The greatest paintings usually magnify the beauty and morals of the civilizations in which they were produced while inspiring countless artists for centuries.
Artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci produced work that has been replicated in modern media through parodies and historical references.
In addition, the public can still view their art whenever they in museums around the world.
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Read below to find out more about history’s greatest paintings and the artists who made created them.
- “Mona Lisa”
- “Starry Night”
- “The Scream”
- “Girl With a Pearl Earring”
- “Creation of Adam”
1. ‘Mona Lisa’
For over a decade, da Vinci crafted one of the world’s most recognizable paintings, the “Mona Lisa,” which symbolizes the Italian Renaissance. It’s the artist’s magnum opus.
The painting depicts Lisa del Giocondo, an Italian noblewoman, and was constructed with the model staring directly forward with oil paint. The piece has been immortalized across centuries in modern media through various parodies and references.
The public can still view the “Mona Lisa” by visiting the Louvre art museum in Paris. (Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)
Da Vinci began working on the painting in 1503 but made changes to the work throughout his career until 1517.
After he died in 1519, it is believed that one of Da Vinci’s pupils, Salai, inherited Mona Lisa; however, the painting eventually made its way to France after being acquired by King Francis 1 and continues to reside in the country on display at the Louvre in Paris.
2. ‘Starry Night’
Van Gogh was not well-known for the entirety of his artistic career and died destitute in poverty at the age of 37 from suicide. However, after his passing, Van Gogh’s work became more popular as the artist himself was viewed as a misunderstood genius.
“Starry Night” is considered his most well-known painting, which he began working on in 1889 and depicts the night sky of an asylum in southern France.
The unique oil texture of the painting as well as the use of blue and yellow paint, has attracted onlookers for centuries. The public can view “Starry Night” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
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3. ‘The Scream’
“The Scream” is one of the most recognizable pieces of art in Western history, with its underlining depiction of human anxiety and fear.
The work is part of a collection of pieces done by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch in 1893, but the painting depicting an agonized face screaming at the audience while two blurred figures appear in the background is the most popular.
“The Scream” is part of a collection of paintings that shows a figure shouting, symbolizing human anxiety and fear. (Getty Images)
Munch work in the series was paramount to the development of the impressionist art movement and had a long-standing influence throughout modern art history.
“The Scream” is turned into parodies in Western media and currently has a value that exceeds $100 million.
You can view the different works in “The Scream” collection at the National Museum and Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway.
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4. ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’
Another female portrait that has been able to stand the tests of time and is considered especially brilliant in the art world is the “Girl With a Pearl Earring” painting that was completed by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer in 1665.
The oil canvas centers around a young girl wearing a blue and gold turban with a large pearl earring on her right ear lobe.
The painting is referred to as a tronie, a word used in the golden age of Dutch art to describe work that depicts exaggerated features or facial expressions from the subjects of the painting.
You can view the “Girl With a Pearl Earring” by visiting the Mauritshuis in The Hague, Netherlands.
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5. ‘Creation of Adam’
Michelangelo, an Italian painter and icon of the Renaissance era, painted “The Creation of Adam” between 1508 and 1512.
The painting is now located at the Vatican in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The religious meaning and symbolism behind the painting have made it a masterpiece in Western art history.
“The Creation of Adam” shows God and Adam, the first human God created, touching fingers. (Getty Images)
The work depicts God and Adam, the first man created in Christianity, nearly touching fingers with their arms outstretched.
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The painting is done in a realistic tone, with the subjects’ physical characteristics greatly magnified to the audience.
