Top 15 Most Famous Artworks of All Time – Iconic Masterpieces 

Art is a certain way of creating visual objects through skill and imagination. Our various art forms suggest painting, photography, drawing, sculpture making, printmaking, decorative art, etc. Painting is one of the oldest art forms which was very popular in ancient times. People of the old times used charcoal to create aesthetic paintings on the cave walls. Later those artworks became very popular and true that paintings people of today’s generation get information about the ancient people, their style of living, and culture. The pinnacle of human creativity and imagination can be seen in ancient paintings and artworks. 

Many art galleries around the world are famous for their timeless art pieces. People from all over the world come to these artworks galleries to see the exceptional art creations. Here is the list of the 15 most famous artworks of all time, which will continue to draw the attention of art lovers all over the world.

Most Famous Paintings of All Time 

1. MONA LISA by Leonardo Da Vinci

In the early 16th century, Leonardo Da Vinci the renowned Italian artist made this popular oil painting on wood. The Mona Lisa is a Renaissance art masterpiece and is also known as one of the most famous paintings in all over the world.  The details like a real-life picture and the magnetic smile of Monalisa are the symbol of genius art and attack thousands of art lovers from all over the world. The painting is 77×53 cm, this displays it permanently at the Louvre Museum, in Paris. The excellent work is created by making a thin layer of paint. Every single detail of the painting is groundbreaking and continues to inspire artists from all around the globe. 

Also read: Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings in the World 2024 – Art Worth Millions

2. Vincent Van Gogh’s THE STARRY NIGHT 

Vincent Van Gogh’s THE STARRY NIGHT

In June 1889, Vincent Van Gogh made an oil-on-canvas painting which was named The Starry Night. Vincent Van Gogh made this painting When he was in the asylum of  Saint-Remy-de-Provence. Vincent’s mental breakdown and state of mind can be clearly seen in the painting. The view from his asylum window which he has styled from his imagination. Since 1941 the painting has been in the collection of the Museum Of Modern Art in New York City. The portrait of the swirling night sky over a quiet village expresses the artist’s emotional journey and vision from his asylum days and has become one of the most famous artworks in the world. 

3. THE LAST SUPPER by Leonardo Da Vinci 

THE LAST SUPPER by Leonardo Da Vinci 

The Last Supper was painted in 1490 by Leonardo Da Vinci, a renowned Italian high Renaissance artist. One of the world’s most famous paintings is located in Milan’s Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Italy. The Last Supper of Jesus with his twelve apostles is shown in the painting in a very classy way. It is one of the tales from the Gospel of John, in which Jesus announces that one of his apostles will betray him. The Last Supper is also considered Leonardo Da Vinci’s largest work. 

4. Michelangelo’s THE CREATION OF ADAM

Michelangelo’s THE CREATION OF ADAM

The Italian artist Michelangelo created a fresco painting, on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which was painted between 1508 to 1512, named The Creation of Adam which is also known as The Creation of Man. In the iconic painting there is a perpetuation of God giving life to Adam, the way God’s fingers are touching Adam’s finger is a universal divine creation. 

5. Edward Munch’s THE SCREAM

Edward Munch’s THE SCREAM

In 1893, Norwegian artist Edward Munch made a masterpiece popularly known as The Scream. The Norwegian name of The masterpiece is Skrik, and Der Schrei Der Natur, the title it was first exhibited in German language which means the Scream of Nature. The Agonized face in the painting symbolizes the human condition in anxiety and has become one the most iconic art pieces of the world.

6. Sandro Botticelli’s THE BIRTH OF VENUS

In the 1480s the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli executed The Birth of Venus. The eating is of goddess Venus who is arriving at the shore from the sea, fully grown after her birth. The painting has faced numerous controversies because of its nude antiquity. The Uffizi Gallery of Italy has become one of the most visited places for art lovers to watch this masterpiece. 

7. Johannes Vermeer’s GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

In 1665, the golden age painter Johannes Vermeer made Girl With A Pearl Earring. For centuries various names were given to the painting, the present title of the painting is given in the 20th century, because of the earring the girl is wearing in the painting. Since 1902, the painting has been in the collection of the Mauritshuis in The Hague.  

8. Salvador Dalí’s THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY

In 1931, Salvador Dali made an exceptional piece of art named The Persistence of Memory. This art piece was first shown in 1932 at Julien Levy Gallery and since 1934 The masterpiece is in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It is the most recognizable art piece and expresses Salvador’s dedication to art. 

Also read: Top 10 Oldest Cities in the World: Cities with Millennia of History

9. Rembrandt Van Rijn’s THE NIGHT WATCH 

The night watch was made by Rembrandt Van Rijn in 1642. The painting is 363 by 437 centimeters and is currently in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The master of light and shadow is clearly visible in Rembrandt’s painting. It is also considered one of the well-known paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. 

10. Claude Monet’s WATER LILIES 

Claude Monet made a series of 250 oil paintings from 1840 to 1926 named Water Lilies, it is also popularly known as Monet’s Water Lilies series. The paintings were displayed in a number of museums including the Musee De l’Orangerie in Paris. 

11. Gustav Klimt’s THE KISS

Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss, also known as the Golden Masterpiece, was painted somewhere in 1907 and 1908. It is an oil on Canvas painting where a couple is embracing each other and their bodies are entangled with each other. Gustav has walked on every single detail of the painting and added Golden live silver and platinum in it. The painting is now hanging in the Museum of Vienna.

12. Grant Wood’s AMERICAN GOTHIC 

American Gothic in the collection of the Art Institute Of Chicago which was made by Grant Wood in 1930. It is a perpetuation of a man and a woman who are standing in front of a home. American Gothic is a symbol of ruling American values and it is the best-known American painting of the 20th century. 

13. Hieronymus Bosch’s THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS

The early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch made an extraordinary oil painting between 1490 and 1510. Hieronymus was between 40 to 60 years old when he made this masterpiece which looks like a warning against the perils of temptation. This complex and extremely fascinating piece can attract viewers and scholars from all around the world.

14. Pablo Picasso’s LES DEMOISELLES d’AVIGNON

The original title of Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon is The Brothel of Avignon. It is a large oil painting that was created by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in 1907. It is a perpetuation of five nude female prostitutes who are standing in the street of Barcelona, Spain. This masterpiece is hanging in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The radical style and composition of the painting are a mark of the beginning of modern art and is one of the most famous paintings of the 20th century. 

15. Eugène Delacroix’s LIBERTY LEADING THE PEOPLE 

The French artist Eugène Delacroix made a painting of the Romantic era in 1830. This is a powerful political painting which is displayed in the Louvre. There is a perpetuation of a bare-breasted woman with a Phrygian cap who is accompanied by a young boy having a pistol in both hands and a group of bodies falling to the ground. The tricolor which the female is holding later became the national flag of France. This Artworks painting comes in the list of most famous female paintings in the world where different periods, cultures, and styles are shown. This renowned art piece is continuing to inspire the new generation of artists. 

Also read: Top 10 Most Handsome Korean Actors in 2024

Conclusion 

The artists who have made these artworks are great as they continue to inspire the upcoming new artists, and through their paintings, they are making them realize what real art should be. Today people from all around the world are visiting different museums and art galleries to have a look at these sets of masterpieces.