Art history can be shown in countless forms of noteworthy works of art. Some of these works gain more attention than others, bringing audiences to museums and art galleries around the world.
Let's go on a journey to locating some of the most famous works of art (paintings and sculptures) around the world. This journey can also be a great addition to your bucket list and seeing these amazing works in person are definitely worth it.
Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci
Arguably, the "Mona Lisa" is the most famous painting in the world. The woman in the portrait is believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo.
Here is a fun fact. On Aug. 21, 1911, the "Mona Lisa" was stolen from the Louvre, leading to promises for generous rewards for the return of the painting. For two years, nothing was heard of the painting until glazier Vincenzo Peruggia attempted to sell the "Mona Lisa." Thankfully, an Italian art dealer alerted the authorities after recognizing the world's most famous painting.
Since 1804, the "Mona Lisa" resides in the Louvre and hangs behind bulletproof glass not only for protection, but also to prevent further damage to the work itself.
Current location: The Louvre, Paris, France
The Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh
"The Starry Night" was painted in June of 1889 by Vincent van Gogh during his stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in southern France.
Inspired by the view from his window, the painting consists of a fantastical night sky with celestial swirls and a radiating moon. The cypress trees tower over the foreground on the left are often described as resembling flames. On the lower right of the painting, a structured village sits in the distance.
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) acquired "The Starry Night" in 1941 through a private collector. Since then, this painting has become one of van Gogh's most recognized and famous pieces of work.
Current location: Museum of Modern Art, New York City, New York, USA
Girl With a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer
The "Girl With a Pearl Earring" painting is Dutch Golden Age painter Johanees Vermeer's most famous work of art. It was painted around 1665.
This is called a "tronie," or a painting depicting an imaginative figure of a certain character. In other words, it is not a portrait of a certain person. The girl in the painting is in exotic clothing, wearing a turban and has a large earring in her ear.
Vermeer used light and contrast to bring out certain aspects of the painting, especially the shining pearl. Light is also shown in the softness of girl's face and her moist lips.
Since 1902, the "Girl With a Pearl Earring" permanently resides in the Mauritshuis art museum in The Hague.
Current location: Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands
The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli
"The Birth of Venus" was painted by Sandro Botticelli in 1486. The painting depicts Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, naked and standing on an enlarged shell. On the left, two winds blow her toward the shore on the island of Cyprus. On the right, the handmaid Hora holds out a cloak containing flowers to dress Venus' naked body.
On the background, flowers are sprinkled throughout the meadow.
Considered to be one of the most appreciated paintings, Venus' irresistible beauty and delicate features are undoubtedly truly special. According to My Modern Met, "The Birth of Venus" was one of the first paintings to "display classical inspiration" and "feature a prominent nude."
"The Birth of Venus" has been a fixture of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy since the early 20th century.
Current location: Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
The Scream, Edvard Munch
You might be familiar with Edvard Munch's "The Scream." It is one of the most celebrated paintings and has become a popular expression of the human condition. In other words, it is Munch's signature painting.
The inspiration of the painting was from a panic attack Munch suffered in 1892.
There are actually four versions of "The Scream." The most iconic version was completed in 1893 and was the second out of the four attempts. The 1893 (and most famous) version of the painting currently resides in the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway.
The painting has been parodied numerous times in Western pop culture, especially Macaulay Culkin's iconic grimace in "Home Alone." The screaming emoji was also inspired by Munch's "The Scream."
Current location: National Gallery, Oslo, Norway (1893 version)
American Gothic, Grant Wood
"American Gothic" was completed in 1930 by Regionalist artist Grant Wood. What stands out is the ambiguity in the painting and leaving the interpretation to the viewer.
The house in the painting is a real one. It is located in Eldon, Iowa and the architecture of the house was Carpenter Gothic. Wood used his sister, Nan and his dentist Dr. B.H. McKeeby as models for the "American Gothic" painting.
Often, viewers mistakenly interpret the woman on the painting as the wife. In reality, she is the farmer's daughter.
The "American Gothic" painting has been living in the Art Institute of Chicago.
Current location: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Nighthawks, Edward Hopper
"Unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city," Edward Hopper, who painted "Nighthawks" in 1942, recollected.
The painting depicts an all-night diner with three customers who seem to be disengaged in their thoughts. There is no entrance and the viewer is shut out from the scene, making the painting arouse the viewer's curiosity.
According to Hopper, he drew inspiration for the painting from a restaurant on Greenwich Avenue in New York.
Within months of completion, "Nighthawks" was eventually sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, where it has remained ever since.
Current location: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Georges Seurat
Pointillist artist Georges Seurat painted "A Sunday on the Island of La Grande Jatte" in1884 and took two years to complete. This painting is Seurat's largest and best-known painting.
The painting depicts people from different social classes strolling in a park just west of Paris. La Grande Jatte is a small island in the Seine River, which is where "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte" takes place.
The technique Seurat used for this painting is called pointillism, which is defined as "the theory or practice in art of applying small strokes or dots of color to a surface so that from a distance they blend together."
"A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" has been permanently housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, where it has dazzled many visitors ever since.
Current location: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Guernica, Pablo Picasso
"Guernica" was painted by Cubist artist Pablo Picasso in 1937. Originally, Picasso created the "Guernica" mural to be part of Spanish pavilion at the International Exposition of Paris. That same year, the Spanish government acquired the painting from Picasso.
When World War II broke out, Picasso decided his painting should remain at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City until democracy has been reestablished in Spain. This was also done to raise funds needed for Spanish refugees.
In 1981, "Guernica" was returned to Spain, where it has since resided at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.
Current location: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain
The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci
"Last Supper" is considered to be one of the most famous artworks in the world.
In 1495, Ludovico Sforza, the duke of Milan, commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to paint a mural for the Dominican monastery Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. da Vinci completed the fresco in 1498.
As the name states, the "Last Supper" illustrates the moment Jesus tells one of his disciples that one of them will turn against him.
Several precautionary measures have been implemented to make sure the fresco painting stays at room temperature. Visitor's entry is restricted to 25 people every 15 minutes.
Current location: Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy
The Creation of Adam, Michelangelo
"The Creation of Adam" is one of the most recognizable fresco in the Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican City. This is a segment of a collection of fresco paintings where different elements form part of a larger scheme.
Due to the complexity of this artwork, "The Creation of Adam" took nearly sixteen days to complete.
Michelangelo was inspired by a phrase from the book of Genesis, "God created man in his own image." The painting depicts Adam (on the left) lying on the ground with God (on the right and surrounded by angels) coming from heaven.
Both hands almost touching one another and are frozen in time. According to Michelangelo, "The Creation of Adam" represented the "divine breath of life" with God's and Adam's fingers coming close to making contact.
A fun fact. The Sistine Chapel is located in the Apostolic Palace, official residence of the pope.
Current location: Sistine Chapel, Vatican City
The Persistence of Memory, Salvador Dali
"The Persistence of Memory" is one of Salvador Dali's most famous pieces of art.
The iconic melting clocks are draped across the landscape, which mock the rigidity of chronometric time.
One fun fact was that Dali intentionally formulated a "paranoiac-critical method," where he deliberately induced hallucinations as a path to the subconscious mind. All in all, "The Persistence of Memory" is evocative of being in a dream.
Since 1934, the painting has captivated visitors and has been on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Current location: Museum of Modern Art, New York City, New York, USA
The Great Wave Off Kanagawa
"Under the Wave off Kanagawa," also known as "The Great Wave" is arguably one of the most iconic pieces of Japanese art. This print is said to have inspired many artists in Europe later in the 19th century.
This is part of a series of prints titled "Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji" by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.
Hokusai played with perspective with "The Great Wave." You can only catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji in the background. The main subject of the print is a monstruous blue wave on the verge of crashing.
Initially, one thousand copies of "The Great Wave" were quickly produced and sold at a cheap price. As of 2022, over 100 impressions are known to survive. For example, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the British Museum in London, Tokyo National Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Current location: Various, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Tokyo National Museum, the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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