bloody scene of murder and subsequent repentance observed in the eyes of the sovereign.

"The Seated Demon", Mikhail Vrubel

Year of creation: 1890
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The painting was one of thirty illustrations drawn by Vrubel for the anniversary edition of the works of M.Yu. Lermontov. “The sitting demon” personifies the doubts inherent in the human spirit, the subtle, elusive “mood of the soul.” According to experts, the artist was to some extent obsessed with the image of a demon: this painting was followed by “The Flying Demon” and “The Defeated Demon.”

“Boyaryna Morozova”, Vasily Surikov

Years of creation: 1884–1887
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The film is based on the plot of the Old Believer life “The Tale of Boyarina Morozova”. The understanding of the key image came to the artist when he saw a crow spreading its black wings like a blur on the snowy surface. Later, Surikov searched for a long time for a prototype for the noblewoman’s face, but could not find anything suitable until one day he met an Old Believer woman with a pale, frantic face in a cemetery. The portrait sketch was completed in two hours.

"Bogatyrs", Viktor Vasnetsov

Years of creation: 1881–1898
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The future epic masterpiece was born as a small pencil sketch in 1881; For further work on the canvas, Vasnetsov spent many years painstakingly collecting information about the heroes from myths, legends and traditions, and also studied authentic ancient Russian ammunition in museums.

Analysis of Vasnetsov’s painting “Three Heroes”

“Bathing the Red Horse”, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin

Year of creation: 1912
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Initially, the painting was conceived as an everyday sketch from the life of a Russian village, but during the work the artist’s canvas became overgrown with a huge number of symbols. By the red horse, Petrov-Vodkin meant “The Fate of Russia”; after the country entered the First World War, he exclaimed: “So that’s why I painted this picture!” However, after the revolution, pro-Soviet art critics interpreted the key figure in the painting as a “harbinger of revolutionary fires.”

"Trinity", Andrei Rublev

Year of creation: 1411
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The icon that laid the foundation for the tradition of Russian icon painting in the 15th–16th centuries. The canvas depicting the Old Testament trinity of angels who appeared to Abraham is a symbol of the unity of the Holy Trinity.

"The Ninth Wave", Ivan Aivazovsky

Year of creation: 1850
Museum

A pearl in the “cartography” of the legendary Russian marine painter, who without hesitation can be considered one of the most famous artists in the world. We can see how the sailors who miraculously survived the storm cling to the mast in anticipation of meeting the “ninth wave,” the mythical apogee of all storms. But the warm shades dominating the canvas give hope for the salvation of the victims.

“The Last Day of Pompeii”, Karl Bryullov

Years of creation: 1830–1833
Museum: Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Completed in 1833, Bryullov’s painting was originally exhibited in largest cities Italy, where it caused a real sensation - the painter was compared to Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael... At home, the masterpiece was greeted with no less enthusiasm, securing the nickname “Charle the Great” for Bryullov. The canvas is truly great: its dimensions are 4.6 by 6.5 meters, which makes it one of the largest paintings among the creations of Russian artists.

The most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci

"Mona Lisa"

Years of creation: 1503–1505
Museum: Louvre, Paris

Masterpiece Florentine genius, needs no introduction. It is noteworthy that the painting received cult status after the incident of theft from the Louvre in 1911. Two years later, the thief, who turned out to be a museum employee, tried to sell the painting to the Uffizi Gallery. The events of the high-profile case were covered in detail in the world press, after which hundreds of thousands of reproductions went on sale, and the mysterious Mona Lisa became an object of worship.

Years of creation: 1495–1498
Museum: Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan

After five centuries, the fresco with a classical plot on the wall of the refectory of the Dominican monastery in Milan is recognized as one of the most mysterious paintings in history. According to Da Vinci's idea, the painting depicts the moment of the Easter meal, when Christ notifies the disciples of imminent betrayal. The huge number of hidden symbols has given rise to an equally huge number of studies, allusions, borrowings and parodies.

"Madonna Litta"

Year of creation: 1491
Museum: Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Also known as the Madonna and Child, the painting was kept in the collection of the Dukes of Litta for a long time, and in 1864 it was purchased by the St. Petersburg Hermitage. Many experts agree that the figure of the baby was painted not by da Vinci personally, but by one of his students - a pose too uncharacteristic for the painter.

The most famous paintings of Salvador Dali

Year of creation: 1931
Museum: Museum contemporary art, NY

Paradoxically, but the most famous work genius of surrealism, was born from thoughts about Camembert cheese. One evening, after a friendly dinner that ended with cheese appetizers, the artist was lost in thought about “spreading pulp,” and his imagination painted a picture of a melting clock with an olive branch in the foreground.

Year of creation: 1955
Museum: National Gallery of Art, Washington

A traditional plot given a surreal twist using arithmetic principles studied by Leonardo da Vinci. The artist put the peculiar magic of the number “12” at the forefront, moving away from the hermeneutic method of interpreting the biblical plot.

The most famous paintings of Pablo Picasso

Year of creation: 1905
Museum: Pushkin Museum, Moscow

The painting became the first sign of the so-called “pink” period in Picasso’s work. Rough texture and simplified style are combined with a sensitive play of lines and colors, the contrast between the massive figure of an athlete and a fragile gymnast. The canvas was sold along with 29 other works for 2 thousand francs (in total) to the Parisian collector Vollard, changed several collections, and in 1913 it was acquired by the Russian philanthropist Ivan Morozov, already for 13 thousand francs.

Year of creation: 1937
Museum: Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid

Guernica is the name of a city in the Basque country that was subjected to German bombing in April 1937. Picasso had never been to Guernica, but was stunned by the scale of the disaster, like “the blow of a bull’s horn.” The artist conveyed the horrors of war in abstract form and showed the real face of fascism, veiling it with bizarre geometric shapes.

The most famous paintings of the Renaissance

"Sistine Madonna", Raphael Santi

Years of creation: 1512–1513
Museum: Gallery of Old Masters, Dresden

If you look closely at the background, at first glance consisting of clouds, you can see that in fact Raphael depicted the heads of angels there. The two angels located at the bottom of the picture are almost more famous than the masterpiece itself, due to its wide circulation in mass art.

"Birth of Venus", Sandro Botticelli

Year of creation: 1486
Museum: Uffizi Gallery, Florence

At the heart of the picture - ancient greek myth about the birth of Aphrodite from sea foam. Unlike many masterpieces of the Renaissance, the canvas has survived to this day in excellent condition thanks to the protective layer of egg yolk that Botticelli prudently covered the work with.

"The Creation of Adam", Michelangelo Buonarotti

Year of creation: 1511
Museum: Sistine Chapel, Vatican

One of nine frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, illustrating the chapter from Genesis: “And God created man in His own image.” It was Michelangelo who was the first to depict God as a wise, gray-haired old man, after which this image became archetypal. Modern scientists believe that the contours of the figure of God and angels represent the human brain.

"Night Watch", Rembrandt

Year of creation: 1642
Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The full title of the painting is “Performance of the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Kok and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” Modern name The painting received its attention in the 19th century, when it was found by art critics who, due to the layer of dirt covering the work, decided that the action in the painting was taking place under the cover of the darkness of night.

"The Garden of Earthly Delights", Hieronymus Bosch

Years of creation: 1500–1510
Museum: Prado Museum, Madrid “Black Square”

Malevich wrote “Black Square” for several months; Legend has it that a painting is hidden under a layer of black paint - the artist did not have time to finish the work on time and, in a fit of anger, covered up the image. There are at least seven copies of the “Black Square” made by Malevich, as well as a kind of “continuation” of the Suprematist squares – “Red Square” (1915) and “ White square"(1918).

"The Scream", Edvard Munch

Year of creation: 1893
Museum: National Gallery, Oslo

Due to its inexplicable mystical effect on the viewer, the painting was stolen in 1994 and 2004. There is an opinion that the picture created at the turn of the 20th century anticipated numerous disasters of the coming century. The deep symbolism of "The Scream" inspired many artists, including Andy Warhol

This painting still causes a lot of controversy. Some art critics believe that the excitement around the painting, painted using the proprietary splashing technique, was created artificially. The canvas was not sold until all the artist’s other works were purchased, and accordingly, the price for a non-figurative masterpiece skyrocketed. “Number Five” was sold for $140 million, becoming the most expensive painting in history.

"Marilyn Diptych", Andy Warhol

Year of creation: 1962
Museum: Tate Gallery, London

A week after the death of Marilyn Monroe scandalous artist started working on the canvas. 50 stenciled portraits of the actress were applied to the canvas, stylized in the “pop art” genre based on a photograph from 1953.
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The most famous and significant paintings of the world for the history of art for your inspiration.

The immortal paintings of great artists are admired by millions of people. Art, classical and modern, is one of the most important sources of inspiration, taste and cultural education of any person, and even more so a creative one.

Worldwide famous paintings certainly more than 33. There are several hundred of them, and all of them would not fit into one review. Therefore, for ease of viewing, we have selected several that are most significant for world culture and are often copied. Each work is accompanied interesting fact, an explanation of the artistic meaning or the history of its creation.

Raphael "Sistine Madonna" 1512

Kept in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden.

The painting has a little secret: the background, which from afar appears to be clouds, turns out to be the heads of angels upon closer examination. And the two angels depicted in the picture below became the motif of numerous postcards and posters.

Rembrandt "Night Watch" 1642

Stored in State Museum in Amsterdam.

The true title of Rembrandt’s painting is “The Performance of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” Art historians who discovered the painting in the 19th century thought that the figures were standing on dark background, and she was called " The night Watch" Later it was discovered that a layer of soot makes the picture dark, but the action actually takes place during the day. However, the painting has already been included in the treasury of world art under the name “Night Watch”.

Leonardo da Vinci "The Last Supper" 1495-1498

Located in the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

Over the more than 500-year history of the work, the fresco has been destroyed more than once: a doorway was cut through the painting and then blocked, the refectory of the monastery where the image is located was used as an armory, a prison, and was bombed. The famous fresco restored at least five times, with the last restoration taking 21 years. Today, to view the art, visitors must reserve tickets in advance and can spend only 15 minutes in the refectory.

Salvador Dali "The Persistence of Memory" 1931

According to the author himself, the painting was painted as a result of the associations that Dali had with the sight of processed cheese. Returning from the cinema, where she went that evening, Gala quite correctly predicted that no one, once they saw The Persistence of Memory, would forget it.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder "Tower of Babel" 1563

Kept in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

According to Bruegel, the failure that befell the construction of the Tower of Babel was not due to those who suddenly appeared according to biblical story language barriers, and mistakes made during the construction process. At first glance, the huge structure seems quite strong, but upon closer examination 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 “Black Square” (according to some sources, seven). According to one version, the artist was unable to complete the painting on time, so he had to cover the work with black paint. Subsequently, after public recognition, Malevich painted new “Black Squares” on blank canvases. Malevich also painted “Red Square” (in two copies) and one “White Square”.

Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin "Bathing the Red Horse" 1912

Located in State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

Painted in 1912, the painting turned out to be visionary. The red horse acts as the Fate 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

Kept in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.

The painting “The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus” is considered the personification of manly passion and physical beauty. The strong, muscular arms of young men pick up young naked women to put them on horses. The sons of Zeus and Leda steal their cousins' brides.

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

Kept in the Museum fine arts in 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, “ 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

Kept 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 my Motherland, then at least I will write for it.” The bare chest of a woman leading the people symbolizes the dedication of the French people of that time, who went bare-chested against the enemy.

Claude Monet "Impression. Rising Sun" 1872

Kept in the Marmottan Museum in Paris.

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

Jan Vermeer "Girl with a Pearl Earring" 1665

Kept in the Mauritshuis Gallery in The Hague.

One of the most famous paintings Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer is often called the Nordic or Dutch Mona Lisa. Very little is known about the painting: it is undated and the name of the girl depicted is unknown. In 2003, based on the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier, it was filmed Feature Film“Girl with a Pearl Earring”, in which the history of the creation of the painting is hypothetically restored in the context of biography and family life Vermeer.

Ivan Aivazovsky “The Ninth Wave” 1850

Kept in St. Petersburg in the State Russian Museum.

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

Andrey 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 kings (Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, Mikhail Fedorovich) “overlaid” the icon with gold, silver and precious stones. Today the salary is kept in the Sergiev Posad State Museum-Reserve.

Mikhail Vrubel "Seated Demon" 1890

Kept in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

The plot of the film 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 British Museum in London.

The title of the painting “The Ancient of Days” literally translates from English as “Ancient of Days.” This phrase was used as the name of God. Main character The paintings show God at the moment of creation, who does not establish order, but limits freedom and denotes the limits of imagination.

Edouard Manet "Bar at the Folies Bergere" 1882

Kept at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

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

Titian "Earthly Love and Heavenly Love" 1515-1516

Kept 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 this time, the painting had various titles: “Beauty, Embellished and Unadorned” (1613), “Three Types of Love” (1650), “Divine and Secular Women” (1700), and, ultimately, “Earthly Love and Heavenly Love” "(1792 and 1833).

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

Kept 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 “Vision to the Youth Bartholomew” was his best work. In his old age, the artist liked to repeat: “It’s not me who will live. “Youth Bartholomew” will live. Now, if thirty, fifty years after my death he still says something to people, that means he’s alive, that means I’m alive too "

Pieter Bruegel the Elder "Parable of the Blind" 1568

Kept in the Capodimonte Museum in Naples.

Other titles of the painting are “The Blind”, “Parabola of the Blind”, “The Blind Leading the Blind”. It is believed that the plot of the film is based on the biblical parable of the blind: “If a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit.”

Victor Vasnetsov "Alyonushka" 1881

Kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

It is based on the fairy tale “About Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka.” Initially, Vasnetsov’s painting was called “Fool Alyonushka.” At that time, orphans were called “fools.” “Alyonushka,” the artist himself later said, “seemed to have lived 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 melancholy, loneliness and purely Russian sadness in her eyes ... Some special Russian spirit emanated from her.”

Vincent van Gogh "Starry Night" 1889

Kept in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Unlike most of the artist's paintings, " Starlight Night"was written from memory. Van Gogh was at that time in the Saint-Rémy hospital, tormented by attacks of madness.

Karl Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii” 1830-1833

Kept 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 painting is a self-portrait of the author.

Pablo Picasso “Girl on a Ball” 1905

Stored in Pushkin Museum, Moscow

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

Leonardo da Vinci "Madonna Litta" 1491

Kept in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

The original title of the painting was “Madonna and Child.” The modern name of the painting comes from the name of its owner - Count Litt, owner of the family art gallery in Milan. There is an assumption that the figure of the baby was not painted by Leonardo da Vinci, but belongs to the brush of one of his students. This is evidenced by the baby's pose, which is unusual for the author's style.

Jean Ingres "Turkish Baths" 1862

Kept in the Louvre in Paris.

Ingres finished painting this picture when he was already over 80 years old. With this painting, the artist sums up the image of bathers, the theme of which has long been present in his work. Initially, the canvas was in the shape of a square, but a year after its completion the artist turned it into a round painting - a tondo.

Ivan Shishkin, Konstantin Savitsky "Morning in a pine forest" 1889

Stored in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow

"Morning in pine forest"- painting by Russian artists Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky. Savitsky painted the bears, but the collector Pavel Tretyakov, when he acquired the painting, erased his signature, so now Shishkin alone is indicated as the author of the painting.

Mikhail Vrubel "The Swan Princess" 1900

Stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery

The painting is based on the stage image of the heroine of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” based on the plot fairy tale of the same name A. S. Pushkin. Vrubel created sketches for the scenery and costumes for the 1900 premiere of the opera, and his wife sang the role of the Swan Princess.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo "Portrait of Emperor Rudolf II as Vertumnus" 1590

Located in Skokloster Castle in Stockholm.

One of the few surviving works of the artist, who composed 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 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 late period Degas's work, when his eyesight weakened and he began to work in large patches of color, giving primary importance to the decorative organization of the surface of the picture.

Leonardo da Vinci "Mona Lisa" 1503-1505

Kept in the Louvre, Paris.

"Mona Lisa" probably wouldn't have received worldwide fame, if she had not been kidnapped in 1911 by a Louvre employee. The painting was found two years later in Italy: the thief responded to an advertisement in the newspaper and offered to sell “Gioconda” to the director of the Uffizi Gallery. All this time, while the investigation was ongoing, the “Mona Lisa” did not leave the covers of newspapers and magazines around the world, becoming an object of copying and worship.

Sandro Botticelli "Birth of Venus" 1486

Kept in Florence in the Uffizi Gallery

The painting illustrates the myth of the birth of Aphrodite. A naked goddess swims to the shore in an open shell, driven by the wind. On the left side of the painting, Zephyr (the west wind), in the arms of his wife Chloris, 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.

The article presents 22 paintings from different times, which are masterpieces of world painting and are the property of all mankind.
Photo #1.
The painting is kept in the Louvre, Paris, France. The Mona Lisa may not have gained worldwide fame if it had not been stolen in 1911 by a Louvre employee. The painting was found two years later in: the thief responded to an advertisement in the newspaper and offered to sell “La Gioconda” to the director of the Uffizi Gallery. All this time, while the investigation was ongoing, the “Mona Lisa” did not leave the covers of newspapers and magazines around the world, becoming an object of copying and worship.
Photo #2.

The painting is kept in the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan.
Over the more than 500-year existence of the work, the fresco was destroyed more than once: a doorway was cut through the painting and then blocked, the refectory of the monastery where the image is located was used as an armory, a prison, and was bombed. The famous fresco was restored at least five times, with the last restoration taking 21 years. Today, to view the work, visitors must reserve tickets in advance and can spend only 15 minutes in the refectory.
Photo #3.
The work is kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
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 kings (Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, Mikhail Fedorovich) “covered” the icon with gold, silver and precious stones. Today the salary is kept in the Sergiev Posad State Museum-Reserve.
Photo #4.

The painting is in Florence in the Uffizi Gallery.
The work illustrates the myth of the birth of Aphrodite. A naked goddess swims to the shore in an open shell, driven by the wind. On the left side of the painting, Zephyr (the west wind), in the arms of his wife Chloris, 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.
Photo #5.

Kept in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
According to the author of the picture, 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 structure seems quite strong, but upon closer examination 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.
Photo #6.
The painting is kept in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow.
The painting ended up in Russia thanks to industrialist Ivan Abramovich Morozov, who purchased it in 1913 for 16,000 francs. In 1918, the personal collection of I. A. Morozov was nationalized. Currently the painting is in the collection of the State Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin.
Photo #7.

The painting is in the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
“Morning in a Pine Forest” is a painting by Russian artists Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky. Savitsky painted the bears, but the collector Pavel Tretyakov, when he acquired the painting, erased his signature, so now Shishkin alone is indicated as the author of the painting.
Photo #8.

Aivazovsky's painting is kept in St. Petersburg in the Russian State Museum.
Ivan Aivazovsky is a world-famous Russian marine painter who devoted his life to depicting the sea. He created about six thousand works, each of which received recognition during the artist’s lifetime. The painting “The Ninth Wave” is included in the book “100 Great Paintings”.
Photo #9.

The painting is kept in the Louvre, Paris.
Delacroix wrote a work 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 my Motherland, then at least I will write for it.” The bare chest leading the people symbolizes the dedication of the French people of that time, who went bare-chested against the enemy.
Photo #10.

The masterpiece is kept in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The original title of Rembrandt’s work is “The Performance of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” Art historians who discovered the painting in the 19th century thought that the figures were standing out against a dark background, and it was called “Night Watch.” Later it was discovered that a layer of soot makes the picture dark, but the action actually takes place during the day. However, the painting has already been included in the treasury of world art under the name “Night Watch”.
Photo #11.
The painting is kept in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
The original title of the painting was “Madonna and Child.” The modern name of the painting comes from the name of its owner - Count Litta, owner of the family art gallery in Milan. There is an assumption that the figure of the baby was not painted by Leonardo da Vinci, but belongs to the brush of one of his students. This is evidenced by the pose of a baby for the author's style.
Photo #12.
The painting is kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
It is based on the fairy tale “About Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka.” Initially, Vasnetsov’s painting was called “Fool Alyonushka.” At that time, orphans were called “fools.” “Alyonushka,” the artist himself later said, “seemed to have lived in my head for a long time, but in reality I saw her in Akhtyrka, when I met one simple-haired girl who captured my imagination. There was so much melancholy, loneliness and purely Russian sadness in her eyes... Some special Russian spirit wafted from her.”
Photo #13.
The work is kept in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
The painting “The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus” is considered the personification of manly passion and physical beauty. The strong, muscular arms of young men pick up young naked women to put them on horses. The sons of Zeus and Leda steal their cousins' brides.
Photo #14.

The painting is in the Russian State 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 painting is a self-portrait of the author.
Photo #15.
The painting is kept in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden, Germany.
The painting has a little secret: the background, which from afar appears to be clouds, turns out to be the heads of angels upon closer examination. And the two angels depicted in the picture below became the motif of numerous postcards and posters.
Photo #16.

The painting is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
The plot of the work is inspired by Lermontov’s poem “The Demon”. The demon is an image of the strength of the human spirit, internal struggle, doubt. Tragically clasping his hands, the Demon sits with sad, huge eyes directed into the distance, surrounded by unprecedented things.
Photo #17.

The painting is exhibited at the State Tretyakov Gallery.
The artist painted this picture for several months. Subsequently, Kazimir Malevich made several copies of “Black Square” (according to some sources, seven). According to one version, the artist was unable to complete the painting on time, so he had to cover the work with black paint. Subsequently, after public recognition, Malevich painted new “Black Squares” on blank canvases. Malevich also painted “Red Square” (in two copies) and one “White Square”.
Photo #18.

The painting is in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
According to the author himself, the painting was painted as a result of the associations that Dali had with the sight of processed cheese. Returning from the cinema, where she went that evening, Gala quite correctly predicted that no one, once they saw The Persistence of Memory, would forget it. Photo #19.

The painting is kept in 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-Rémy hospital, tormented by attacks of madness. Photo #20.

The fresco is located in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
The painting “The Creation of Adam” is the fourth of the nine central compositions of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, dedicated to the nine scenes of the book of Genesis. The fresco illustrates the episode: “And God created man in His own image”
Photo #21.

The painting is in the Marmottan Museum in Paris.
The title of the work “Impression, soleil levant”, thanks to the light hand of journalist L. Leroy, became the name of the artistic movement “impressionism”. The painting was created from life in the old outport of Le Havre in France.
Photo #22.

The painting is in the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.
The Folies Bergere is a variety show and cabaret in Paris. Manet often visited the Folies Bergere and ended up painting this painting, his last before his death in 1883. Behind the bar, in the middle of a crowd of people drinking, eating, talking and smoking, a bartender stands absorbed in her own thoughts, watching the trapeze acrobat, who can be seen in the upper left corner of the picture.

In contact with

"Mona Lisa". Leonardo da Vinci 1503–1506

One of the most recognizable and famous paintings in the world, its full name is Portrait of Madame Lisa del Giocondo. The portrait depicts the Italian Lisa del Giocondo, a representative of the middle class of the Renaissance, the mother of six children. The model has shaved eyebrows and hair on the top of her forehead, which corresponds to Quattrocento fashion. Leonardo da Vinci considered this portrait one of his favorite works, often described it in his notes and undoubtedly considered her his best job. This painting rightfully tops the list of the most popular paintings in the world.

"Birth of Venus" Sandro Botticelli 1482 - 1486

An excellent illustration of the myth of the birth of Aphrodite. Naked Venus heads towards the earth in a shell, driven by the western wind Zephyr, the wind mixed with flowers - this symbolizes spring and beauty. On the shore, Aphrodite is met by one of the goddesses of beauty. After creating this painting, the artist Botticelli received global recognition, his unique writing style helped him in this; he stood out from his contemporaries with his floating rhythms, which were not used by anyone except him.

"The Creation of Adam". Michelangelo 1511

Placed on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the fourth of nine works in the series. Michelangelo clarified the unreality of the symbiosis of heavenly and human; according to the artist, the image of God does not contain phenomenal heavenly power, but creative energy that can be transmitted without touching.

"Morning in a pine forest". Ivan Shishkin, Konstantin Savitsky 1889

"Girl on the Ball". Pablo Picasso 1905

A picture of contrasts. It depicts a stopover of a traveling circus in a scorched desert. The main characters are also very contrasting: A strong, sad, monolithic man sits on a cube. At that time, next to him, on a ball, a fragile and smiling girl is balancing.

"The last day of Pompeii". Karl Bryullov 1833

During a visit to Pompeii in 1828, Bryulov made many sketches and sketches, he already knew what the final work would look like. The painting was presented in Rome, but then it was moved to the Louvre, where many critics and art historians admired Karl’s talent, after this work came to him world classic, but unfortunately, most people associate his work only with this picture.

One of the most recognizable paintings

"Starlight Night". Vincent van Gogh 1889

Cult painting Dutch artist, which he wrote from his memories (which is not typical for Van Gogh), because at that time he was in the hospital. After all, when the attacks of rage passed, he was quite adequate and could draw. To do this, his brother Theo agreed with the doctors, and they allowed him to work with paints in the ward. Why did Van Gogh cut off his ear? Read in my article.

"The Ninth Wave" Ivan Aivazovsky 1850

One of the most famous paintings on a marine theme (marina). Aivazovsky was from Crimea, so it’s not difficult to explain his love for water and the sea. The ninth wave - artistic image, inevitable danger and tension, one might also say: the calm before the storm.

"Girl with a Pearl Earring." Jan Vermeer 1665

An iconic scene by a Dutch artist, it is also called the Dutch Mona Lisa. This work is not entirely portraiture, but rather belongs to the “troni” genre, where the emphasis is not on the portrait of a person, but on his head. The girl with a pearl earring is popular in modern culture, several films have also been made about her.

"Impression. Rising Sun» Claude Monet 1872

The painting that gave rise to the “impressionism” genre. The popular journalist Louis Leroy, after visiting an exhibition with this work, crushed Claude Monet, he wrote: “the wallpaper hanging on the wall looks more finished than this “Impression”.” It is considered a canonical representative of the genre, more popular than many other paintings by great artists.

Afterword and small request

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In the art world there is great amount works that shocked the whole world and, breaking the usual stereotypes, left a major mark on history. The creators of world-famous painting masterpieces posed a unique challenge to society, which changed its idea of ​​beauty and pushed the established boundaries. Since there are many such revolutionary works in the history of art and it is impossible to cover them all, we decided to pay attention to the 10 most famous paintings artists from different centuries.

Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) - Leonardo da Vinci

Mona Lisa

The painting “Mona Lisa” (“La Gioconda”) by Leonardo da Vinci is probably the most famous work genius. This painting is truly beautiful and priceless. It is located in the Louvre Museum. The masterpiece was created in 1514 - 1515. Until recently, it was assumed that the painting was painted earlier - in 1503.

The painting depicts the wife of a silk merchant from Florence, Francesco del Gioconda, Lisa Gherardini, so first the Italians and then the French began to call the painting “Gioconda”. The famous 16th-century historian Giorgio Vasari was delighted with the portrait and in his book “The Lives of Eminent Italian Architects, Sculptors and Artists” called it a shortened version of the word madonna (“my lady”) - Mona Lisa.

In the process of working on the painting, the artist, through careful composition, a soft range of tones and painting techniques, achieved that harmony, thanks to which we see the image as if through an invisible haze. This light coating covers small details, softens outlines and creates an invisible transition between shape and colors. Leonardo da Vinci gave our imagination a lot, so Gioconda never ceases to amaze art connoisseurs over the centuries, looking at us from the portrait as if alive.

The picture is very difficult to describe in words: the longer the viewer looks at it, the more it affects him. He is imbued with its magnetism and begins to feel that alluring charm that has not ceased to captivate people all over the world for centuries.

Black Square - Kazimir Malevich

Kazimir Malevich's painting "Black Suprematist Square", painted in 1915, still remains one of the most scandalous, famous and discussed works in Russian art. This masterpiece is part of the artist’s series of Suprematist works, which also included the paintings “Black Circle” and “Black Cross”. In this cycle, Malevich tried to explore basic color and compositional possibilities.

The canvas is presented in the form of a small canvas with a width and length of 79.5 centimeters. The main background of the work is white, in the center there is an image of a large black square. According to the artist, he worked on the canvas for several months.

It is worth noting that Malevich did not come to painting the painting right away. Work on the scenery of the opera “Victory over the Sun” was a harbinger of its appearance. In particular, the master decided to replace one of the decorations (the sun) with a black square. According to the artist’s idea, this technique would help him convey the idea of ​​the triumph of human creativity over nature.

Critics reacted ambiguously to this work by Malevich. Some of them even argued that the painting is a modern alternative to icons, that the canvas testifies to the search for a certain new religion, about the chaos of the world. According to the artist himself, “Black Square” is a kind of symbol of the pinnacle of art and at the same time its end.

It remains undeniable that the picture depicts a mysterious abyss that captivates and gives an endless flight of imagination.

Self-Portrait with Crown of Thorns and Hummingbird - Frida Kahlo

Famous painting Mexican artist Frida Kahlo "Self-Portrait with crown of thorns and Hummingbirds" was written in 1940. This self-portrait of a brilliant woman expresses the heavy heartache, which she experienced after her divorce from her husband, the artist Diego Rivera. This pain is conveyed in the form of thorns that bind her neck. Subsequently, after breaking up with her husband, Frida Kahlo said: “There were two accidents in my life,” Frida said. - The first is a tram, the second is Diego. The second one is worse."

The Scream - Edvard Munch

The painting "The Scream" by Norwegian expressionist artist Edvard Munch was created between 1893 and 1910. The first thing that catches your eye is the figure of a screaming man depicted in the center of the canvas. On the face, contorted with horror, the viewer sees boundless despair on the verge of madness. The artist conveyed powerful human emotions using fairly simple means.

“The Scream” is a symbol of expressionism, a kind of prelude to the art of the 20th century. Munch's work is still one of the most extraordinary and mysterious in world painting today. Some experts even suggest that the plot of the work is a figment of the unhealthy imagination of a mentally ill person.

Viewers also see it differently: some personify it with a premonition of disaster, others believe that the author painted the picture, inspired by the image of a mummy. Everyone sees something different in her.

Girl with a Pearl Earring - Jan Vermeer

The famous work of the Dutch artist Jan Vermeer “Girl with a Pearl Earring” (“Girl in a Turban”) is often called the Dutch Mona Lisa. The painting was painted around 1665. Little is known about this painting. There are several versions of who is depicted in the painting, whether the author painted it to order and who the customer was. According to one of them, Vermeer depicted his daughter Mary on the canvas.

Definitely, this is an unusual work, with unique dynamics. The artist conveyed in the work the moment when the sitter turns her head and looks at the person she just noticed. The author drew the viewer's attention to the pearl earring in the girl's ear. The master managed to convey the connection between the young woman and the artist. Her figure lives a separate life, and her head looks in the other direction.

Self-portrait with a severed ear and pipe - Vincent Van Gogh

His famous “Self-portrait with a cut off ear and pipe” is Dutch and French artist Vincent van Gogh painted in 1889 while in Arles. The artist suffered mental illness due to his heightened perception of reality and mental imbalance.

The portrait was painted after Van Gogh, in a fit of madness, cut off his earlobe after a quarrel with Gauguin over creative differences. First, Van Gogh threw a glass at the artist’s head, then rushed at him with a razor. That same evening he mutilated himself.

Having examined the picture, we will notice that the background is divided into two equal parts: the lower zone is red, the upper zone is orange with yellow splashes. The author depicted himself with distorted facial features and a lost look.

The Last Supper - Salvador Dali

The famous master of surrealism Salvador Dali created his “ last supper"in 1955. The painting is in the Washington National Gallery. This work the artist wrote complex technology using photographic materials. The painting depicts a traditional plot conveyed from a futuristic point of view.

Dali depicted Jesus Christ and his followers gathered at one table. The work echoes and contrasts vividly with famous painting brushes by Leonardo da Vinci. However, on Dali’s canvas the setting and characters are different, depicted with minimalism and authenticity.

The picture conveys to the viewer a kind of moral message. The work is filled with light and lightness. From the windows depicted on it we see incredible beautiful landscape with clear blue skies and silvery mountain ranges.

Olympia - Edouard Manet

Olympia - Edouard Manet

The painting “Olympia” was painted by the French impressionist Edouard Manet in 1863. It rightfully occupies a place of honor next to other masterpieces of world painting.

However, in 1865, at the Paris Salon, because of this work, there was loud scandal. The fact is that before Manet, naked women were depicted in paintings as a standard of spiritual beauty. And this work by Manet was recognized as both physically ugly and depraved. For moral reasons, artists were allowed to depict naked only heroines of ancient myths, historical or biblical figures. Whereas the impressionist broke this rule.

His Olympia was mistaken for a representative of the “most ancient profession” who had just received a bouquet from her lover. Society also did not accept the name of the picture itself, since this name was used to call corrupt women, and insulting ridicule rained down on the artist.

Dora Maar with a cat - Pablo Picasso

Dora Maar with a cat

One of the most expensive paintings in the world, “Dora Maar with a Cat” by Pablo Picasso, was painted by the artist in 1941. It depicts the artist's lover, Dora Maar, sitting on a chair with a small cat on her shoulder.

In almost all of Picasso’s paintings, Dora looks creepy, this is explained by the fact that they were painted during a difficult period of their relationship. Besides World War left its mark on the life and work of the Spanish master. The relationship between Dora Maar and Pablo Picasso was by no means romantic; rather, it was a union of two creative personalities.

In the work “Dora Maar with a cat,” the artist emphasized the sharpness of the nails through the image of a black cat.

One: number 31 - Jackson Pollock

Late 1940s American artist Jackson Pollock invented new technology in painting - he painted on large canvases, placing them on the floor. His paintings were created by splashing paint from his brushes; he did not touch them to the canvas.

When working on his paintings, he used sticks, scoops, knives and pouring paint or mixed paint with sand and broken glass.