World's Most Famous Paintings

Top 10 Masterpieces - World's Most Famous Paintings

Paintings are not just pieces of art that are good to look at, a painting induces a feeling from within – paintings are emotions poured out from the soul of an artist and it’s meant to touch the viewers at the exact same place where it came from.

There are many artists who’ve left their legacy behind, they were obsessed about what they did and created their artworks that the world will continue to remember for generations to come.

Most of the world’s famous paintings are oil on canvas pieces that have stood the test of time and have had a lasting impression on those who have seen it.

As per my opinion, with time art is losing its value.

The world we live in is a blend of both art and science, and our brains were created in a way that it requires both creative and logical thinking.

It is good to be logical, but in order to see the deeper meaning of life, one must reconnect with the creative part of the brain, just like childhood days with blank papers, sketch pens, crayons, and erasers.

It didn’t matter if we created a masterpiece, but the process was satisfying anyway.

So, let us set some time aside and look at some of the most famous paintings created by artists who’ve spent their lives, mastering the art of it.

#1  Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci

(The Louvre, Paris)

Inarguably the most famous painting to have ever been created in the Western World, the Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1506. He finished working on it in 1519. The painting is displayed in Louvre museum of Paris. It is believed to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, an Italian noblewoman. The painting is famous for its subtlety, composition, and inexplicable facial expression of the subject.

#2 The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci

(Santa Maria Delle Grazie Monastery, Milan)

The Last Supper is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The painting depicts the Last Supper of Jesus and His disciples. It is said to portay the confusion that ensued after Jesus declared that one of them would betray him. The painting was made between 1495 and 1498 and is placed in the Santa maria delle grazie monastery in Milan.

#3 Whistler's Mother

(Musée d'Orsay, Paris)

Whistler’s Mother, or the Arrangement in Grey and Black, was painted in 1871 by James McNeill Whistler showing his mother seated on a chair against a gray wall. The painting is displayed in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

#4 Starry Night, by Vincent van Gogh

(Museum of Modern Art, New York)

 The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh is displayed in the Museum of Modern Art, New York. It is one of the western world's most famous paintings. The painting was made in 1889 and depicts the city of Saint-Remy under the swirling sun. It has been at the MoMA in New York since 1941. The painting was completed after Van Gogh's famous 1888 mental breakdown, in which the artist had famously removed his own ear.

#5 The Scream, by Edvard Munch

(National Gallery, Oslo)

The Scream, one of the world's most famous paintings of all time, was painted by Edvard Munch in 1893. The painting shows a frightened person screaming. The painting is housed in the National Gallery, Oslo, Norway. One interesting fact about this painting is the fact that has often been a target of art heists. The last time the painting was stolen was in 2004. It was missing for two years before finally being recovered in 2006.

#6 The Persistence Of Memory, by Salvador Dali

(Museum of Modern Art, New York)

The Persistence of Memory was painted by Salvador Dali in 1931. It is one of his most famous paintings. The Persistence of Memory depicts melting clock faces and is thought to have been inspired by the Theory of Relativity. The painting is displayed at the MoMA.

#7 Girl With A Pearl Earring, by Johannes Vermeer

(Mauritschuis, The Hague)

The Girl With a Pearl Earring is a work of art by Johannes Vermeer. It was painted around 1665 and portrays a turbaned girl with a pearl earring. The painting has been called the "Dutch Mona Lisa", mostly due to the ambiguous expression of the subject. The painting is on display in Mauritschuis in The Hague, Netherlands.

#8 The Night Watch, by Rembrandt van Rijn (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)

The Night Watch was painted by Rembrandt in 1642. It depicts the departure of a city led by its captain. The painting is displayed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The unique dark varnish makes the painting take on the appearance of a night scene.

#9 Self-Portrait Without Beard, by Vincent van Gogh

This Self Portrait without Beard painting was painting by Van Gogh after his relationship with Gauguin boiled over, and the melancholy resonance is quite evident. The self-portrait is one of the most expensive paintings of all time. selling for $71.5 million in 1998 in New York City. At the time, it was the third (or an inflation-adjusted fourth) most expensive painting ever sold.

#10 Guernica, by Pablo Picasso

(Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid)

Guernica is a Picasso painting showing the bombing of Spain’s city of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The 1937 painting is housed in the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. It is considered to be one of the most important anti-war works of art in history. Although the painting is held among high esteem now, it did not automatically gather critical appeal upon its reveal.