The 24 most famous paintings in history, the most important works of art
From cave paintings to the avant-garde, there are many works of art that are studied in textbooks and are acclaimed by great historians and art critics. You may have heard of many of these paintings and may even have had the opportunity to see one in person. But, although the world of art and history is full of unmissable works of art, it is true that not all of them can boast of being among the most famous paintings in history.
Art lovers are willing to endure long queues to see some of these most famous paintings in person, all of them located in some of the best art museums in the world . They represent some of the most important artistic movements in our history, such as baroque painting, neoclassical painting, cubism and surrealism. And, of course, although they are not sold, almost all of them have once been among the most expensive paintings in the world .
Most of these historical paintings are reproduced on all kinds of media, such as prints and merchandising items that we can buy in museums or online stores. And some are also reworked to the point of exhaustion, as has happened with Andy Warhol’s works – the portrait of Marilyn or the Campbell’s soup can. Because they are the great paintings that marked a before and after in their day, that generated controversy, devotion, aversion, started artistic movements and ended others. And today they continue to be the object of study and veneration.
Which is considered the most famous painting in the world?
We cannot speak in general terms, as it is very difficult to know which painting is the most famous around the world. What we do have at hand are the visitor figures for each of the museums in which the works of the most important painters in the world are housed.
And taking them into account, we can say that the most visited painting in the world is La Gioconda or Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci .
What are the most famous paintings in the world?
In this list of the most important paintings you will find the great painters , such as Michelangelo or Da Vinci and also, of course, some of the most famous Spanish painters . Without a doubt, all of these paintings deserve to be in this top 50. Enjoy them.
1- The Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci
As we mentioned before, the Mona Lisa, or The Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, is not only one of the most famous paintings, but it is also the most visited painting in the world. It is located in the Louvre Museum in Paris, and there are still many theories about the identity of the protagonist. About her and also about her enigmatic smile, which is what makes this work of art special.
Whoever the woman portrayed is, what we do know is that she was portrayed by Leonardo da Vinci , the great Renaissance artist, at the beginning of the 16th century.
2- Impression, Rising Sun, Claude Monet
It may not be the most famous painting of the Impressionist movement, but it did mark a turning point in the art world, since this painting is known as Impressionism – critics used the term taken from the work as a mockery.
3- Altamira Cave
One of the best representations of Paleolithic cave art, with figures of bison, horses, deer, hands and other signs in the caves that give it its name, located in the Cantabrian town of Santillana del Mar.
4- The Meninas, Diego de Velázquez
One of the most representative works of the Golden Age of Spanish painting – and one of the most admired in the Prado Museum – dated around 1656, entitled The Family of Philip IV.
5- The Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo
In 1508, Pope Sixtus IV commissioned Michelangelo to paint the vault of this chapel in the Vatican. Today, these frescoes depicting various episodes from Genesis constitute one of the most famous works of painting.
6- Guernica, Pablo Picasso
A statement against war painted by the artist in 1937 after learning of the German air raids on the Basque town that gives it its name. After many journeys, it has been on display at the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid since 1981. Without a doubt one of Pablo Picasso’s most famous paintings .
7- The Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh
The Starry Night is, perhaps, along with his self-portraits, the most representative, well-known and personal work of the artist, who painted it while he was admitted to the psychiatric hospital. The truth is that all his work has been a subject of study and admiration from his contemporaries to our time. In fact, The Starry Night, in addition to being one of the most famous paintings in history, is, of course, one of the most famous paintings by Vincent van Gogh .
8- The Birth of Venus, Botticelli
This work depicts a scene from Greco-Roman mythology exquisitely executed in 1485 and is one of the first pagan nudes in the history of painting, which is on display in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
9- The Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymus Bosch
This triptych is the most complex creation of the painter (1450-1516) and its representation of scenes from the Creation of the world such as Paradise and Hell have inspired countless later works.
10- Girl with a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer
One of the most beautiful portraits in the history of art, painted by the Dutch painter around 1665. It is also known as Girl with a Turban and can be seen in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague (Netherlands).
11- Saint Isidore of Leon
Within the Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidoro in León is the Pantheon of the Kings, a space known as the “Sistine Chapel of the Romanesque” for its ceilings richly decorated with thousand-year-old frescoes.
12- Marilyn, Andy Warhol
This painting is part of a series of silkscreen prints of the famous actress that Warhol made in 1964, each with a different background colour. It recently became the most expensive painting of the 20th century after an auction . Discover Andy Warhol’s most famous paintings.
13- Composition in red, yellow, blue, white and black, Piet Mondrian
This work (1921) –and similar ones– by the Dutch painter is a symbol of the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century. Its geometries transcended painting into other fields such as fashion, design and architecture. In designer stores you can find decorative items inspired by Mondrian .
14- The two Fridas, Frida Kahlo
This self-portrait of the revered Mexican painter represents, like few others, the complex duality of her person, with the symbolism that marked all her work. Two Fridas, two lives, different and yet united. These are other works by Frida Kahlo that you should know.
15- The Executions, Francisco de Goya
Or also known as The Third of May in Madrid . Although it is dated in 1814, this work narrates the events that occurred in 1808 with the uprising against the French occupation, although it is often used in popular culture to represent the Civil War.
Apart from The Executions, these are Francisco de Goya’s most famous paintings .
16- The Scream, by Munch
In reality, it is not one painting, but several, in which Edvard Munch himself adapted (around 1890) this scene of a man screaming, according to some, or covering his ears when he hears a scream, according to others. As a curiosity, it is said to be the most stolen painting in history .
17- The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, El Greco
Created around 1586, it is considered one of the author’s best works, in which all the particularities of this unique artist are represented. It is located in the Church of Santo Tomé, in Toledo.
18- The Great Century, René Magritte
Or any of his versions of the famous man with a bowler hat that he depicted so many times and which is actually a self-portrait would also be valid. The bowler hat and apple paintings are some of René Magritte’s most famous paintings .
19- The Kiss, Gustav Klimt
This is probably the best-known work by the Austrian painter and was created at the beginning of the 20th century (around 1908). This canvas with gold applications is on display at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere in Vienna.
20- One: Number 31, Jackson Pollock
This work from 1950, exhibited at the MoMa in New York, exemplifies the drip technique of this American artist, the greatest exponent of Abstract Expressionism.
21- Dance at the Moulin de la Galette, Pierre Auguste Renoir
This work is one of the most enigmatic by the Impressionist painter and is kept in the Orsay Museum in Paris. It depicts a dance at the Moulin de la Galette, an old snack bar in the Parisian district of Montmartre. A marvellous composition, with a treatment of light and colour that eclipses.
22- The Death of Marat, Jacques-Louis David
This magnificent oil painting depicting the revolutionary Jean Paul-Marat, on display in Brussels, is in the neoclassical style, which was very fashionable at the time (1793). In the image we see Marat stabbed in the very bathtub where he was relaxing.
23- The Night Watch, Rembrandt
It is undoubtedly Rembrandt’s best-known work, and the title ‘Night Watch’ was given to it in the 19th century due to its dark background. Although the action painted actually took place during the day, the painting was damaged by the oxidation of the varnish and dirt. It was painted between 1639 and 1642 and is one of the jewels of the permanent exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, an art gallery specialising in Dutch art.
24- The Arnolfini Marriage, Jan van Eyck
This is one of the oldest and best preserved paintings in the world, dating from 1434. It depicts a silk merchant of the time, the Italian Giovanni Arnolfini, and his wife Constanza Trenta, who appears pregnant, representing fertility. It is in the National Gallery in London.
