Art is timeless and these 25 most famous paintings in the world are testaments to it. A piece of art can transcend the time it was created. The artist may not know it yet during the time he labors on his masterpiece but there’s no limit to its impact once it’s done. Art is so powerful it can influence our culture, society, and the world.
While it may not be the most lucrative job in the world to be an artist, history has proven that devotion to one’s craft can bring prestige and yes, even monetary gain. Some artists are fortunate enough to experience it while others didn’t live long enough to benefit from it. Just look at the value of the most expensive stolen paintings in the world. These artists probably had no idea that their works would fetch millions of dollars.
These popular paintings are curated based on their popularity, relevance to the times, and worldwide impact. We also factored in their contribution to the arts in general (i.e. if it ushered in a new genre or triggered an art movement) and historical value. Pablo Picasso once said, “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” Let’s begin the cleansing and start basking in the beauty of these paintings!
25. The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck
This 1434 oil on oak painting goes by other names such as The Arnolfini Wedding, The Arnolfini Marriage, and Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife. Created by Netherland native Jan Van Eyck, this iconic painting was acquired by the National Gallery of London in 1842. The man in the painting, Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini, is a member of a merchant family from Lucca. Contrary to what most people think, his wife is not pregnant in the painting.
The convex mirror behind the couple is one of the most notable parts of the painting due to its attention to detail. The glistening chandelier also reflected Realism at its finest. It is the oldest painting ever rendered in oil and Eyck is known as the first to ever master oil painting. If the piece is auctioned today, it would fetch for over $123 million.
24. Dogs Playing Poker by C.M. Coolidge
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge is an American artist known for creating the Dogs Playing Poker series. It is composed of 16 paintings created in 1903 for Brown & Bigelow, an advertising firm. Seared into American consciousness, the most popular work in this series is A Friend in Need where you see two dogs cheat with one passing an ace to the other. Prior to the commissioned series, Coolidge created the Poker Game in 1894, which was sold on November 18, 2015, at an auction at Sotheby’s for $658,000. His two other paintings A Bold Bluff and Waterloo were sold at $590,400 in 2005.
When it comes to its popularity, art critic Annette Ferrara has this to say, “These signature works, for better or worse, are indelibly burned into the subconscious slide library of even the most un–art historically inclined person through their incessant reproduction on all manner of pop ephemera: calendars, t–shirts, coffee mugs, the occasional advertisement. The difference with Coolidge’s most famous image and these others, however, is that Coolidge’s subjects seem to have gambling problems and, one surmises, doggy breath.”
23. Under the Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai
Known as the most famous Asian painting, Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave) ranks 23rd in our list of most famous paintings in the world. It is a woodblock print created by Katsushika Hokusai sometime between 1830 and 1832. It is part of the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fiji series. While most people will notice the breathtaking waves in this painting, the Mount Fiji is at the center of it. Hokusai became famous for his clever use of indigo and Prussian blue. His impressive juxtaposition of the humongous wave foreground and tiny mountain background is what makes this painting spectacular.
These prints are currently displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute in Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, British Museum in London, and National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. Hokusai is known to have used the Ukiyo-e technique or the Japanese art of creating woodblock prints and paintings. The Great Wave is one of the most reproduced prints in the world. You can find it on John Mayer’s album cover, the water wave emoji, and Quicksilver logo.
22. A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat
Displayed at The Art Institute of Chicago, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte was created in 1884. This masterpiece is the largest and most famous work of French painter George Seurat. He used the pointillism technique in this artwork, creating minuscule dots to paint. These tiny dots appear solid when viewed from afar. He is known for being a master of complementary colors and Parisian life.
Seurat was once quoted saying, “I want to make modern people, in their essential traits, move about as they do on those friezes, and place them on canvases organized by harmonies of color.” On May 1886, the painting had its biggest exposure at the eighth Impressionist exhibition.
21. Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez
Painted in 1656, the Las Meninas was created during the Baroque period by Spanish Golden Age leading artist Diego Velázquez. This masterpiece is currently exhibited at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. The setting depicts Infanta Margarita Teresa surrounded by her meninas namely María Agustina Sarmiento and Isabel de Velasco, chamberlain José Nieto, chaperone Marcela de Ulloa, two dwarfs Mari Bárbola and Nicolasito Pertusato, and a mastiff.
This was created during the reign of King Philip IV of Spain, who made an appearance in the painting through a portrait hanging on the wall with his wife Mariana of Austria. It is the first painting within a painting. Velázquez painted himself in the artwork as well, gaining the reputation as probably the world’s first photobomb. This masterpiece is known for its multi-layered meanings and day-in-life or genre painting.
20. Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens
The Massacre of the Innocents ranks 20th in our list of most famous paintings in the world. It depicts the killing of infants in Bethlehem as narrated in Matthew 2:13-18. Created between 1611 and 1612, Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens painted two versions of this piece 25 years apart. Rubens learned from Baroque masters like Caravaggio as seen in his vibrant colors, evocative emotions, and Chiaroscuro technique.
In 2002, the painting was sold at a Sotheby’s auction for £49.5 million or $76.7 million and was donated by the buyer, Kenneth Thompson, to the Art Gallery of Ontario. It was the largest gift ever made to a Canadian cultural institution. This piece is one of the most iconic Flemish Baroque artworks.
19. Bal du moulin de la Galette (Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Known as the most important 1870s Impressionist work of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bal du moulin de la Galette that ranks 19th in our list of most famous paintings in the world is currently displayed at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. It is a depiction of the vivacious atmosphere of the famous dance garden on Butte Montmartre. The vibrant brushstrokes made the scene more alive and invigorating. It is considered one of the most celebrated masterpieces of Impressionism.
Renoir used to attend Sunday dances at the Moulin de la Galette, an open-air dance hall and café often visited by artists in Paris. It then became the setting of his famous painting. This piece is also known as one of the happiest paintings in his body of work.
18. The Son of Man by René Magritte
Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte created a self-portrait in the 1964 painting The Son of Man. It is currently held in a private collection. Magritte said that this artwork is about humanity. In an interview he said, “Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see, but it is impossible. Humans hide their secrets too well…There is an interest in that which is hidden and which the visible does not show us.”
This painting inspired the film Thomas Crown Affair starring Pierce Brosnan. Magritte’s artwork also appeared in the movies Stranger than Fiction and Days of Summer. It also made a short stint in Michael Jackson’s music video Scream. Artist Norman Rockwell created a modern version of this piece as an homage to Magritte. He named it Mr. Apple.
17. School of Athens by Raphael
Also known as Scuola di Atene, this famous Italian fresco that ranks 17th in our list of most famous paintings in the world is found at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. Renaissance artist Raphael worked on this from 1509 to 1511. It depicted the gathering of the greatest philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists discussing and exchanging insights. Philosophers Plato (left) and Aristotle (right) are seen in the middle of the painting. Pythagoras, Ptolemy, Euclid, and Zoroaster are also seen in the magnificent fresco.
School of Athens is one of the four frescoes painted by Raphael. It is one of the best examples of High Renaissance art. The fresco is Raphael’s greatest masterpiece. Since then, there have been multiple copies of the painting. One is by Anton Raphael Mengs in 1755 found at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In the US, it can be found at the University of Virginia, University of North Carolina, and Baylor University in Texas.
16. No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock
Created by American Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock, No. 5, 1948 ranks 16th in our list of most famous paintings in the world. It was done on a fiberboard eight feet high and four feet wide. It is an abstract of mainly brown, gray, white with drizzles of yellow. Pollock’s contribution to the abstract movement is his drip painting technique, and he was called Jack the Dripper because of this. This technique gave birth to “action painting.” Pollock’s masterpiece once fetched for $140 million in 2006 or $4 million per square foot.
The band The Stone Roses alluded to the painting in the song Going Down (“she looks like a painting, Jackson Pollock’s Number 5”). It was also central to the multi-awarded, 2015 movie Ex Machina wherein Nathan Bateman played by Oscar Isaac used the painting as an object lesson for Caleb Smith played by Domhanall Gleeson.
15. American Gothic by Grant Wood
This iconic painting that ranks 15th in our list of most famous paintings in the world was created in 1940 by American painter Grant Wood. American Gothic is currently housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. It was one of the most popular artworks in the 20th century. He was inspired by the Dibble House or now known as the American Gothic House. Wood asked his sister Nan and dentist Dr. McKeeby to be the models of the realistic painting. This painting paved the way for the art movement called Regionalism, depicting the beauty of rural settings.
According to his biographer, Wood tried to convey “borrowed pretentiousness” as seen in the Gothic window on a “flimsy-frame house.” This painting has been parodied many times with couples dressing up and taking pictures in front of the house. It has been featured in the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the Broadway show The Music Man, and TV show Green Acres.
14. Whistler’s Mother by James McNeill Whistler
Originally known as Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, this masterpiece that ranks 14th in our list of most famous paintings in the world was created by American painter James McNeill Whistler in 1871. The muse in this painting is none other than his mother, Anna McNeill Whistler. His intention for this painting was to make it a study in color and form. Currently exhibited at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, this artwork is one of the most renowned paintings by an American artist outside of the US.
The painting was a powerful symbol during the Great Depression depicting mothers stoically facing hardships. President Frankin Roosevelt commissioned it to be used as a Mother’s Day stamp. It was seen in films such as I Am Legend, The Fortune Cookie, Sing and Like It, and Babette’s Feast. It was even central to the story of the movie Bean. It was also part of Don Delillo’s novel Underworld. The painting was recreated in one of the photoshoots in America’s Next Top Model Cycle 5.
13. Self-Portrait Without Beard by Vincent Van Gogh
This is the first of the two Vincent Van Gogh paintings in our list of most famous paintings in the world! Created in 1889, Self-Portrait Without Beard is one of Vincent Van Gogh’s famous paintings. It is a portrait of himself oil painted on canvas. Van Gogh painted the piece for her mother, Anna Cornelia Carbentus van Gogh for her 70th birthday. Not long after, he committed suicide.
The gift was his way of reassuring his mom that he was doing well. But clearly, he wasn’t. Van Gogh created the painting while he was still at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saint-Rémy. For its compelling story and iconic image, this masterpiece definitely deserves a spot on our list of 25 most famous paintings in the world. In 1998, it was sold for $71.5 million at a Christie’s auction.
12. Guernica by Pablo Picasso
Known as Pablo Picasso’s famous work, Guernica, the next one in our list of most famous paintings in the world is recognized as one of the most powerful anti-war paintings ever created. This 1937 mural-sized masterpiece is currently housed at Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. It is 11 feet tall and 25 feet wide! Picasso based his painting on the Hitler-sanctioned bombing of Guernica, a village with no military threat. The painting went on an international tour in the 1940s to support Spanish refugees.
Monochromatic with varying shades of black, gray, and white, the mural was displayed to millions of people at the Paris World’s Fair shortly after it was created. Guernica made the cubism technique famous. This Picasso masterpiece has a global and historical impact like no other.
11. The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali
Created in 1931, The Persistence of Memory that ranks 11th in our list of most famous paintings in the world is one of Salvador Dali’s most prominent paintings. It is currently displayed at the Museum of Modern Art. The painting is also popularly known as The Melting Watches or The Soft Watches. It was the artwork that put Dali’s name on the map. He said that he created this painting “to systematize confusion and thus to help discredit completely the world of reality.”
Dali resorted to self-inflicted hallucination to go to his creative place in a process called paranoiac-critical method. Many art critics believe that this painting is a nod to Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. The painting has been referenced in pop culture many times. It was featured in Doctor Who, The Simpsons, Hey Arnold, Sesame Street, Futurama, Far Side comics, and video games Earthbound and Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced.
10. The Night Watch by Rembrandt
This famous Baroque art painted by Rembrandt van Rijn was created in 1642. It is currently housed at the Amsterdam Museum and known as one of the most prominent paintings in the Dutch Golden Age. The setting of the painting that ranks 10th in our list of most famous paintings in the world is actually during the day so the title is pretty much inconsistent. The more accurate title for this is the “Officers and Men of the Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Wilhelm van Ruytenburgh.”
The Night Watch is a portrait of civil guardsmen of Netherlands. Rembrandt was commissioned by the city of Amsterdam to do this. The painting was reenacted in the 1982 film Passion. It inspired the musical works of Gustav Mahler and Ayreon. It was also the subject of the 2007 film Nightwatching and was parodied in a Terry Pratchett book cover.
9. Water Lilies by Claude Monet
Inspired by his own flower garden in Giverny, Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, definitely one of the most famous paintings in the world, is one of the 250 oil paintings on the same subject. The Father of Impressionism created this piece in 1916 and is currently displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago. He painted this stunning masterpiece despite having a cataract at that time. His obsession on “water landscapes” was reflected on his repeated artworks on water lilies.
This painting broke the boundaries of Impressionism. He described his creation as, “the illusion of an endless whole, of water without horizon or bank.” Instead of having a view of nature at a field or seaside like what most Impressionists did, Monet changed it by immersing you in the view of the lily pond, taking viewers within instead of keeping them at bay.
8. The Kiss by Gustav Klimt
Known as one of the proponents of Art Nouveau style, Austrian painter Gustav Klimt is a true creator of decorative masterpieces. The Kiss ranks 8th in our list of most famous paintings in the world and it is Klimt’s most popular work and is exhibited at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere museum in Vienna. He used layers of gold paint and gold leaf to bring these kissing lovers to life. The painting is considered as the symbol of Viennese Art Noveau.
The Kiss is one of the early forms of the Arts and Crafts movement and probably the most influential piece in the Art Noveau genre. Syrian artist Tammam Azzam superimposed this image on one of the bullet-ridden buildings in Syria. His digital art went viral as a form of awareness about the ongoing civil war in the country.
7. The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer
We are continuing our list of most famous paintings in the world with this 1902 masterpiece by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer which is currently displayed at the Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery in Netherlands. The original title of Vermeer’s creation is Girl with a Turban. This painting is often called The Dutch Mona Lisa. It was believed that the girl was Maria, Vermeer’s eldest daughter.
In 1999, Tracy Chevalier wrote a novel with the same title. In 2003, a movie was based on The Girl with a Pearl Earring novel and from it, a play was produced in 2008. Vermeer’s artwork also appeared in the 2007 film St. Trinian’s.
6. The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli
One of the most celebrated works of the Renaissance era, The Birth of Venus, the number 6 in our list of most famous paintings in the world, was created by Italian artist Sandro Botticelli. It is currently exhibited at the Uffizi Gallery Museum in Florence, Italy. The painting was believed to be created sometime between 1482 and 1485. It was based on Homer’s writings on Venus, the goddess of love, emerging from the sea.
The nudity of Venus was a big step for the arts at a time when Christian themes were predominant. It opened the doors for mythological and historical themes. Due to its immense size (6’x 9’), it is known as the “first large-scale canvas created in Renaissance Florence.”
5. The Scream by Edvard Munch
Created in 1903 by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, The Scream is called “an icon of modern art.” The painting that ranks 5th in our list of most famous paintings in the world was an expression of his inner torment, and this gave birth to the art style we now know as Expressionism. Munich defined how we view our age “wracked with anxiety and uncertainty.” Two versions of this painting are at the National Gallery in Oslo, and another one is at Munch Museum. In 2012, the last version of The Scream was sold at the Sotheby’s for $119.9 million.
The painting is on the cover of Arthur Janov’s book The Primal Scream. Andy Warhol made silk prints of Munch’s famous artwork. Macaulay Culkin’s Home Alone face was inspired by this painting. Cartoonist Gary Larson did a tribute to Munch’s masterpiece, too. The most famous pop culture allusion of the painting was the mask used for the horror movies Scream. The “face screaming in fear” emoji was also based on the famous artwork.
4. The Creation of Adam by Michaelangelo
Located in the Sistine Chapel, The Creation of Adam, the next one in our list of most famous paintings in the world, was painted Michaelangelo from 1508-1512. The fresco was based on the Book of Genesis when God breathed life into Adam. This breathtaking fresco is undeniably one of the great jewels of Western art. It shows the grandeur of God and the humanity of man. Michaelangelo’s achievement was recognized as superhuman in the world of art. And for its majestic grandeur, it truly is.
A lot of pop culture art was created from this renowned artwork. The movie poster of E.T. was a nod to this painting. The Creation of Muppet by parody artist James Hance recreated the scene with Kermit the Frog as Adam and Jim Henson as God. In the comic books, it was reimagined by artist Keith Giffen in The Legion of Superheroes #294 when Darkseid attacked Shadow Lass and Light Lass.
3. The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci
The first of the two Leonardo da Vinci paintings on our list is The Last Supper, ranks 3rd in our list of most famous paintings in the world. It was created sometime between 1495 and 1498. The ginormous mural is 15 feet high and 29 feet wide. It is housed in a convent at Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan. The scene was taken from John 13:21 wherein Jesus predicted His betrayal. Da Vinci used a new technique for this masterpiece by painting tempera paint on stone.
Da Vinci was known as a Renaissance Man for his contributions as an artist, scientist, engineer, inventor, author, and humanist. The perspective lines radiating from the head of Christ indicate that he is the focal point of the painting and they blend with the ceilings and walls. He was also well framed by the doorway, providing the contrast from the outside view. This Da Vinci formula has since been copied and became the standard for artists creating symbolic paintings.
2. Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh
At number two in our list of most famous paintings in the world, we have this majestic painting created in June 1889 from Vincent Van Gogh’s asylum window at Saint-Paul-de-Mausole. He wrote to his brother Theo about his inspiration saying, “This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big.” Starry Night is currently housed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Van Gogh did over 2,000 oil paintings, drawings, watercolors, and sketches. But they only became famous after he died. His style ushered in Post-Impressionism, a term for works expressed as emotional and psychological responses rendered in bold colors with symbolic images. He may have sold only one painting his entire life, but his impact on the world of art has been lasting.
The painting was the subject of Don McLean’s song Vincent (Starry, Starry Night). It appeared on the gallery of Akira Kurosawa’s film Dreams, on an episode of Doctor Who titled Vincent and the Doctor, on the movie Home, on the background of the animated film Coraline, mentioned on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and used even on a Little Einsteins episode.
1. Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
No doubt the famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is exhibited at The Louvre since 1797. It has the reputation of being “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world.” Of all the 6,000 paintings in the museum, 90% of the people line up to see Da Vinci’s greatest masterpiece. Its viewing averages 1,500 people per hour with every person staring for around three minutes.
Created in 1503, this stunning painting was reportedly commissioned by Italian cloth merchant Francesco del Giocondo. It was the portrait of his wife, Lisa Gherardini. Its alternative title is La Gioconda. Da Vinci created a new formula that was followed by succeeding artists, which involved a half-length portrait, hands joined in the foreground and a three-quarter view of a portrait against a landscape background. And then there’s the enigmatic smile of Mona Lisa, an obsession of 19th-century art critics.
People’s fascination with the Mona Lisa started way back with Surrealists and Dadaists creating caricatures and modifications of this painting. Salvador Dali made Self-Portrait as Mona Lisa while Andy Warhol made serigraph prints of Mona Lisas called Thirty are Better than One. There are even YouTube parodies of Mona Lisa including a New Yorker animation of her smile progressing into something maniacal. To this day, the global fascination for Da Vinci’s muse hasn’t waned.
Each of these 25 most famous paintings in the world has a lasting cultural and historical impact. A picture not only paints a thousand words but also years of influence. Their value to society cannot be undermined. Preserving these paintings for future generations is one of the things we can do to honor the artists who generously shared their talents with us.
