Famous Paintings from Around the World

One of the highest honors for an artist is to be considered and regarded as a master. They desire to produce artwork that is remembered forever. The following are the most Famous Paintings of all time found here , recognized by many folks who hail from all the corners of the world.

The Last Supper

The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci, is one of the most famous works of art in the world. It is a large fresco style painting on the wall of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy. It is not a true fresco because it was painted on a dry wall, instead of wet plaster. Unfortunately, because of the medium used, the work began to deteriorate fairly soon after it was painted, and so over the years numerous restoration attempts have been made to restore and preserve it.

Although it took over three years to complete, da Vinci did not actually work on it continuously. No one knows the exact date of commencement due to lost and unreliable record-keeping.

Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is quite possibly the most well-known piece of painted artwork in the entire world. It was painted by the Leonardo Da Vinci, the famous Italian artist, between 1504 and 1519, and is a half body commission for a woman named Lisa Gherardini. Her husband, Francesco Del Giocondo requested the work by Da Vinci just after the turn of the century. It is perhaps the most studied piece of artwork ever known. The subject’s facial expression has brought about a source of debate for centuries, as her face remains largely enigmatic in the portrait. Originally commissioned in Italy, it is now at home in the French Republic, and hangs on display in the Louvre in Paris.

The Night Watch

Rembrandt painted The Night Watch in 1642 and is known as one of his most famous paintings. It is also been recognized as one of Rembrandt’s most debatable and controversial works of art. The Night Watch is the largest painting (at 142.9 in x 172.0 in) in Rembrandt’s line of work. totallyhistory.com The light and dark contrast in the military portrait is very well recognized.

The captain of the civic militia guards and 17 of its members are thought to have commissioned the painting and paid Rembrandt 1,600 guilders to paint The Night Watch. This was considered a great deal of money in that era. There are thirty-four figures that appear in  The  Night Watch.