Humans have been painting representations of the world they observe for maybe as long as 164,000 years. You can find them on the walls of caves in places like France, Tennessee, Romania, Australia, and Brazil, to name a few. They depict animals, enigmatic beings, religious symbols, and more.
Fast forward to modern times and you'll find that discussion around painting and art has gotten a bit... well... pretentious.
Discussion of artwork is often cloaked in flowery vocabulary and tense opinions. It can feel incredibly intimidating to try and take the initial step to learn about the history of art.
Learning About Classic Art
Learning about the most famous paintings and painters of all time doesn't have to be a contest in snobbery.
If you're interested in learning about classic painters but are allergic to the retention of the modern art world, never fear. Let's take a look at the best classic artists and why they are worth remembering and celebrating to this day.
Da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci is responsible for the painting that pretty much always tops lists entitled things like "the 10 most famous paintings of all time."
Even if you have never before expressed any interest in the history of art, there is a good chance you're familiar with the Mona Lisa.
Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, either in or near the town of Vinci. He began his career in Florence and later worked in Milan and Rome. Along the way, he attracted the admiration and following of students and imitators alike.
There are fewer than 20 surviving paintings that can be attributed to da Vinci with certainty. Also, some of those are unfinished.
He is considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and is often considered to be the instigator of the High Renaissance.
His paintings are unique and remarkable due to his:
- Detailed knowledge of light, anatomy, geology, and botany
- His techniques for laying on paint
- The emotions he is able to create on the faces of his subjects
It's worth noting that da Vinci was far more than just a painter. A jack of all trades, he can also be rightfully referred to as an architect, scientist, engineer, draughtsman, sculptor, and theorist.
Da Vinci as the Iconic Painter
If the Mona Lisa has always kind of tickled your fancy, you'll want to check out some of his other works.
The Last Supper is a mural that is nearly as recognizable as the Mona Lisa herself, depicting the final dinner before the crucifixion of Christ.
Another portrait of da Vinci's that certainly demands some attention is The Lady with an Ermine.
It is thought this is a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, who was the celebrated mistress of Ludovico Sforza.
Lastly, another incredible painting is one of his early works from 1472-1476 entitled Annunciation. It was for this painting (along with another Annunciation scene) that da Vinci first gained attention as a young painter.
Michelangelo
Though Michelangelo is undoubtedly one of the best classic artists of all time, he didn't really consider himself a painter.
Michelangelo was more so a sculptor who also painted, creating remarkable masterpieces such as the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.
Born in 1475, he was the young contemporary and rival of da Vinci. A Renaissance man in the truest sense of the word, he was an architect and a poet on top of being a sculptor and one of the most sought after painters.
Only a few paintings of Michelangelo's survive to this day. Many of those that do, though, are considered some of the most famous classical paintings that have been created in the history of art.
Michelangelo's Paintings:
You'll definitely want to take a look at the Sistine Chapel frescoes if you're interested in learning about the history of art. The place to start would be with The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgement.
While you're at it, check out The Crucifixion of St. Peter and The Torment of Saint Anthony, the latter of which is the first known painting of his.
(Much of Western culture stems from the fruits of the ancient world. Check out this guide to Virgil to start diving into the world of ancient poetry.)
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian painter born in 1571. He only lived until he was 38 years old. In his short life, though, he managed to have a formative influence on Baroque painting.
(You can check out the musical side of the Baroque period here.)
Caravaggio's paintings were noted for his innovative use of chiaroscuro, which is a fancy way of saying the contrast of light and shadow.
His paintings also included a naturalistic quality that created realistic and dramatic imagery of the human state.
To get a sense of Caravaggio's style, a good place to start is the painting The Calling of Saint Matthew. Considered to be a masterpiece, this classic painting illustrates the precise moment when Matthew was inspired to follow Jesus.
Other paintings to become familiar with Caravaggio are The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, which is notable for its incredibly gory and detailed execution, as well as Bacchus, a painting which portrays the Roman god of wine, madness, and ecstasy.
Rembrandt
Rembrandt van Rijn is one of the few painters in history that is so famous that he's known simply by his first name.
Rembrandt painted everything from landscapes and genre scenes to mythological and historical paintings. He dominated Dutch art for a good chunk of the 17th century.
If you're wondering what you should know about Rembrandt, the most important thing is light, light, light. When you look at his paintings, you'll know exactly what that means.
His most famous painting, The Night Watch, is a gargantuan painting 11 ft by 14 ft in size.
Portraying the military in motion with exceptional use of shadow and light, the painting was created at the height of the Dutch Golden Age.
There are a lot of Rembrandt paintings worth spending some time with. If you had to choose two, though, Return of the Prodigal Son and Bathsheba at the Bath would both be respectable choices.
Vermeer
Another one of the painters from the Dutch Golden Age, Vermeer was born in Delft, Netherlands in October of 1632.
Vermeer is known for depicting the everyday lives of middle-class Dutch people with exquisite use of light. Moderately successful as a genre painter during his life, he only produced a handful of paintings and did not die a wealthy man.
The most well-known painting of Vermeer's is undoubtedly The Girl With the Pearl Earring. Some of his other famous works include The Milkmaid and The Astronomer.
(Looking for some music to listen to while you scroll through images of paintings? Check out this beginner's guide to classical music.)
Jacques-Louis David
Born in 1748, Jacques-Louis David was one of the preeminent painters of the Neoclassical period in France. He eventually became an active supporter of the French Revolution.
At the time, David climbed the ranks and even became a member of the Committee of Public Safety before being imprisoned after his friend Robespierre fell from power.
The Famous Frenchman
As if that wasn't enough of an adventurous life, David then befriended Napoleon after he was released from prison. He produced some of the all-time most iconic paintings of the emperor, like the one below.
After Napoleon fell from power, David self-exiled to Brussels and then to what was then known as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
David is considered to be the strongest influence in early 19th-century French art, and had a huge impact generations of French painters to come.
The Death of Marat is a classical painting that screams "French Revolution!" Depicting Jean-Paul Marat as he lay dying after being stabbed by Charlotte Corday, David began the painting only days after his friend Marat was murdered.
Oath of the Horatii is a painting of an episode from Roman legend. A tense scene surrounding the events of a fight to the death between the champions of warring cities, this is one of David's most famous neoclassical paintings.
The Death of Socrates is a painting of another revolutionary spirit after he was sentenced to death by Hemlock.
Van Gogh
Few names are as recognizable in the history of art as that of Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch post-impressionist artist who lived a tortured life.
Neglected for his talent during his lifetime, he has posthumously become one of the most well-known painters from Europe and beyond.
When you look at 20th-century paintings, it's often hard to not see the influence of van Gogh, who lived between the years of 1853 and 1890.
Prolific while he lived, he created about 860 oil paintings and 2,100 artworks in total.
He produced still lifes, landscapes, self-portraits, and portraits. They are notable for their impulsive, dramatic, and expressive brushwork as well as their bold colors.
Sadly, van Gogh died by suicide at the age of 37 after suffering many years of depression, mental illness, and extreme poverty.
Van Gogh is a good reminder that even if the people in your life see you as a madman or a failure, there's a chance that the work you do in life can still leave an explosive mark on the future of humanity.
Nowadays, you can see van Gogh's painting The Starry Night printed on mugs, t-shirts, and tote bags at art museums around the world.
When you notice someone toting around an object printed with his swirling brushstrokes, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on how remarkably strange it is that he was so overlooked in his own time and now so incredibly mainstream.
That being said, it's hard to know where to begin when it comes to van Gogh. It's worth thumbing (or scrolling) through his many works, which create an emotional tone and vibe unlike the works of any other.
Other famous works include Cafe Terrace at Night and Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, the latter of which depicts his own image after he mutilated his own ear.
The story goes that he had a violent confrontation with his friend Paul Gauguin (another artist well-worth looking into) which somehow ended in him bringing a piece of his ear to a prostitute by the name of Rachel.
For something a bit on the more optimistic side, take a gander at the beautiful Almond Blossom for a palate cleanser.
Claude Monet
Claude Monet is one of the most important founders of French impressionist painting.
Impressionism is a style of painting that emerged around the same time photography was becoming more popular, portable, and accessible. The movement was reactionary in many ways to this new technology.
Impressionism sought to capture moments of day-to-day life with a subjectivity that photography could not.
Monet was born in November of 1840 and lived to be 86. He documented the French countryside relentlessly. He often painted the exact same scene many times over in order to capture the way the seasons pass and the light changes.
It's hard to overstate the impact that Monet's work had on the artwork of the 20th century.
You'll probably want to spend some time exploring his Water Lilies and Haystacks collections. They'll give you a sense of the way he truly studied light, nature, and the art of capturing the present, fleeting moment.
Monet's work Impression, Sunrise is credited with inspiring the naming of the Impressionist movement and is a depiction of the landscape of the Le Havre port.
Conclusion:
The history of Western culture can be told through art. By exploring the paintings of the artists listed in this article, we can learn a lot about the origins of our contemporary society.
Of course, these classic painters are just a starting point. There are so many other wonderful artists out there to discover!
Not only do great paintings capture the occurrence of events or the preserve the appearance of famous individuals, but they also contain deep emotional information and cue us in to the zeitgeist of their time period.
The works of these classic painters can help illuminate your imagination of a world that came before: the world that indeed shaped our own modern-day reality.
As you witness the evolution of different painting styles over the centuries, you can see how vastly different a portrait or a landscape can look depending on the thoughts, beliefs, philosophies, and tastes of the time.
Both reflective and inventive, these classic painters are a product of the culture they came from. Yet at the same time, without them, the culture would not be what it was.
If you're looking to jump into the world of classical music as a part of your journey into the world of Western art, check out these pieces from the Romantic period, which is often the most accessible period of classical music.
Are you drawn to the beauty and wisdom hidden within the art of Western culture? If so, scroll down to enter your email address so you can join the growing movement of people committed to exploring and preserving the greatest works of Western art.
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Looking forward to accompanying you on your journey,
-Evan