Historical paintings by famous artists. The main genres of painting by Russian artists with examples of paintings

“Every portrait painted with feeling is, in essence, a portrait of the artist, and not of the one who posed for him” Oscar Wilde

What does it take to be an artist? A simple imitation of a work cannot be considered art. Art is something that comes from within. The author's idea, passion, search, desires and sorrows, which are embodied on the artist's canvas. Throughout the history of mankind, hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions of paintings have been painted. Some of them are truly masterpieces, known all over the world, even people who have nothing to do with art know them. Is it possible to single out 25 of the most outstanding among such paintings? The task is very difficult, but we tried...

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"The Persistence of Memory", Salvador Dali

Thanks to this painting, Dali became famous at a fairly young age, he was 28 years old. The painting has several other names - “ Soft watch", "Memory hardness". This masterpiece has attracted the attention of many art critics. Basically, they were interested in the interpretation of the painting. It is said that the idea behind Dali's painting is related to Einstein's theory of relativity.

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"Dance", Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse was not always an artist. He discovered his love for painting after receiving a law degree in Paris. He studied art so zealously that he became one of the greatest artists in the world. This painting has very little negative criticism from art critics. It reflects a combination of pagan rituals, dance and music. People dance in a trance. Three colors - green, blue and red, symbolize Earth, Sky and Humanity.

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"The Kiss", Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt was often criticized for the nudity in his paintings. "The Kiss" was noticed by critics as it merged all forms of art. The painting could be a depiction of the artist himself and his lover, Emilia. Klimt painted this painting under the influence of Byzantine mosaics. The Byzantines used gold in their paintings. In the same way, Gustav Klimt mixed gold in his paints to create his own style painting.

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"Sleeping Gypsy", Henri Rousseau

No one except Rousseau himself could describe this picture better. Here is his description - “a nomadic gypsy who sings her songs to the accompaniment of a mandolin, sleeps on the ground from fatigue, next to her lies a jug of drinking water. A lion passing by came up to sniff her, but did not touch her. Everything is flooded moonlight, very poetic atmosphere." It is noteworthy that Henri Rousseau is self-taught.

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"The Last Judgment", Hieronymus Bosch

Without further ado, the picture is simply magnificent. This triptych is the largest surviving painting by Bosch. The left wing shows the story of Adam and Eve. The central part is " doomsday"from Jesus' side - who should go to heaven and who should go to hell. The earth we see here is burning. The right wing depicts a disgusting image of hell.

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Everyone knows Narcissus from Greek mythology- a man who was obsessed with his appearance. Dali wrote his own interpretation of Narcissus.

This is the story. The beautiful young man Narcissus easily broke the hearts of many girls. The gods intervened and, to punish him, showed him his reflection in the water. The narcissist fell in love with himself and eventually died because he was never able to embrace himself. Then the Gods regretted doing this to him and decided to immortalize him in the form of a narcissus flower.

On the left side of the picture is Narcissus looking at his reflection. After which he fell in love with himself. The right panel shows the events that unfolded after, including the resulting flower, the daffodil.

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The plot of the film is based on the biblical massacre of the infants in Bethlehem. After the news of the birth of Christ became known from the Magi, King Herod ordered the killing of all small male children and infants in Bethlehem. In the picture, the massacre is at its peak, the last few children, who were taken from their mothers, await their merciless death. Also visible are the corpses of children, for whom everything is already behind them.

Thanks to the use of rich color range, Rubens' painting has become a world-famous masterpiece.

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Pollock's work is very different from other artists. He placed his canvas on the ground and moved around and around the canvas, dripping paint from above onto the canvas using sticks, brushes and syringes. Thanks to this unique technique, he was nicknamed “Sprinkler Jack” in artistic circles. For some time, this painting held the title of the most expensive painting in the world.

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Also known as "Dancing at Le Moulin de la Galette". This painting is considered one of Renoir's most joyful paintings. The idea behind the film is to show the audience the fun side Parisian life. Upon closer examination of the painting, you can see that Renoir placed several of his friends on the canvas. Because the painting appears slightly blurred, it was initially criticized by Renoir's contemporaries.

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The plot is taken from the Bible. In the picture " last supper"depicts Christ's last supper before his arrest. He had just spoken to his apostles and told them that one of them would betray him. All the apostles are saddened and tell him that it is, of course, not them. It was this moment that Da Vinci beautifully depicted through his vivid depiction. The great Leonardo took four years to complete this painting.

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Monet's "Water Lilies" can be found everywhere. You've probably seen them on wallpaper, posters and art magazine covers. The fact is that Monet was obsessed with lilies. Before he started painting them, he grew countless numbers of these flowers. Monet built a Japanese-style bridge in his garden over a lily pond. He was so pleased with what he had achieved that he drew this plot seventeen times in one year.

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There is something sinister and mysterious in this picture; there is an aura of fear around it. Only such a master as Munch was able to depict fear on paper. Munch made four versions of The Scream in oil and pastel. According to the entries in Munch's diary, it is quite clear that he himself believed in death and spirits. In the painting “The Scream,” he depicted himself at the moment when one day, while walking with friends, he felt fear and excitement, which he wanted to paint.

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The painting, which is usually mentioned as a symbol of motherhood, was not supposed to become one. It is said that Whistler's model, who was supposed to sit for the painting, did not show up, and he decided to paint his mother instead. We can say that the sad life of the artist’s mother is depicted here. This mood is due to the dark colors that are used in this painting.

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Picasso met Dora Maar in Paris. They say that she was intellectually closer to Picasso than all his previous mistresses. Using Cubism, Picasso was able to convey movement in his work. It seems that Maar's face turns to the right, towards Picasso's face. The artist made the woman's presence almost real. Maybe he wanted to feel like she was there, always.

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Van Gogh wrote Starry Night while undergoing treatment, where he was only allowed to paint while his condition improved. Earlier in the same year, he cut off his left earlobe. Many considered the artist crazy. Of Van Gogh's entire collection of works, Starry Night is the most famous, perhaps due to the unusual spherical light around the stars.

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In this painting, Manet recreated Titian's Venus of Urbino. The artist had a bad reputation for depicting prostitutes. Although gentlemen at that time visited courtesans quite often, they did not think that anyone would take it into their head to paint them. Back then, it was preferable for artists to paint pictures on historical, mythical or biblical themes. However, Manet, going against the criticism, showed the audience their contemporary.

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This picture is historical painting, which depicts Napoleon's conquest of Spain.

Having received an order for paintings depicting the struggle of the people of Spain against Napoleon, the artist did not paint heroic and pathetic canvases. He chose the moment when the Spanish rebels were shot by French soldiers. Each of the Spaniards experiences this moment in their own way, some have already resigned themselves, but for others the main battle has just arrived. War, blood and death, that's what Goya actually depicted.

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It is believed that the girl depicted is eldest daughter Vermeer, Maria. Its features are present in many of his works, but they are difficult to compare. A book with the same title was written by Tracy Chevalier. But Tracy has a completely different version of who is depicted in this picture. She claims that she took this topic because there is very little information about Vermeer and his paintings, and this particular painting gives off mysterious atmosphere. Later, a film was made based on her novel.

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The exact title of the painting is “Performance of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” The Rifle Society was a civilian militia that was called upon to defend the city. In addition to the militias, Rembrandt added several extra people. Considering that he bought an expensive house while painting this picture, it may well be true that he received a huge fee for The Night's Watch.

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Although the painting contains an image of Velázquez himself, it is not a self-portrait. The main character of the canvas is Infanta Margarita, daughter of King Philip IV. This depicts the moment when Velázquez, working on a portrait of the king and queen, is forced to stop and look at the Infanta Margarita, who has just entered the room with her retinue. The painting looks almost alive, arousing curiosity in the audience.

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This is the only painting by Bruegel that was painted in oil rather than tempera. There are still doubts about the authenticity of the painting, mainly for two reasons. Firstly, he did not paint in oils, and secondly, recent studies have shown that under the layer of painting there is schematic drawing of poor quality, which does not belong to Bruegel.

The painting depicts the story of Icarus and the moment of his fall. According to myth, Icarus' feathers were attached with wax, and because Icarus rose very close to the sun, the wax melted and he fell into the water. This landscape inspired W. Hugh Auden to write his most famous poem on the same topic.

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The School of Athens is perhaps the most famous fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist, Raphael.

In this fresco at the School of Athens, all the great mathematicians, philosophers and scientists have gathered under one roof, sharing their theories and learning from each other. All the heroes lived at different times, but Raphael placed them all in one room. Some of the figures are Aristotle, Plato, Pythagoras and Ptolemy. A closer look reveals that this painting also contains a self-portrait of Raphael himself. Every artist would like to leave their mark, the only difference is the form. Although maybe he considered himself one of these great figures?

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Michelangelo never considered himself an artist, he always thought of himself more as a sculptor. But, he managed to create an amazing, exquisite fresco that the whole world is in awe of. This masterpiece is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Michelangelo was commissioned to paint several biblical stories, one of which was the creation of Adam. In this picture the sculptor in Michelangelo is clearly visible. Adam's human body is rendered with incredible precision using vibrant colors and precise muscle forms. So, we can agree with the author, after all, he is more of a sculptor.

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"Mona Lisa", Leonardo da Vinci

Although it is the most studied painting, the Mona Lisa still remains the most mysterious. Leonardo said that he never stopped working on it. Only his death, as they say, completed work on the canvas. "Mona Lisa" is the first Italian portrait in which the model is depicted from the waist up. Mona Lisa's skin appears to glow due to the use of several layers of transparent oils. Being scientists Leonardo da Vinci used all his knowledge to make the image of Mona Lisa realistic. As for who exactly is depicted in the painting, it still remains a mystery.

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The painting shows Venus, the goddess of love, floating on a shell in the wind, which is blown by Zephyr, the god of the west wind. She is met on the shore by Ora, the goddess of the seasons, who is ready to dress the newborn deity. The model for Venus is considered to be Simonetta Cattaneo de Vespucci. Simonetta Cattaneo died at 22, and Botticelli wished to be buried next to her. Connected him with her unrequited love. This painting is the most exquisite work of art ever created.

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Conclusion

This was an article TOP 25 most famous paintings in the world. Thank you for your attention!

"Card Players"

Author

Paul Cezanne

Country France
Years of life 1839–1906
Style post-impressionism

The artist was born in the south of France in the small town of Aix-en-Provence, but began painting in Paris. Real success came to him after a personal exhibition organized by collector Ambroise Vollard. In 1886, 20 years before his departure, he moved to the outskirts of his hometown. Young artists called trips to him “a pilgrimage to Aix.”

130x97 cm
1895
price
$250 million
sold in 2012
at private auction

Cezanne's work is easy to understand. The artist’s only rule was the direct transfer of an object or plot onto the canvas, so his paintings do not cause bewilderment to the viewer. Cezanne combined in his art two main French traditions: classicism and romanticism. With the help of colorful textures, he gave the shape of objects amazing plasticity.

The series of five paintings “Card Players” was painted in 1890–1895. Their plot is the same - several people enthusiastically play poker. The works differ only in the number of players and the size of the canvas.

Four paintings are kept in museums in Europe and America (Museum d'Orsay, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Barnes Foundation and the Courtauld Institute of Art), and the fifth, until recently, was an adornment of the private collection of the Greek billionaire shipowner Georg Embirikos. Shortly before his death, in the winter of 2011, he decided to put it up for sale. Potential buyers of Cezanne’s “free” work were art dealer William Acquavella and world-famous gallery owner Larry Gagosian, who offered about $220 million for it. As a result, the painting went to the royal family of the Arab state of Qatar for 250 million. The largest art deal in the history of painting was closed in February 2012. Journalist Alexandra Pierce reported this in Vanity Fair. She found out the cost of the painting and the name of the new owner, and then the information penetrated the media around the world.

In 2010, the Arab Museum of Modern Art and the Qatar National Museum opened in Qatar. Now their collections are growing. Perhaps the fifth version of The Card Players was acquired by the sheikh for this purpose.

The mostexpensive paintingin the world

Owner
Sheikh Hamad
bin Khalifa al-Thani

The al-Thani dynasty has ruled Qatar for more than 130 years. About half a century ago, huge reserves of oil and gas were discovered here, which instantly made Qatar one of the richest regions in the world. Thanks to the export of hydrocarbons, this small country has the largest GDP per capita. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani seized power in 1995, while his father was in Switzerland, with the support of family members. The merit of the current ruler, according to experts, is in a clear strategy for the country’s development and in creating a successful image of the state. Qatar now has a constitution and a prime minister, and women have the right to vote in parliamentary elections. By the way, it was the Emir of Qatar who founded the Al-Jazeera news channel. The authorities of the Arab state pay great attention to culture.

2 "Number 5"

Author

Jackson Pollock

Country USA
Years of life 1912–1956
Style abstract expressionism

Jack the Sprinkler - this was the nickname Pollock was given by the American public for his special painting technique. The artist abandoned the brush and easel, and poured paint over the surface of the canvas or fiberboard during continuous movement around and inside them. WITH early years he was fond of the philosophy of Jiddu Krishnamurti, the main message of which is that the truth is revealed during a free “outpouring”.

122x244 cm
1948
price
$140 million
sold in 2006
at auction Sotheby's

The value of Pollock's work lies not in the result, but in the process. It is no coincidence that the author called his art “action painting.” With his light hand, it became the main asset of America. Jackson Pollock mixed paint with sand and broken glass, and painted with a piece of cardboard, a palette knife, a knife, and a dustpan. The artist was so popular that in the 1950s imitators were found even in the USSR. The painting “Number 5” is recognized as one of the strangest and most expensive in the world. One of the founders of DreamWorks, David Geffen, purchased it for a private collection, and in 2006 sold it at Sotheby's auction for $140 million to Mexican collector David Martinez. However, the law firm soon issued a press release on behalf of its client stating that David Martinez was not the owner of the painting. Only one thing is known for certain: the Mexican financier is really in lately collected works of modern art. It is unlikely that he would have missed such a “big fish” as Pollock’s “Number 5”.

3 "Woman III"

Author

Willem de Kooning

Country USA
Years of life 1904–1997
Style abstract expressionism

A native of the Netherlands, he immigrated to the United States in 1926. In 1948 it took place personal exhibition artist. Art critics appreciated the complex, nervous black and white compositions, recognizing their author as a great modernist artist. He suffered from alcoholism for most of his life, but the joy of creating new art is felt in every work. De Kooning is distinguished by the impulsiveness of his painting and broad strokes, which is why sometimes the image does not fit within the boundaries of the canvas.

121x171 cm
1953
price
$137 million
sold in 2006
at private auction

In the 1950s, women with empty eyes, massive breasts, and ugly facial features appeared in de Kooning’s paintings. "Woman III" became last job from this series participating in the auction.

Since the 1970s, the painting was kept in the Tehran Museum of Modern Art, but after the introduction of strict moral rules in the country, they tried to get rid of it. In 1994, the work was exported from Iran, and 12 years later its owner David Geffen (the same producer who sold Jackson Pollock’s “Number 5”) sold the painting to millionaire Steven Cohen for $137.5 million. It is interesting that in one year Geffen began to sell off his collection of paintings. This gave rise to a lot of rumors: for example, that the producer decided to buy the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

At one of the art forums, an opinion was expressed about the similarity of “Woman III” with the painting “Lady with an Ermine” by Leonardo da Vinci. Behind the toothy smile and shapeless figure of the heroine, the connoisseur of painting saw the grace of a person of royal blood. This is also evidenced by the poorly drawn crown crowning the woman’s head.

4 "Portrait of AdeleBloch-Bauer I"

Author

Gustav Klimt

Country Austria
Years of life 1862–1918
Style modern

Gustav Klimt was born into the family of an engraver and was the second of seven children. Three sons of Ernest Klimt became artists, but only Gustav became famous throughout the world. He spent most of his childhood in poverty. After his father's death, he became responsible for the entire family. It was at this time that Klimt developed his style. Any viewer freezes in front of his paintings: frank eroticism is clearly visible under the thin strokes of gold.

138x136 cm
1907
price
$135 million
sold in 2006
at auction Sotheby's

The fate of the painting, which is called the “Austrian Mona Lisa,” could easily become the basis for a bestseller. The artist’s work became the cause of a conflict between an entire state and one elderly lady.

So, “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” depicts an aristocrat, the wife of Ferdinand Bloch. Her last wish was to hand over the painting to the Austrian state gallery. However, Bloch canceled the donation in his will, and the Nazis expropriated the painting. Later, the gallery found it difficult to buy " Golden Adele“, but then an heiress appeared - Maria Altman, the niece of Ferdinand Bloch.

In 2005, the high-profile trial “Maria Altmann against the Republic of Austria” began, as a result of which the film “left” with her for Los Angeles. Austria took unprecedented measures: negotiations were held on loans, the population donated money to buy the portrait. Good never defeated evil: Altman raised the price to $300 million. At the time of the proceedings, she was 79 years old, and she went down in history as the person who changed Bloch-Bauer’s will in favor of personal interests. The painting was purchased by Ronald Lauder, owner of the New Gallery in New York, where it remains to this day. Not for Austria, for him Altman reduced the price to $135 million.

5 "Scream"

Author

Edvard Munch

Country Norway
Years of life 1863–1944
Style expressionism

Munch’s first painting, which became famous throughout the world, “The Sick Girl” (there are five copies) is dedicated to the artist’s sister, who died of tuberculosis at the age of 15. Munch was always interested in the theme of death and loneliness. In Germany, his heavy, manic painting even provoked a scandal. However, despite the depressive subjects, his paintings have a special magnetism. Take "Scream" for example.

73.5x91 cm
1895
price
$119.992 million
sold in 2012
at auction Sotheby's

The full title of the painting is Der Schrei der Natur (translated from German as “the cry of nature”). The face of either a human or an alien expresses despair and panic - the same emotions the viewer experiences when looking at the picture. One of key works expressionism warns of themes that have become acute in the art of the 20th century. According to one version, the artist created it under the influence of a mental disorder that he suffered from all his life.

The painting was stolen twice from different museums, but was returned. Slightly damaged after the theft, The Scream was restored and was again ready for display at the Munch Museum in 2008. For representatives of pop culture, the work became a source of inspiration: Andy Warhol created a series of print copies of it, and the mask from the film “Scream” was made in the image and likeness of the hero of the picture.

For one subject, Munch wrote four versions of the work: the one that is in a private collection is made in pastels. Norwegian billionaire Petter Olsen put it up for auction on May 2, 2012. The buyer was Leon Black, who did not regret for “Scream” record amount. Founder of Apollo Advisors, L.P. and Lion Advisors, L.P. known for his love of art. Black is a patron of Dartmouth College, the Museum of Modern Art, the Lincoln Art Center, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has largest collection paintings contemporary artists and classical masters of past centuries.

6

"Nude against the background of a bust and green leaves"

Author

Pablo Picasso

Country Spain, France
Years of life 1881–1973
Style cubism

He is Spanish by origin, but by spirit and place of residence he is a true Frenchman. Own art studio Picasso discovered in Barcelona when he was only 16 years old. Then he went to Paris and spent most of life. That is why his surname has a double accent. The style invented by Picasso is based on the denial of the idea that an object depicted on canvas can only be viewed from one angle.

130x162 cm
1932
price
$106.482 million
sold in 2010
at auction Christie's

During his work in Rome, the artist met dancer Olga Khokhlova, who soon became his wife. He put an end to vagrancy and moved into a luxurious apartment with her. By that time, recognition had found the hero, but the marriage was destroyed. One of the most expensive paintings in the world was created almost by accident - out of great love, which, as always with Picasso, was short-lived. In 1927, he became interested in the young Marie-Therese Walter (she was 17 years old, he was 45). Secretly from his wife, he left with his mistress to a town near Paris, where he painted a portrait, depicting Marie-Therese in the image of Daphne. The canvas was purchased by New York dealer Paul Rosenberg, and in 1951 he sold it to Sidney F. Brody. The Brodys showed the painting to the world only once and only because the artist was turning 80 years old. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Brody put the work up for auction at Christie’s in March 2010. Over six decades, the price has increased more than 5,000 times! An unknown collector bought it for $106.5 million. In 2011, an “exhibition of one painting” took place in Britain, where it was released for the second time, but the name of the owner is still unknown.

7 "Eight Elvises"

Author

Andy Warhol

Country USA
Years of life 1928-1987
Style
pop art

“Sex and parties are the only places where you need to appear in person,” said the cult pop art artist, director, one of the founders of Interview magazine, designer Andy Warhol. He worked with Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, designed record covers, and designed shoes for the I.Miller company. In the 1960s, paintings appeared depicting symbols of America: Campbell's soup and Coca-Cola, Presley and Monroe - which made him a legend.

358x208 cm
1963
price
$100 million
sold in 2008
at private auction

The Warhol 60s was the name given to the era of pop art in America. In 1962, he worked in Manhattan at the Factory studio, where all the bohemians of New York gathered. Its prominent representatives: Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Truman Capote and other famous personalities in the world. At the same time, Warhol tested the technique of silk-screen printing - repeated repetition of one image. He also used this method when creating “The Eight Elvises”: the viewer seems to be seeing footage from a movie where the star comes to life. Here there is everything that the artist loved so much: a win-win public image, silver color and a premonition of death as the main message.

There are two art dealers promoting Warhol's work on the world market today: Larry Gagosian and Alberto Mugrabi. The former spent $200 million in 2008 to acquire more than 15 works by Warhol. The second one buys and sells his paintings like Christmas cards, only at a higher price. But it was not they, but the modest French art consultant Philippe Segalot who helped the Roman art connoisseur Annibale Berlinghieri sell “Eight Elvises” to an unknown buyer for a record amount for Warhol – $100 million.

8 "Orange,red, yellow"

Author

Mark Rothko

Country USA
Years of life 1903–1970
Style abstract expressionism

One of the creators of color field painting was born in Dvinsk, Russia (now Daugavpils, Latvia), in large family Jewish pharmacist. In 1911 they emigrated to the USA. Rothko studied at the Yale University art department and won a scholarship, but anti-Semitic sentiments forced him to leave his studies. Despite everything, art critics idolized the artist, and museums pursued him all his life.

206x236 cm
1961
price
$86.882 million
sold in 2012
at auction Christie's

Rothko's first artistic experiments were of a surrealist orientation, but over time he simplified the plot to color spots, depriving them of any objectivity. At first they had bright shades, and in the 1960s they became brown and purple, thickening to black by the time of the artist’s death. Mark Rothko warned against looking for any meaning in his paintings. The author wanted to say exactly what he said: only color dissolving in the air, and nothing more. He recommended viewing the works from a distance of 45 cm, so that the viewer would be “drawn” into the color, like into a funnel. Be careful: viewing according to all the rules can lead to the effect of meditation, that is, the awareness of infinity, complete immersion in oneself, relaxation, and purification gradually come. Color in his paintings lives, breathes and has a strong emotional impact (they say, sometimes healing). The artist declared: “The viewer should cry while looking at them,” and such cases actually happened. According to Rothko's theory, at this moment people are living the same spiritual experience, that he is also in the process of working on the painting. If you were able to understand it on such a subtle level, you will not be surprised that these works of abstract art are often compared by critics to icons.

The work “Orange, Red, Yellow” expresses the essence of Mark Rothko’s painting. Its initial price at Christie’s auction in New York is $35–45 million. An unknown buyer offered a price twice the estimate. The name of the lucky owner of the painting, as often happens, is not disclosed.

9 "Triptych"

Author

Francis Bacon

Country
United Kingdom
Years of life 1909–1992
Style expressionism

The adventures of Francis Bacon, a complete namesake and also a distant descendant of the great philosopher, began when his father disowned him, unable to accept his son’s homosexual inclinations. Bacon went first to Berlin, then to Paris, and then his tracks became confused throughout Europe. During his lifetime, his works were exhibited in leading cultural centers world, including the Guggenheim Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery.

147.5x198 cm (each)
1976
price
$86.2 million
sold in 2008
at auction Sotheby's

Prestigious museums sought to possess Bacon's paintings, but the prim English public was in no hurry to fork out for such art. The legendary British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said about him: “The man who paints these terrifying pictures.”

The artist himself considered the post-war period to be the starting period in his work. Returning from service, he took up painting again and created major masterpieces. Before the participation of “Triptych, 1976,” Bacon’s most expensive work was “Study for a Portrait of Pope Innocent X” ($52.7 million). In “Triptych, 1976” the artist depicted the mythical plot of the persecution of Orestes by the Furies. Of course, Orestes is Bacon himself, and the Furies are his torment. For more than 30 years, the painting was in a private collection and did not participate in exhibitions. This fact gives it special value and, accordingly, increases the cost. But what is a few million for an art connoisseur, and a generous one at that? Roman Abramovich began creating his collection in the 1990s, in which he was significantly influenced by his friend Dasha Zhukova, who became a fashionable gallery owner in modern Russia. According to unofficial data, the businessman personally owns works by Alberto Giacometti and Pablo Picasso, purchased for amounts exceeding $100 million. In 2008 he became the owner of the Triptych. By the way, in 2011, another valuable work by Bacon was acquired - “Three Sketches for a Portrait of Lucian Freud.” Hidden sources say that Roman Arkadyevich again became the buyer.

10 "Pond with water lilies"

Author

Claude Monet

Country France
Years of life 1840–1926
Style impressionism

The artist is recognized as the founder of impressionism, who “patented” this method in his paintings. The first significant work was the painting “Luncheon on the Grass” (the original version of the work by Edouard Manet). In his youth he drew caricatures, and took up real painting during his travels along the coast and in the open air. In Paris he led a bohemian lifestyle and did not leave it even after serving in the army.

210x100 cm
1919
price
$80.5 million
sold in 2008
at auction Christie's

In addition to the fact that Monet was a great artist, he was also passionate about gardening and loved wildlife and flowers. In his landscapes, the state of nature is momentary, objects seem to be blurred by the movement of air. The impression is enhanced by large strokes; from a certain distance they become invisible and merge into a textured, three-dimensional image. In the paintings of late Monet, the theme of water and life in it occupies a special place. In the town of Giverny, the artist had his own pond, where he grew water lilies from seeds he specially brought from Japan. When their flowers bloomed, he began to paint. The “Water Lilies” series consists of 60 works that the artist painted over almost 30 years, until his death. His vision deteriorated with age, but he did not stop. Depending on the wind, time of year and weather, the appearance of the pond was constantly changing, and Monet wanted to capture these changes. Through careful work, he came to understand the essence of nature. Some of the paintings in the series are kept in leading galleries in the world: National Museum Western art(Tokyo), Orangerie (Paris). A version of the next “Pond with Water Lilies” went into the hands of an unknown buyer for a record amount.

11 False Star t

Author

Jasper Johns

Country USA
Year of birth 1930
Style pop art

In 1949, Jones entered design school in New York. Along with Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and others, he is recognized as one of the main artists of the 20th century. In 2012, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.

137.2x170.8 cm
1959
price
$80 million
sold in 2006
at private auction

Like Marcel Duchamp, Jones worked with real objects, depicting them on canvas and in sculpture in full accordance with the original. For his works, he used simple and understandable objects: a beer bottle, a flag or cards. There is no clear composition in the film False Start. The artist seems to be playing with the viewer, often “wrongly” labeling the colors in the painting, inverting the very concept of color: “I wanted to find a way to depict color so that it could be determined by some other method.” His most explosive and “unconfident” painting, according to critics, was acquired by an unknown buyer.

12 "Seatednudeon the sofa"

Author

Amedeo Modigliani

Country Italy, France
Years of life 1884–1920
Style expressionism

Modigliani was often ill since childhood; during a feverish delirium, he recognized his destiny as an artist. He studied drawing in Livorno, Florence, Venice, and in 1906 he went to Paris, where his art flourished.

65x100 cm
1917
price
$68.962 million
sold in 2010
at auction Sotheby's

In 1917, Modigliani met 19-year-old Jeanne Hebuterne, who became his model and then his wife. In 2004, one of her portraits sold for $31.3 million, the last record before the sale of Nude Seated on a Sofa in 2010. The painting was purchased by an unknown buyer for the maximum price for Modigliani at the moment. Active sales of works began only after the artist’s death. He died in poverty, sick with tuberculosis, and the next day Jeanne Hebuterne, who was nine months pregnant, also committed suicide.

13 "Eagle on a Pine"

Author

Qi Baishi

Country China
Years of life 1864–1957
Style Guohua

Interest in calligraphy led Qi Baishi to painting. At the age of 28, he became a student of the artist Hu Qingyuan. The Chinese Ministry of Culture awarded him the title of "Great Artist of the Chinese People", and in 1956 he received the International Peace Prize.

10x26 cm
1946
price
$65.4 million
sold in 2011
at auction China Guardian

Qi Baishi was interested in those manifestations of the surrounding world that many do not attach importance to, and this is his greatness. A man without education became a professor and an outstanding creator in history. Pablo Picasso said about him: “I am afraid to go to your country, because there is Qi Baishi in China.” The composition “Eagle on a Pine Tree” is recognized as the artist’s largest work. In addition to the canvas, it includes two hieroglyphic scrolls. For China, the amount for which the work was purchased represents a record - 425.5 million yuan. The scroll of the ancient calligrapher Huang Tingjian alone was sold for 436.8 million.

14 "1949-A-No. 1"

Author

Clyfford Still

Country USA
Years of life 1904–1980
Style abstract expressionism

At the age of 20, I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and was disappointed. Later he signed up for a course at the Student Arts League, but left 45 minutes after the class started - it turned out to be “not for him.” The first personal exhibition caused a resonance, the artist found himself, and with it recognition

79x93 cm
1949
price
$61.7 million
sold in 2011
at auction Sotheby's

Still bequeathed all his works, more than 800 canvases and 1,600 works on paper, to an American city where a museum named after him will be opened. Denver became such a city, but construction alone was expensive for the authorities, and to complete it, four works were put up for auction. Still's works are unlikely to be auctioned again, which has increased their price in advance. The painting “1949-A-No.1” was sold for a record amount for the artist, although experts predicted the sale for a maximum of 25–35 million dollars.

15 "Suprematist composition"

Author

Kazimir Malevich

Country Russia
Years of life 1878–1935
Style Suprematism

Malevich studied painting in Kyiv art school, then at the Moscow Academy of Arts. In 1913, he began to paint abstract geometric paintings in a style he called Suprematism (from the Latin for “dominance”).

71x 88.5 cm
1916
price
$60 million
sold in 2008
at auction Sotheby's

The painting was kept in the Amsterdam City Museum for about 50 years, but after a 17-year dispute with Malevich's relatives, the museum gave it away. The artist painted this work in the same year as the “Manifesto of Suprematism,” so Sotheby’s announced even before the auction that it would not go into a private collection for less than $60 million. And so it happened. It is better to look at it from above: the figures on the canvas resemble an aerial view of the earth. By the way, a few years earlier, the same relatives expropriated another “Suprematist Composition” from the MoMA Museum in order to sell it at the Phillips auction for $17 million.

16 "Bathers"

Author

Paul Gauguin

Country France
Years of life 1848–1903
Style post-impressionism

Until the age of seven, the artist lived in Peru, then returned to France with his family, but his childhood memories constantly pushed him to travel. In France, he began to paint and became friends with Van Gogh. He even spent several months with him in Arles, until Van Gogh cut off his ear during a quarrel.

93.4x60.4 cm
1902
price
$55 million
sold in 2005
at auction Sotheby's

In 1891, Gauguin organized a sale of his paintings in order to use the proceeds to travel deep into the island of Tahiti. There he created works in which a subtle connection between nature and man is felt. Gauguin lived in a thatched hut, and a tropical paradise blossomed on his canvases. His wife was 13-year-old Tahitian Tehura, which did not stop the artist from engaging in promiscuous relationships. Having contracted syphilis, he left for France. However, it was crowded for Gauguin there, and he returned to Tahiti. This period is called the “second Tahitian” - it was then that the painting “Bathers” was painted, one of the most luxurious in his work.

17

"Daffodils and tablecloth in blue and pink tones"

Author

Henri Matisse

Country France
Years of life 1869–1954
Style Fauvism

In 1889, Henri Matisse suffered an attack of appendicitis. When he was recovering from surgery, his mother bought him paints. At first, out of boredom, Matisse copied color postcards, then he copied works of great painters that he saw in the Louvre, and at the beginning of the 20th century he came up with a style - Fauvism.

65.2x81 cm
1911
price
$46.4 million
sold in 2009
at auction Christie's

Painting "Daffodils and tablecloth in blue and pink tones» for a long time belonged to Yves Saint Laurent. After the death of the couturier, his entire art collection passed into the hands of his friend and lover Pierre Berger, who decided to put it up for auction at Christie’s. The pearl of the sold collection was the painting “Daffodils and a Tablecloth in Blue and Pink Tones,” painted on an ordinary tablecloth instead of canvas. As an example of Fauvism, it is filled with the energy of color, the colors seem to explode and scream. From the famous series of paintings painted on tablecloths, today this work is the only one that is in a private collection.

18 "Sleeping Girl"

Author

RoyLee

htenstein

Country USA
Years of life 1923–1997
Style pop art

The artist was born in New York, and after graduating from school, he went to Ohio, where he took art courses. In 1949, Lichtenstein received a Master of Fine Arts degree. His interest in comics and his ability to use irony made him a cult artist of the last century.

91x91 cm
1964
price
$44.882 million
sold in 2012
at auction Sotheby's

One day, chewing gum fell into Lichtenstein's hands. He redrew the picture from the insert onto canvas and became famous. This story from his biography contains the entire message of pop art: consumption is the new god, and there is no bubblegum candy less beauty than in the Mona Lisa. His paintings are reminiscent of comic books and cartoons: Lichtenstein simply enlarged finished image, drew rasters, used screen printing and silk-screen printing. The painting “Sleeping Girl” belonged to collectors Beatrice and Philip Gersh for almost 50 years, whose heirs sold it at auction.

19 "Victory. Boogie-woogie"

Author

Piet Mondrian

Country Netherlands
Years of life 1872–1944
Style neoplasticism

The artist changed his real name, Cornelis, to Mondrian when he moved to Paris in 1912. Together with the artist Theo van Doesburg, he founded the Neoplasticism movement. The Piet programming language is named after Mondrian.

27x127 cm
1944
price
$40 million
sold in 1998
at auction Sotheby's

The most “musical” of the 20th century artists made a living from watercolor still lifes, although he became famous as a neoplastic artist. He moved to the USA in the 1940s and spent the rest of his life there. Jazz and New York are what inspired him the most! Painting “Victory. Boogie-Woogie" is the best example of this. The signature neat squares were achieved using adhesive tape, Mondrian’s favorite material. In America he was called “the most famous immigrant.” In the sixties, Yves Saint Laurent released world-famous “Mondrian” dresses with large checkered prints.

20 "Composition No. 5"

Author

VasilyKandinsky

Country Russia
Years of life 1866–1944
Style avant-garde

The artist was born in Moscow, and his father was from Siberia. After the revolution, he tried to cooperate with the Soviet government, but soon realized that the laws of the proletariat were not created for him, and not without difficulties he emigrated to Germany.

275x190 cm
1911
price
$40 million
sold in 2007
at auction Sotheby's

Kandinsky was one of the first to completely abandon object painting, for which he received the title of genius. During Nazism in Germany, his paintings were classified as “degenerate art” and were not exhibited anywhere. In 1939, Kandinsky took French citizenship, and in Paris he freely participated in artistic process. His paintings “sound” like fugues, which is why many are called “compositions” (the first was written in 1910, the last in 1939). “Composition No. 5” is one of the key works in this genre: “The word “composition” sounded like a prayer to me,” said the artist. Unlike many of his followers, he planned what he would depict on a huge canvas, as if he were writing notes.

21 "Study of a Woman in Blue"

Author

Fernand Léger

Country France
Years of life 1881–1955
Style cubism-post-impressionism

Léger received an architectural education and then attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The artist considered himself a follower of Cezanne, was an apologist for Cubism, and in the 20th century was also successful as a sculptor.

96.5x129.5 cm
1912–1913
price
$39.2 million
sold in 2008
at auction Sotheby's

David Norman, president of the international department of impressionism and modernism at Sotheby's, considers the huge amount paid for “The Lady in Blue” to be completely justified. The painting belongs to the famous Léger collection (the artist painted three paintings on the same subject, the last of them is in private hands today. - Ed.), and the surface of the canvas has been preserved in its original form. The author himself gave this work to the Der Sturm gallery, then it ended up in the collection of Hermann Lang, a German collector of modernism, and now belongs to an unknown buyer.

22 “Street scene. Berlin"

Author

Ernst LudwigKirchner

Country Germany
Years of life 1880–1938
Style expressionism

For German expressionism, Kirchner became an iconic person. However, local authorities accused him of adhering to “degenerate art,” which tragically affected the fate of his paintings and the life of the artist, who committed suicide in 1938.

95x121 cm
1913
price
$38.096 million
sold in 2006
at auction Christie's

After moving to Berlin, Kirchner created 11 sketches street scenes. He was inspired by the bustle and nervousness of the big city. In the painting, sold in 2006 in New York, the artist’s anxious state is especially acutely felt: people on a Berlin street resemble birds - graceful and dangerous. It was the last work from the famous series sold at auction; the rest are kept in museums. In 1937, the Nazis treated Kirchner harshly: 639 of his works were removed from German galleries, destroyed or sold abroad. The artist could not survive this.

23 "Vacationist"dancer"

Author

Edgar Degas

Country France
Years of life 1834–1917
Style impressionism

Degas's history as an artist began with his work as a copyist at the Louvre. He dreamed of becoming “famous and unknown,” and in the end he succeeded. At the end of his life, deaf and blind, 80-year-old Degas continued to attend exhibitions and auctions.

64x59 cm
1879
price
$37.043 million
sold in 2008
at auction Sotheby's

“Ballerinas have always been for me just an excuse to depict fabrics and capture movement,” said Degas. Scenes from the lives of the dancers seem to have been spied on: the girls do not pose for the artist, but simply become part of the atmosphere caught by Degas’s gaze. "The Resting Dancer" was sold for $28 million in 1999, and less than 10 years later it was bought for $37 million - today it is the most expensive work artist ever put up for auction. Degas paid great attention to frames, designed them himself and forbade them to be changed. I wonder what frame is installed on the painting sold?

24 "Painting"

Author

Joan Miro

Country Spain
Years of life 1893–1983
Style abstract art

During civil war in Spain the artist was on the side of the Republicans. In 1937, he fled from the fascist regime to Paris, where he lived in poverty with his family. During this period, Miro painted the painting “Help Spain!”, drawing the attention of the whole world to the dominance of fascism.

89x115 cm
1927
price
$36.824 million
sold in 2012
at auction Sotheby's

The second title of the painting is “Blue Star”. The artist painted it in the same year when he announced: “I want to kill painting” and mercilessly mocked the canvases, scratching the paint with nails, gluing feathers to the canvas, covering the works with garbage. His goal was to debunk the myths about the mystery of painting, but having coped with this, Miro created his own myth - surreal abstraction. His “Painting” belongs to the cycle of “dream paintings”. At the auction, four buyers fought for it, but one incognito phone call resolved the dispute, and “Painting” became the artist’s most expensive painting.

25 "Blue Rose"

Author

Yves Klein

Country France
Years of life 1928–1962
Style monochrome painting

The artist was born into a family of painters, but studied oriental languages, navigation, the craft of a frame gilder, Zen Buddhism and much more. His personality and cheeky antics were many times more interesting than monochrome paintings.

153x199x16 cm
1960
price
$36.779 million
sold in 2012
at Christie's auction

The first exhibition of monochromatic yellow, orange, and pink works did not arouse public interest. Klein was offended and next time presented 11 identical canvases, painted with ultramarine mixed with a special synthetic resin. He even patented this method. The color went down in history as “international Klein blue.” The artist also sold emptiness, created paintings by exposing paper to the rain, setting fire to cardboard, making prints of a person’s body on canvas. In a word, I experimented as best I could. To create “Blue Rose” I used dry pigments, resins, pebbles and a natural sponge.

26 "In Search of Moses"

Author

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Country United Kingdom
Years of life 1836–1912
Style neoclassicism

Sir Lawrence himself added the prefix “alma” to his surname so that he could be listed first in art catalogues. IN Victorian England his paintings were so in demand that the artist was awarded a knighthood.

213.4x136.7 cm
1902
price
$35.922 million
sold in 2011
at auction Sotheby's

The main theme of Alma-Tadema's work was antiquity. In his paintings, he tried to depict the era of the Roman Empire in the smallest detail, for this he even carried out archaeological excavations on the Apennine Peninsula, and in his London house he reproduced the historical interior of those years. Mythological subjects became another source of inspiration for him. The artist was extremely in demand during his lifetime, but after his death he was quickly forgotten. Now interest is being revived, as evidenced by the cost of the painting “In Search of Moses,” which is seven times higher than the pre-sale estimate.

27

"Portrait of a sleeping naked official"

Author

Lucian Freud

Country Germany,
United Kingdom
Years of life 1922–2011
Style figurative painting

The artist is the grandson of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis. After the establishment of fascism in Germany, his family emigrated to Great Britain. Freud's works are in London Museum The Wallace Collection, where no contemporary artist has previously exhibited.

219.1x151.4 cm
1995
price
$33.6 million
sold in 2008
at auction Christie's

While fashionable artists of the 20th century created positive “color spots on the wall” and sold them for millions, Freud painted extremely naturalistic paintings and sold them for even more. “I capture the cries of the soul and the suffering of fading flesh,” he said. Critics believe that all this is the “legacy” of Sigmund Freud. The paintings were so actively exhibited and sold successfully that experts began to doubt: do they have hypnotic properties? The Portrait of a Nude Sleeping Official, sold at auction, according to the Sun, was purchased by a connoisseur of beauty and billionaire Roman Abramovich.

28 "Violin and Guitar"

Author

Xone Gris

Country Spain
Years of life 1887–1927
Style cubism

Born in Madrid, where he graduated from the School of Arts and Crafts. In 1906 he moved to Paris and entered the circle of the most influential artists of the era: Picasso, Modigliani, Braque, Matisse, Léger, and also worked with Sergei Diaghilev and his troupe.

5x100 cm
1913
price
$28.642 million
sold in 2010
at auction Christie's

Gris, by in my own words, was engaged in “planar, color architecture.” His paintings are precisely thought out: he did not leave a single random stroke, which makes creativity similar to geometry. The artist created his own version of cubism, although he greatly respected Pablo Picasso, the founding father of the movement. The successor even dedicated his first work in the cubist style, “Tribute to Picasso,” to him. The painting “Violin and Guitar” is recognized as outstanding in the artist’s work. During his lifetime, Gris was famous and favored by critics and art critics. His works are exhibited in the world's largest museums and are kept in private collections.

29 "PortraitFields of Eluard"

Author

Salvador Dali

Country Spain
Years of life 1904–1989
Style surrealism

“Surrealism is me,” Dali said when he was expelled from the surrealist group. Over time, he became the most famous surrealist artist. Dali's work is everywhere, not just in galleries. For example, it was he who came up with the packaging for Chupa Chups.

25x33 cm
1929
price
$20.6 million
sold in 2011
at auction Sotheby's

In 1929, the poet Paul Eluard and his Russian wife Gala came to visit the great provocateur and brawler Dali. The meeting was the beginning of a love story that lasted more than half a century. The painting “Portrait of Paul Eluard” was painted during this historic visit. “I felt that I was entrusted with the responsibility of capturing the face of the poet, from whose Olympus I stole one of the muses,” said the artist. Before meeting Gala, he was a virgin and was disgusted at the thought of sex with a woman. Love triangle existed until the death of Eluard, after which it became the Dali-Gala duet.

30 "Anniversary"

Author

Marc Chagall

Country Russia, France
Years of life 1887–1985
Style avant-garde

Moishe Segal was born in Vitebsk, but in 1910 he emigrated to Paris, changed his name, and became close to the leading avant-garde artists of the era. In the 1930s, during the seizure of power by the Nazis, he left for the United States with the help of the American consul. He returned to France only in 1948.

80x103 cm
1923
price
$14.85 million
sold 1990
at Sotheby's auction

The painting “Anniversary” is recognized as one of best works artist. It contains all the features of his work: the physical laws of the world are erased, the feeling of a fairy tale is preserved in the scenery of bourgeois life, and love is at the center of the plot. Chagall did not draw people from life, but only from memory or imagination. The painting “Anniversary” depicts the artist himself and his wife Bela. The painting was sold in 1990 and has not been auctioned since then. Interestingly, the New York Museum of Modern Art MoMA houses exactly the same one, only under the name “Birthday”. By the way, it was written earlier - in 1915.

prepared the project
Tatiana Palasova
the rating has been compiled
according to the list www.art-spb.ru
tmn magazine No. 13 (May-June 2013)

"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 it his best work. 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, he helped him with this unique style writing, 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 contains not phenomenal heavenly power, but creative energy that can be transmitted without touch.

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

"Girl on a 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, world classics came to him, but unfortunately, most people associate his work only with this painting.

One of the most recognizable paintings

« Starry 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 is an artistic image of inevitable danger and tension, you can 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 portrait, but to a greater extent 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, and several films have 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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Many people who are interested in painting are forced to give up this activity, since it is not easy to break out among people and become a famous and sought-after artist. And yet some managed to do it. Find out which artists are the most famous.

The most famous artists

So, the top 10 most famous artists in the world:

I started drawing by accident and far from my childhood. At the age of 20, Henri underwent surgery to remove it, and his mother bought him paints and paper. Matisse first copied color postcards, and then became so interested in drawing that he even decided to become a professional artist.

Despite his father's protests, Henri began to study painting. Matisse's painting style was very unusual and similar to impressionism. At first, Henri copied the works of foreign masters, and then began to create his own masterpieces. The most famous works of Henri Matisse are “Parisian Dance”, “Joy of Life”, “Conversation”, “ Family portrait", "Red Room".

By the way, Matisse even opened his own painting school. Today his paintings are kept in best museums and are in the collections of the richest people.

He was a difficult teenager and during school lessons, instead of completing assignments, he painted the covers of his notebooks with funny portraits of his classmates and teachers. Soon many people learned about Claude’s talent, and he became a very famous cartoonist in his city, and later began to take money for his work. But then Monet met an experienced landscape artist who began teaching him.

And only then Claude fell in love with nature and learned to feel it. The guy expressed his emotions in drawings, which later became so popular that today they are included in best meetings painting. The most famous works: “Sunset over the sea”, “Sunflowers”, “Tulips of Holland”, “By the sea”, “Road in the forest”, “Still life with meat”.

Today everyone knows his name, as well as his best works, which include “Girl on a Ball”, “Life”, “Bathers”, “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” and many others. And his painting “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” became the most expensive painting ever sold.

Picasso was a talented artist, graphic artist, designer, ceramist, as well as a decorator and sculptor. He is the founder of Cubism. In addition, Picasso made a huge contribution to the development of art of the last century; it probably would not have been the same without this man.

In total, Pablo completed about 20 thousand works during his life, each of which was unique and unrepeatable. Picasso began drawing from the very beginning early age, and took his first painting lessons from his father, who was an art teacher (Pablo himself later held this position). And young Picasso drew inspiration from fairy tales that his mother made up herself and told to her son at night.

4. Vincent Van Gogh is a Dutch post-impressionist artist who created many amazing and unusual works. Vincent was a difficult teenager, but to outsiders he seemed thoughtful and serious. Van Gogh began to draw later, when he began working in an art and trading company.

Every day Vincent came into contact with works of art, so he learned to appreciate them. After an unsuccessful love affair, the affairs of the young Van Gogh dealer began to deteriorate, and at some point he decided to try his hand at painting. But still, Vincent had to earn a living, although he did not like the work. After several failures, Van Gogh decided to devote himself entirely to painting and gave the world many masterpieces.

- artist Armenian origin(his real name is Hovhannes). From childhood, Ivan showed creative abilities; he even taught himself to play the violin. Aivazovsky also drew beautifully and constantly developed his abilities.

Ivan especially appreciated and idolized the sea, and that is why among his works gorgeous seascapes, which depict storms, shipwrecks, waves and depths. The artist’s most famous paintings are “The Ninth Wave”, “Venice”, “Chaos”, “Sinking Ship”, “Ice Mountains”, “Wave”, “Black Sea”.

- an artist who was practically the discoverer of the beauties of Russian nature. He loved everything: trees, every blade of grass, the sky, dew drops, flowers. And this love of his is clearly visible in the paintings, each of which is a real masterpiece.

His landscapes proved to everyone that Russia is not a gray, boring country, as was previously thought, but an incredibly beautiful place. Here are some of the artist’s most famous works: “ Evening bells", "March", "Golden Autumn". By the way, many of his landscapes are still used as illustrations and published in textbooks.

is a truly unique and legendary artist who changed society’s views on painting. Distinctive feature Pollock's works were that they bore little resemblance to paintings. It may look like someone has spilled paint on the paper, but upon closer inspection, you can see something mysterious and profound.

And Jackson himself was completely immersed in the process and expressed his emotions through the canvas. He laid the paper on the floor and used it to draw broken glass, liquid paints, scoops, knives and sticks. Pollock's most famous works are "Number 5" (this is the most expensive painting artist), “Moon Woman Cutting a Circle” and “She-Wolf”.

Known for painting portraits of most famous people. But it’s not in vain that the stars turn to Nikas, he is very talented. Safronov was born into a simple family and achieved everything on his own. In addition, this is one of the few artists who managed to become famous during his lifetime. Nikas's list of works includes portraits of such celebrities as Mike Tyson, Sophia Loren, Mick Jagger, Julio Iglesias, Elton John, Sting, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson and many others.

– perhaps the most iconic and significant person in the history of pop art. Andy started drawing as a child. At first he illustrated magazines, but then decided to create independent work, drawing inspiration from food, beverages and other consumer goods.

He painted canned food, fruits, and alcoholic drinks. But all the paintings were distinguished by a special manner of execution. The drawings were so eccentric and bright that they simply could not be ignored.

– master of figurative painting and expressionist artist. The main theme of his works is the human body. But Francis usually painted bodies elongated, distorted, enclosed in some figures or objects. Bacon's most famous works are “The Sleeping Man”, “The Woman”, the triptych “The Crucifixion”, as well as “Three Sketches for a Portrait of Lucian Freud”.

These were the most famous artists of all time.

Today we present to your attention twenty paintings that are worthy of attention and recognition. These paintings were painted by famous artists, and they should be known not only by those who engage in art, but also by ordinary mortals, since art colors our lives, aesthetics deepens our view of the world. Give art its due place in your life...

1. “The Last Supper.” Leonardo Da Vinci, 1495 - 1498

Monumental painting by Leonardo da Vinci depicting the scene of Christ's last meal with his disciples. Created in 1495-1498 in the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

The painting was commissioned by Leonardo from his patron, Duke Ludovico Sforza and his wife Beatrice d'Este. The lunettes above the painting, formed by a ceiling with three arches, are painted with the Sforza coat of arms. The painting began in 1495 and was completed in 1498; work proceeded intermittently. The date of the start of work is not certain, since "the archives of the monastery were destroyed, and the negligible part of the documents that we have dates back to 1497, when the painting was almost completed."

The painting became a milestone in the history of the Renaissance: the correctly reproduced depth of perspective changed the direction of the development of Western painting.

It is believed that many secrets and hints are hidden in this picture - for example, there is an assumption that the image of Jesus and Judas was copied from the same person. When Da Vinci painted the picture, in his vision Jesus personified good, while Judas was pure evil. And when the master found “his Judas” (a drunkard from the street), it turned out that, according to historians, this drunkard several years earlier served as a prototype for painting the image of Jesus. Thus, we can say that this picture captures a person in different periods his life.

2. “Sunflowers.” Vincent Van Gogh, 1887

The title of two cycles of paintings by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. The first series was made in Paris in 1887. It is dedicated to lying flowers. The second series was completed a year later, in Arles. She depicts a bouquet of sunflowers in a vase. Two Parisian paintings purchased by van Gogh's friend Paul Gauguin.

The artist painted sunflowers eleven times. The first four paintings were created in Paris in August - September 1887. Large cut flowers lie like some strange creatures dying before our eyes.

3. “The Ninth Wave.” Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky?, 1850.

One of the most famous paintings by the Russian marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky is kept in the Russian Museum.

The painter depicts the sea after a severe night storm and shipwrecked people. The rays of the sun illuminate the huge waves. The largest of them - the ninth shaft - is ready to fall on people trying to escape on the wreckage of the mast.

Despite the fact that the ship is destroyed and only the mast remains, the people on the mast are alive and continue to fight the elements. The warm colors of the picture make the sea not so harsh and give the viewer hope that people will be saved.

Created in 1850, the painting “The Ninth Wave” immediately became the most famous of all his marinas and was acquired by Nicholas I.

4. “Makha naked.” Francisco Goya, 1797-1800

Painting Spanish artist Francisco Goya, painted around 1797-1800. Pairs with the painting “Maja Dressed” (La maja vestida). The paintings depict Macha, a Spanish townswoman of the 18th-19th centuries, one of the artist’s favorite subjects. "Maha Nude" is one of early works Western art depicting a fully nude woman without mythological or negative connotations.

5. “Flight of Lovers.” Marc Chagall, 1914-1918

Work on the painting “Above the City” began back in 1914, and finishing touches The master applied it only in 1918. During this time, Bella turned from a lover not only into an adored wife, but also the mother of their daughter Ida, forever becoming the painter’s main muse. The union of the rich daughter of a hereditary jeweler and a simple Jewish youth, whose father made a living by unloading herring, can only be called a misalliance, but love was stronger and overcame all conventions. It was this love that inspired them, lifting them to heaven.

Karina portrays Chagall’s two loves at once – Bella and Vitebsk, dear to her heart. The streets are presented in the form of houses separated by a high dark fence. The viewer will not immediately notice a goat grazing to the left of the center of the picture, and a simple man with his pants down in the foreground - humor from the painter, breaking out of the general context and romantic mood of the work, but this is all Chagall...

6. “The Face of War.” Salvador Dali, 1940.

Painting by Spanish artist Salvador Dali, painted in 1940.

The painting was created on the way to the USA. Impressed by the tragedy unfolding in the world and the bloodthirstiness of politicians, the master begins work on the ship. Located in the Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam.

Having lost all hope of a normal life in Europe, the artist leaves his beloved Paris for America. War covers the Old World and seeks to take over the rest of the world. The master does not yet know that his stay in the New World for eight years will make him truly famous, and his works will become masterpieces of world painting.

7. "Scream" Edvard Munch, 1893

“The Scream” (Norwegian Skrik) is a series of paintings by Norwegian expressionist artist Edvard Munch created between 1893 and 1910. They depict a human figure screaming in despair against a blood-red sky and an extremely generalized landscape background. In 1895, Munch created a lithograph on the same subject.

The red, fiery hot sky covered the cold fjord, which, in turn, gives birth to a fantastic shadow, similar to some kind of sea monster. Tension has distorted space, lines are broken, colors are inconsistent, perspective is destroyed.

Many critics believe that the plot of the picture is the fruit of the sick imagination of a mentally ill person. Some people see a premonition in the work environmental disaster, someone is deciding which mummy inspired the author for this work.

8. “The Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Jan Vermeer, 1665

The painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” (Netherlands: “Het meisje met de parel”) was painted around 1665. Currently kept in the Mauritshuis Museum, The Hague, the Netherlands, and is the hallmark of the museum. The painting, nicknamed the Dutch Mona Lisa, or Mona Lisa of the North, is painted in the Tronie genre.

Thanks to Peter Webber’s film “Girl with a Pearl Earring” in 2003, a huge number of people far from painting learned about the wonderful Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, as well as about his most famous painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring”.

9. "Tower of Babel." Pieter Bruegel, 1563

Famous painting by artist Pieter Bruegel. The artist created at least two paintings based on this subject.

The painting is located in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

There is a story in the Bible about how the inhabitants of Babylon tried to build a high tower to reach heaven, but God made them speak different languages, ceased to understand each other, and the tower remained unfinished.

10. "Algerian women." Pablo Picasso, 1955

“Women of Algeria” is a series of 15 paintings created by Picasso in 1954–1955 based on the paintings of Eugene Delacroix; the paintings are distinguished by the letters assigned by the artist from A to O. “Version O” was painted on February 14, 1955; for some time it belonged to the famous American art collector of the 20th century, Victor Ganz.

Pablo Picasso's painting "Women of Algeria (Version O)" sold for $180 million.

11. "New Planet". Konstantin Yuon, 1921

Russian Soviet painter, master of landscape, theater artist, art theorist. Academician of the USSR Academy of Arts. People's Artist of the USSR. Laureate Stalin Prize first degree. Member of the All-Union Communist Party since 1951.

This is an amazing painting, created in 1921 and not at all typical of the realist artist Yuon, “ New planet” is one of the brightest works that embodied the image of the changes that became in the second decade of the 20th century October Revolution. New system new way And new image thinking just born Soviet society. What awaits humanity now? Bright future? They didn’t think about it then, but the fact that Soviet Russia and the whole world was entering an era of change was obvious, as was the rapid birth of a new planet.

12. “Sistine Madonna.” Raphael Santi, 1754

A painting by Raphael, which has been in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden since 1754. It belongs to the generally recognized peaks of the High Renaissance.

Huge in size (265 × 196 cm, this is how the size of the painting is indicated in the catalog Dresden gallery) the canvas was created by Raphael for the altar of the church of the monastery of St. Sixtus in Piacenza, commissioned by Pope Julius II. There is a hypothesis that the painting was painted in 1512-1513 in honor of the victory over the French who invaded Lombardy during the Italian Wars, and the subsequent inclusion of Piacenza into the Papal States.

13. “Repentant Mary Magdalene.” Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), painted around 1565

A painting painted around 1565 by the Italian artist Titian Vecellio. Belongs State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Sometimes the date of creation is given as "1560s".

The model for the painting was Julia Festina, who amazed the artist with her shock of golden hair. The finished canvas greatly impressed the Duke of Gonzaga, and he decided to order a copy of it. Later, Titian, changing the background and posing of the woman, wrote a couple more similar works.

14. "Mona Lisa". Leonardo Da Vinci, 1503-1505

Portrait of Mrs. Lisa del Giocondo, (Italian. Ritratto di Monna Lisa del Giocondo) - a painting by Leonardo da Vinci, located in the Louvre (Paris, France), one of the most famous works of painting in the world, which is believed to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of the Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, painted around 1503-1505 .

According to one of the put forward versions, “Mona Lisa” is a self-portrait of the artist.

15. “Morning in a pine forest”, Shishkin Ivan Ivanovich, 1889.

Painting by Russian artists Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky. Savitsky painted bears, but the collector Pavel Tretyakov erased his signature, so that the author of the painting is often indicated alone.

The idea for the painting was suggested to Shishkin by Savitsky, who later acted as a co-author and depicted the figures of the bear cubs. These bears, with some differences in poses and numbers (at first there were two of them), appear in the preparatory drawings and sketches. Savitsky turned out the animals so well that he even signed the painting together with Shishkin.

16. “We didn’t expect it.” Ilya Repin, 1884-1888

Painting by Russian artist Ilya Repin (1844-1930), painted in 1884-1888. It is part of the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery.

The painting, shown at the XII traveling exhibition, is part of a narrative cycle dedicated to the fate of the Russian revolutionary populist.

17. “Bal at the Moulin de la Galette”, Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1876.

A painting painted by the French artist Pierre Auguste Renoir in 1876.

The place where the painting is located is the Musée d’Orsay. Moulin de la Galette is an inexpensive tavern in Montmartre, where students and working youth of Paris gathered.

18. “Starry Night.” Vincent Van Gogh, 1889.

De sterrennacht- a painting by the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, painted in June 1889, with a view of the pre-dawn sky over a fictional town from the eastern window of the artist’s home in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Since 1941 it has been kept at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Considered one of Van Gogh's best works and one of the most significant works of Western painting.

19. “The Creation of Adam.” Michelangelo, 1511.

Fresco by Michelangelo, painted around 1511. The fresco is the fourth of nine central compositions of the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

“The Creation of Adam” is one of the most outstanding compositions of the Sistine Chapel painting. God the Father flies in infinite space, surrounded by wingless angels, with a flowing white tunic. The right hand is extended towards Adam's hand and almost touches it. Adam's body lying on the green rock gradually begins to move and awakens to life. The entire composition is concentrated on the gesture of two hands. The hand of God gives an impulse, and the hand of Adam receives it, giving it to the whole body vital energy. By the fact that their hands do not touch, Michelangelo emphasized the impossibility of connecting the divine and the human. In the image of God, according to the artist’s plan, it is not the miraculous principle that prevails, but gigantic creative energy. In the image of Adam, Michelangelo glorifies the strength and beauty of the human body. In fact, what appears before us is not the creation of man itself, but the moment at which he receives a soul, a passionate search for the divine, a thirst for knowledge.

20. “Kiss in the starry sky.” Gustav Klimt, 1905-1907

Painting by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, painted in 1907-1908. The canvas belongs to the period of Klimt’s work, called “golden”, last piece the author in his “golden period”.

On a rock, on the edge of a flower meadow, in a golden aura, lovers stand completely immersed in each other, fenced off from the whole world. Due to the uncertainty of the place of what is happening, it seems that the couple depicted in the picture is moving into a cosmic state that is not subject to time and space, on the other side of all historical and social stereotypes and cataclysms. Complete solitude and the man's face turned back only emphasize the impression of isolation and detachment in relation to the observer.

Source – Wikipedia, muzei-mira.com, say-hi.me