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Famous paintings, explained

See the world's greatest paintings properly

108 masterpieces explained in plain words: what you are looking at, why it is famous, how big it really is and exactly where to see it.

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The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

The Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh, 1889. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.

Ten masterpieces to start with

The paintings everyone should know, and where they hang.

All paintings
  1. Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci1Mona LisaLeonardo da Vinci, c. 1503 to 1506 Paris
  2. The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh2The Starry NightVincent van Gogh, 1889 New York
  3. The Scream by Edvard Munch3The ScreamEdvard Munch, 1893 Oslo
  4. 4The Last SupperLeonardo da Vinci, c. 1495 to 1498 Milan
  5. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer5Girl with a Pearl EarringJohannes Vermeer, c. 1665 The Hague
  6. 6The Birth of VenusSandro Botticelli, c. 1485 Florence
  7. The Night Watch by Rembrandt7The Night WatchRembrandt, 1642 Amsterdam
  8. 8The Creation of AdamMichelangelo, c. 1508 to 1512 Vatican City
  9. 9GuernicaPablo Picasso, 1937 Madrid
  10. The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai10The Great Wave off KanagawaKatsushika Hokusai, c. 1830 to 1832 New York

Where to see them

Plan a trip around the masterpieces.

All cities
The Harvesters by Pieter Bruegel the ElderNew York24 paintings · The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Neue Galerie New YorkMona Lisa by Leonardo da VinciParis14 paintings · Musée du Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Musée Marmottan MonetThe Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van EyckLondon11 paintings · The National Gallery, Tate Britain, The Courtauld Gallery, The Wallace CollectionGinevra de' Benci by Leonardo da VinciWashington, DC9 paintings · National Gallery of Art, The Phillips CollectionThe Night Watch by RembrandtAmsterdam8 paintings · Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh MuseumA Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges SeuratChicago8 paintings · Art Institute of ChicagoThe Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus BoschMadrid5 paintings · Museo del Prado, Museo Reina SofíaThe Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the ElderVienna3 paintings · Kunsthistorisches Museum, Belvedere MuseumIrises by Vincent van GoghLos Angeles3 paintings · J. Paul Getty Museum (Getty Center), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical GardensFlorence3 paintings · Uffizi GalleriesRome and Vatican City3 paintings · Vatican Museums, Church of San Luigi dei Francesi

From the Renaissance to modern art

Timeline
The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van EyckNorthern Renaissance6 paintings · 1434 to 1565Ginevra de' Benci by Leonardo da VinciItalian Renaissance10 paintings · 1474 to 1509The Musicians by CaravaggioBaroque5 paintings · 1597 to 1656View of Toledo by El GrecoMannerism1 painting · 1599The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by RembrandtDutch Golden Age11 paintings · 1632 to 1669The Swing by Jean-Honoré FragonardRococo2 paintings · 1767 to 1770Watson and the Shark by John Singleton CopleyRomanticism12 paintings · 1778 to 1860The Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis DavidNeoclassicism6 paintings · 1784 to 1814The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika HokusaiJapanese ukiyo-e1 painting · 1830Ophelia by John Everett MillaisPre-Raphaelite and Victorian3 paintings · 1851 to 1895The Horse Fair by Rosa BonheurRealism10 paintings · 1852 to 1899Garden at Sainte-Adresse by Claude MonetImpressionism11 paintings · 1867 to 1899A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges SeuratPost-Impressionism17 paintings · 1884 to 1897The Scream by Edvard MunchSymbolism and Art Nouveau3 paintings · 1893 to 1907Modern art7 paintings · 1903 to 1964American realism3 paintings · 1930 to 1948

How big are they really?

Drawn to scale next to a person 1.7 m tall.

Compare any paintings
1.7 mMona LisaGirl with a Pearl EarringThe Starry NightThe Night WatchThe Raft of the Medusa
Drawn to scale next to a person 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) tall, with the bottom of each painting at floor level. Frames are not included.

Famous painters

All artists
The Potato Eaters by Vincent van GoghVincent van Gogh1853 to 1890 · 14 paintingsGinevra de' Benci by Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci1452 to 1519 · 6 paintingsThe Milkmaid by Johannes VermeerJohannes Vermeer1632 to 1675 · 6 paintingsGarden at Sainte-Adresse by Claude MonetClaude Monet1840 to 1926 · 5 paintingsThe Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis DavidJacques-Louis David1748 to 1825 · 5 paintingsThe Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by RembrandtRembrandt1606 to 1669 · 4 paintingsOlympia by Édouard ManetÉdouard Manet1832 to 1883 · 3 paintingsThe Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the ElderPieter Bruegel the Elder1525 to 1569 · 3 paintings

Tools

Painting size comparisonSee famous paintings to scaleFamous paintings quizTen questions, real imagesMuseum day plannerSee the famous paintings in one day

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How big are famous paintings? Size comparison chartWhere to see famous paintingsFamous artists timelineArt museum scavenger hunt

Guides

Famous American paintingsThe most famous American paintings, from Washington Crossing the Delaware to American Gothic and Nighthawks, …Famous Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintingsThe most famous Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings by Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Seurat and more, w…Famous paintings of women42 famous paintings of women, from the Mona Lisa and Girl with a Pearl Earring to Madame X, Flaming June and …Famous paintings timelineA timeline of the world's most famous paintings in date order, from the Arnolfini Portrait (1434) to The Son …The world's most famous paintingsThe 108 most famous paintings in the world, from the Mona Lisa to The Starry Night: who painted each one, whe…Famous Renaissance paintingsThe 16 most famous Renaissance paintings, from the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper to The Birth of Venus, with …

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