Famous paintings of the 20th century. The most beautiful paintings in the world

Although I think that the profession of a designer is not related to art, it seems to me that cultural education and the development of taste are important for every designer. Therefore, today’s post will be a little general education.

I would like every person to admire the immortal paintings of great artists. In this article I have collected the best and iconic paintings various masters of fine art.

Get inspired for good health (clickable)!

Leonardo da Vinci "La Gioconda"

It seems to me that we should start the review with the most probably famous painting in the world - Mona Lisa (or “Mona Lisa”) by Leonardo da Vinci. This is a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, painted approximately 1503-1505. Currently kept in the Louvre.

A significant feature of the picture is the famous mysterious smile Mona Lisa. There are several secrets in the world's most famous smile that excite minds to this day. The first secret: it is difficult to understand whether Mona Lisa is actually smiling or just seems to be smiling. The second and third riddles can only be seen live, having been in the Louvre: from any place in the hall it seems that the portrait is looking at you and smiling only at you; gradually passing by the portrait from left to right, you can notice how the girl in it is getting older. I personally observed the last two phenomena and can confirm that they actually take place.

Raphael "Sistine Madonna"

This picture is often used for various Christmas cards. Or rather the angels from below. The painting was commissioned from Raphael in 1512. Currently kept in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden.

Leonardo da Vinci "The Last Supper"

The fresco depicts Christ's last supper with his disciples. It was painted in 1495-1498 in the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Approximate size 4.5 m x 8.7 m.

Sandro Botticelli "Birth of Venus"

The painting by the famous Italian is kept in Florence in the Uffizi Gallery. The painting was painted in 1486. And it depicts the goddess of beauty born from sea foam and coming onto land.

Salvador Dali "The Persistence of Memory"

Probably the most famous painting by Salvador Dali. Personally, the picture goes straight to my brain and makes me doubt the reality of the world around me. Written in 1931 and currently kept in the Museum contemporary art in NYC.

Kazimir Malevich " Black square"

This canvas, measuring 79.5 x 79.5 centimeters, was iconic and gave rise to a new direction in painting. At the same time, “Black Square” is also the most controversial painting. There are quite a few people who don’t see art here and say that they will draw just as well. Since 1915, Malevich painted 7 identical paintings.

Interesting fact: many critics suggest that Malevich originally painted a different picture, and later covered it with black paint. Investigations into the location were carried out repeatedly, but art historians were outraged, arguing that irreparable harm could be caused to the painting.

Vincent van Gogh "Starlight Night"

One of my favorite paintings in general. Painted by a Dutch artist in 1889. Currently kept at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Karl Bryulov " The last day of Pompeii"

The Russian painter painted this picture in 1830 after visiting Pompeii. The film tells the story of the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which buried an entire city. Currently stored in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

Pablo Picasso "Girl on the Ball"

The painting was painted by the famous Spanish artist in 1905 and depicts a group of traveling acrobats. Currently stored in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow.

Ivan Aivazovsky "The Ninth Wave"

The picture amazes with its riot of colors and shows the helplessness of man in the face of the elements. Painted by the world famous Russian artist in 1850. Exhibited in St. Petersburg at the State Russian Museum.

In fact, this list can be continued indefinitely. There are a huge number of works of art in the world. I recommend watching all of them live.

No inspiration? I advise you to choose a time and visit a good museum.

In almost every significant work art is a mystery, a “double bottom” or secret history, which I want to reveal.

Music on the buttocks

Hieronymus Bosch, "The Garden" earthly pleasures", 1500-1510.

Fragment of part of a triptych

Disputes about meanings and hidden meanings most famous work Dutch artist have not subsided since its appearance. The right wing of the triptych called “Musical Hell” depicts sinners who are tortured in the underworld with the help of musical instruments. One of them has music notes stamped on his buttocks. Oklahoma Christian University student Amelia Hamrick, who studied the painting, translated the 16th-century notation into a modern twist and recorded “a 500-year-old butt song from hell.”

Nude Mona Lisa

The famous "La Gioconda" exists in two versions: the nude version is called "Monna Vanna", it was written by little-known artist Salai, who was a student and model of the great Leonardo da Vinci. Many art historians are sure that it was he who was the model for Leonardo’s paintings “John the Baptist” and “Bacchus”. There are also versions that Salai, dressed in a woman’s dress, served as the image of the Mona Lisa herself.

Old Fisherman

In 1902 Hungarian artist Tivadar Kostka Chontvari painted the painting “ Old Fisherman" It would seem that there is nothing unusual in the picture, but Tivadar put into it a subtext that was never revealed during the artist’s lifetime.

Few people thought of placing a mirror in the middle of the picture. In each person there can be both God (the Old Man's right shoulder is duplicated) and the Devil (the Old Man's left shoulder is duplicated).

Was there a whale?

Hendrik van Antonissen, Shore Scene.

It would seem like an ordinary landscape. Boats, people on the shore and a deserted sea. And only an X-ray study showed that people gathered on the shore for a reason - in the original they were looking at the carcass of a whale washed ashore.

However, the artist decided that no one would want to look at a dead whale, and rewrote the painting.

Two "Breakfasts on the Grass"

Edouard Manet, "Luncheon on the Grass", 1863.

Claude Monet, "Luncheon on the Grass", 1865.

The artists Edouard Manet and Claude Monet are sometimes confused - after all, they were both French, lived at the same time and worked in the style of impressionism. Monet even borrowed the title of one of Manet’s most famous paintings, “Luncheon on the Grass,” and wrote his own “Luncheon on the Grass.”

Doubles at the Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci, "The Last Supper", 1495-1498.

When Leonardo da Vinci wrote The Last Supper, he attached particular importance to two figures: Christ and Judas. He spent a very long time looking for models for them. Finally, he managed to find a model for the image of Christ among the young singers. Leonardo was unable to find a model for Judas for three years. But one day he came across a drunkard on the street who was lying in a gutter. He was a young man who had been aged by heavy drinking. Leonardo invited him to a tavern, where he immediately began to paint Judas from him. When the drunkard came to his senses, he told the artist that he had already posed for him once. It was several years ago, when he sang in the church choir, Leonardo painted Christ from him.

"Night Watch" or "Day Watch"?

Rembrandt, " The night Watch", 1642.

One of Rembrandt’s most famous paintings, “The Performance of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg,” hung in different rooms for about two hundred years and was discovered by art historians only in the 19th century. Since the figures seemed to appear against a dark background, it was called “Night Watch,” and under this name it entered the treasury of world art.

And only during the restoration carried out in 1947, it was discovered that in the hall the painting had managed to become covered with a layer of soot, which distorted its color. After clearing the original painting, it was finally revealed that the scene represented by Rembrandt actually takes place during the day. The position of the shadow from Captain Kok's left hand shows that the duration of action is no more than 14 hours.

Overturned boat

Henri Matisse, "The Boat", 1937.

Henri Matisse's painting "The Boat" was exhibited at the New York Museum of Modern Art in 1961. Only after 47 days did someone notice that the painting was hanging upside down. The canvas depicts 10 purple lines and two blue sails on a white background. The artist painted two sails for a reason; the second sail is a reflection of the first on the surface of the water.
In order not to make a mistake in how the picture should hang, you need to pay attention to the details. The larger sail should be the top of the painting, and the peak of the painting's sail should be toward the top right corner.

Deception in self-portrait

Vincent van Gogh, "Self-Portrait with a Pipe", 1889.

There are legends that Van Gogh allegedly cut off his own ear. Now the most reliable version is that van Gogh damaged his ear in a small brawl involving another artist, Paul Gauguin.

The self-portrait is interesting because it reflects reality in a distorted form: the artist is depicted with his right ear bandaged because he used a mirror when working. In fact, it was the left ear that was affected.

Alien bears

Ivan Shishkin, "Morning in the Pine Forest", 1889.

The famous painting belongs not only to Shishkin. Many artists who were friends with each other often resorted to “the help of a friend,” and Ivan Ivanovich, who painted landscapes all his life, was afraid that his touching bears would not turn out the way he needed. Therefore, Shishkin turned to his friend, the animal artist Konstantin Savitsky.

Savitsky drew perhaps the best bears in history Russian painting, and Tretyakov ordered his name to be washed off the canvas, since everything in the painting “from the concept to the execution, everything speaks about the manner of painting, about creative method, characteristic of Shishkin."

The innocent story of "Gothic"

Grant Wood, " American Gothic", 1930.

Grant Wood's work is considered one of the strangest and most depressing in history. American painting. The picture with the gloomy father and daughter is filled with details that indicate the severity, puritanism and retrograde nature of the people depicted.
In fact, the artist did not intend to depict any horrors: during a trip to Iowa, he noticed a small house in gothic style and decided to portray those people who, in his opinion, would be ideal as inhabitants. Grant's sister and his dentist are immortalized as the characters Iowans were so offended by.

Salvador Dali's Revenge

The painting "Figure at a Window" was painted in 1925, when Dali was 21 years old. At that time, Gala had not yet entered the artist’s life, and his muse was his sister Ana Maria. The relationship between brother and sister deteriorated when he wrote in one of the paintings “sometimes I spit on the portrait of my own mother, and this gives me pleasure.” Ana Maria could not forgive such shocking behavior.

In her 1949 book, Salvador Dali Through the Eyes of a Sister, she writes about her brother without any praise. The book infuriated Salvador. For another ten years after that, he angrily remembered her at every opportunity. And so, in 1954, the painting “A Young Virgin Indulging in the Sin of Sodomy with the Help of the Horns of Her Own Chastity” appeared. The woman’s pose, her curls, the landscape outside the window and the color scheme of the painting clearly echo “Figure at the Window.” There is a version that Dali took revenge on his sister for her book.

Two-faced Danae

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn, "Danae", 1636 - 1647.

Many secrets of one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings were revealed only in the 60s of the twentieth century, when the canvas was illuminated with X-rays. For example, filming showed that in an early version the face of the princess who entered into love affair with Zeus, it was similar to the face of Saskia, the painter’s wife, who died in 1642. In the final version of the painting, it began to resemble the face of Gertje Dirks, Rembrandt’s mistress, with whom the artist lived after the death of his wife.

Van Gogh's yellow bedroom

Vincent Van Gogh, "Bedroom in Arles", 1888 - 1889.

In May 1888, Van Gogh acquired a small studio in Arles, in the south of France, where he fled from Parisian artists and critics who did not understand him. In one of the four rooms, Vincent sets up a bedroom. In October, everything is ready, and he decides to paint “Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles.” For the artist, the color and comfort of the room were very important: everything had to evoke thoughts of relaxation. At the same time, the picture is designed in alarming yellow tones.

Researchers of Van Gogh's work explain this by the fact that the artist took foxglove, a remedy for epilepsy, which causes serious changes in the patient's perception of color: all surrounding reality It is painted in green-yellow tones.

Toothless perfection

Leonardo da Vinci, "Portrait of Lady Lisa del Giocondo", 1503 - 1519.

The generally accepted opinion is that the Mona Lisa is perfection and her smile is beautiful in its mystery. However, American art critic (and part-time dentist) Joseph Borkowski believes that, judging by her facial expression, the heroine has lost many teeth. While studying enlarged photographs of the masterpiece, Borkowski also discovered scars around her mouth. “She “smiles” like that precisely because of what happened to her,” the expert believes. “Her facial expression is typical of people who have lost their front teeth.”

Major on face control

Pavel Fedotov, "Major's Matchmaking", 1848.

The public, who first saw the painting “Major's Matchmaking,” laughed heartily: the artist Fedotov filled it with ironic details that were understandable to the audience of that time. For example, the major is clearly not familiar with the rules of noble etiquette: he showed up without the required bouquets for the bride and her mother. And the bride herself was discharged by her merchant parents in the evening ball gown, although it is daytime (all the lamps in the room are extinguished). The girl obviously tried on a low-cut dress for the first time, is embarrassed and tries to run away to her room.

Why is Liberty naked?

Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix, "Freedom on the Barricades", 1830.

According to art critic Etienne Julie, Delacroix based the woman's face on the famous Parisian revolutionary - the laundress Anne-Charlotte, who went to the barricades after the death of her brother at the hands of royal soldiers and killed nine guardsmen. The artist depicted her with her breasts bare. According to his plan, this is a symbol of fearlessness and selflessness, as well as the triumph of democracy: the naked breast shows that Liberty, as a commoner, does not wear a corset.

Non-square square

Kazimir Malevich, "Black Suprematist Square", 1915.

In fact, “Black Square” is not black at all and not square at all: none of the sides of the quadrangle are parallel to any of its other sides, and to none of the sides of the square frame that frames the picture. And the dark color is the result of mixing various colors, among which there was no black one. It is believed that this was not the author’s negligence, but a principled position, the desire to create a dynamic, moving form.

Specialists from the Tretyakov Gallery discovered the author's inscription on the famous painting by Malevich. The inscription reads: "Battle of the Negroes in dark cave" This phrase refers to the title of the humorous painting by the French journalist, writer and artist Alphonse Allais, “The Battle of Negroes in a Dark Cave in the Dead of Night,” which was a completely black rectangle.

Melodrama of the Austrian Mona Lisa

Gustav Klimt, "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer", 1907.

One of Klimt's most significant paintings depicts the wife of the Austrian sugar magnate Ferdinad Bloch-Bauer. All of Vienna was discussing whirlwind romance Adele and the famous artist. The wounded husband wanted to take revenge on his lovers, but chose very unusual way: he decided to order a portrait of Adele from Klimt and force him to make hundreds of sketches until the artist began to vomit from her.

Bloch-Bauer wanted the work to last several years, so that the sitter could see how Klimt's feelings were fading. He made a generous offer to the artist, which he could not refuse, and everything turned out according to the scenario of the deceived husband: the work was completed in 4 years, the lovers had long since cooled off to each other. Adele Bloch-Bauer never knew that her husband was aware of her relationship with Klimt.

The painting that brought Gauguin back to life

Paul Gauguin, "Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?", 1897-1898.

The most famous painting Gauguin has one peculiarity: it is “read” not from left to right, but from right to left, like the Kabbalistic texts in which the artist was interested. It is in this order that the allegory of human spiritual and physical life unfolds: from the birth of the soul (a sleeping child in the lower right corner) to the inevitability of the hour of death (a bird with a lizard in its claws in the lower left corner).

The painting was painted by Gauguin in Tahiti, where the artist escaped from civilization several times. But this time life on the island did not work out: total poverty led him to depression. Having finished the canvas, which was to become his spiritual testament, Gauguin took a box of arsenic and went to the mountains to die. However, he did not calculate the dose, and the suicide failed. The next morning, he swayed to his hut and fell asleep, and when he woke up, he felt a forgotten thirst for life. And in 1898, his business began to improve, and a brighter period began in his work.

112 proverbs in one picture

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, "Dutch Proverbs", 1559

Pieter Bruegel the Elder depicted a land inhabited by literal images of Dutch proverbs of those days. The painting contains approximately 112 recognizable idioms. Some of them are still used today, for example, such as: “swim against the current”, “banging your head against the wall”, “armed to the teeth” and “big fish eat little fish”.

Other proverbs reflect human stupidity.

Subjectivity of art

Paul Gauguin, "Breton Village in the Snow", 1894

Gauguin's painting "Breton Village in the Snow" was sold after the author's death for only seven francs and, moreover, under the name "Niagara Falls." The man holding the auction accidentally hung the painting upside down because he saw a waterfall in it.

Hidden picture

Pablo Picasso, "Blue Room", 1901

In 2008 infrared radiation revealed that hidden beneath the Blue Room was another image - a portrait of a man dressed in a suit with a bow tie and resting his head on his hand. “As soon as Picasso had new idea, he took up the brush and embodied it. But he didn’t have the opportunity to buy a new canvas every time a muse visited him,” explains possible reason this art critic Patricia Favero.

Unavailable Moroccans

Zinaida Serebryakova, “Naked”, 1928

One day Zinaida Serebryakova received a tempting offer - to go on a creative journey to depict the nude figures of oriental maidens. But it turned out that it was simply impossible to find models in those places. Zinaida's translator came to the rescue - he brought his sisters and fiancee to her. No one before or since has been able to capture closed oriental women naked.

Spontaneous insight

Valentin Serov, “Portrait of Nicholas II in a jacket,” 1900

For a long time, Serov could not paint a portrait of the Tsar. When the artist completely gave up, he apologized to Nikolai. Nikolai was a little upset, sat down at the table, stretching out his arms in front of him... And then it dawned on the artist - here is the image! A simple military man in an officer's jacket with clear and sad eyes. This portrait is considered best image the last emperor.

Another deuce

© Fedor Reshetnikov

The famous painting “Deuce Again” is only the second part of an artistic trilogy.

The first part is “Arrived on vacation.” Obviously a wealthy family, winter holidays, a joyful excellent student.

The second part is “Deuce Again.” A poor family from the working-class outskirts, the height of school year, the dejected stunner, who again grabbed the deuce. In the upper left corner you can see the painting “Arrived for Vacation”.

The third part is “Re-examination”. A rural house, summer, everyone is walking, one malicious ignoramus, who failed the annual exam, is forced to sit within four walls and cram. In the upper left corner you can see the painting “Deuce Again”.

How masterpieces are born

Joseph Turner, Rain, Steam and Speed, 1844

In 1842, Mrs. Simon traveled by train in England. Suddenly a heavy downpour began. The elderly gentleman sitting opposite her stood up, opened the window, stuck his head out and stared for about ten minutes. Unable to contain her curiosity, the woman also opened the window and began to look ahead. A year later, she discovered the painting “Rain, Steam and Speed” at an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts and was able to recognize in it the same episode on the train.

Anatomy lesson from Michelangelo

Michelangelo, "The Creation of Adam", 1511

A pair of American neuroanatomy experts believe that Michelangelo actually left behind some anatomical illustrations in one of his most famous works. They believe that the right side of the painting depicts a huge brain. Surprisingly, even complex components can be found, such as the cerebellum, optic nerves and pituitary gland. And the eye-catching green ribbon perfectly matches the location of the vertebral artery.

"The Last Supper" by Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh, " Night terrace cafe", 1888

Researcher Jared Baxter believes that Van Gogh’s painting “Cafe Terrace at Night” contains an encrypted dedication to Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper.” In the center of the picture stands a waiter with long hair and in a white tunic reminiscent of the clothes of Christ, and around him there are exactly 12 cafe visitors. Baxter also draws attention to the cross located directly behind the waiter in white.

Dali's image of memory

Salvador Dali, "The Persistence of Memory", 1931

It is no secret that the thoughts that visited Dali during the creation of his masterpieces were always in the form of very realistic images, which the artist then transferred to canvas. Thus, according to the author himself, the painting “The Persistence of Memory” was painted as a result of associations that arose from the sight of processed cheese.

What is Munch screaming about?

Edvard Munch, "The Scream", 1893.

Munch talked about how he came up with the idea of ​​one of the most mysterious paintings in world painting: “I was walking along a path with two friends - the sun was setting - suddenly the sky turned blood red, I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned against the fence - I looked at the blood and flames over the bluish-black fjord and the city - my friends moved on, and I stood, trembling with excitement, feeling an endless cry piercing nature." But what kind of sunset could frighten the artist so much?

There is a version that the idea of ​​​​"The Scream" was born to Munch in 1883, when several powerful eruptions of the Krakatoa volcano occurred - so powerful that they changed the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere by one degree. Copious amounts of dust and ash spread throughout to the globe, even reaching Norway. For several evenings in a row, the sunsets looked as if the apocalypse was about to come - one of them became a source of inspiration for the artist.

A writer among the people

Alexander Ivanov, "The Appearance of Christ to the People", 1837-1857.

Dozens of sitters posed for Alexander Ivanov for his main picture. One of them is known no less than the artist himself. In the background, among travelers and Roman horsemen who have not yet heard the sermon of John the Baptist, you can see a character in a robe tunic. Ivanov wrote it from Nikolai Gogol. The writer communicated closely with the artist in Italy, in particular on religious issues, and gave him advice during the painting process. Gogol believed that Ivanov “has long since died for the whole world, except for his work.”

Michelangelo's Gout

Rafael Santi, " Athens school", 1511.

Creating famous fresco"The School of Athens", Raphael immortalized his friends and acquaintances in the images of ancient Greek philosophers. One of them was Michelangelo Buonarotti “in the role” of Heraclitus. For several centuries, the fresco kept the secrets of Michelangelo's personal life, and modern researchers have suggested that the artist's strangely angular knee indicates that he had a joint disease.

This is quite likely, given the peculiarities of the lifestyle and working conditions of Renaissance artists and Michelangelo’s chronic workaholism.

Mirror of the Arnolfini couple

Jan van Eyck, "Portrait of the Arnolfini couple", 1434

In the mirror behind the Arnolfini couple you can see the reflection of two more people in the room. Most likely, these are witnesses present at the conclusion of the contract. One of them is van Eyck, as evidenced by the Latin inscription placed, contrary to tradition, above the mirror in the center of the composition: “Jan van Eyck was here.” This is how contracts were usually sealed.

How a disadvantage turned into a talent

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn, Self-Portrait at the Age of 63, 1669.

Researcher Margaret Livingston studied all of Rembrandt's self-portraits and discovered that the artist suffered from strabismus: in the images his eyes look straight ahead. different sides, which is not observed in the portraits of other people by the master. The illness resulted in the artist being able to perceive reality in two dimensions better than people with normal vision. This phenomenon is called "stereo blindness" - the inability to see the world in 3D. But since the painter has to work with a two-dimensional image, this very flaw of Rembrandt could be one of the explanations for his phenomenal talent.

Sinless Venus

Sandro Botticelli, "Birth of Venus", 1482-1486.

Before the appearance of The Birth of Venus, the image of a naked female body in painting symbolized only the idea of ​​original sin. Sandro Botticelli was the first of the European painters to find nothing sinful in him. Moreover, art historians are sure that the pagan goddess of love symbolizes on the fresco Christian image: her appearance is an allegory of the rebirth of a soul that has undergone the rite of baptism.

Lute player or lute player?

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, "The Lute Player", 1596.

For a long time the painting was exhibited in the Hermitage under the title “The Lute Player”. Only at the beginning of the 20th century did art historians agree that the painting depicts a young man (probably Caravaggio’s acquaintance, the artist Mario Minniti, posed for him): on the notes in front of the musician one can see a recording of the bass line of Jacob Arkadelt’s madrigal “You know that I love you” . A woman could hardly make such a choice - it’s just hard on the throat. In addition, the lute, like the violin at the very edge of the picture, was considered a male instrument in Caravaggio’s era.

The collections of Moscow museums and galleries are among the richest in the world. More than 150 years ago Russian philanthropists and collectors began to collect the most famous paintings world, unique artistic creations, sparing neither money nor time in searching for talent. And so that you don’t get lost in the tens of thousands of paintings presented, we have selected for you famous paintings world, presented in museums and galleries of Moscow

State Tretyakov Gallery

“Bogatyrs”, Viktor Vasnetsov, 1881-1898.

For almost twenty years, Viktor Mikhailovich worked on one of the greatest works of art in Russia, a masterpiece that became a symbol of the power of the Russian people. Vasnetsov considered this picture his creative duty, an obligation to his homeland. In the center of the picture are the three main characters of Russian epics: Dobrynya Nikitich, Ilya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich. The prototype of Alyosha Popovich became younger son Savva Mamontov, but Dobrynya Nikitich - collective image the artist himself, his father and grandfather.

“Unknown”, Ivan Kramskoy, 1883

A mystical picture, shrouded in an aura of mystery. She changed her owners many times, as women claimed that when they stayed near this portrait for a long time, they lost their youth and beauty. It is curious that even Pavel Tretyakov did not want to buy it for his collection, and the work appeared in the gallery only in 1925 as a result of the nationalization of private collections. Only in Soviet time Kramskoy’s “Unknown” was recognized as the ideal of beauty and spirituality. It is easy to recognize Nevsky Prospekt in the background of the painting, or rather the Anichkov Bridge, along which the “unknown” gracefully passes in an elegant carriage. Who's that girl? Another mystery left by the artist. Kramskoy left no mention of her personality either in his letters or in his diaries, and versions differ: from the author’s daughter to Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.

"Morning in pine forest", Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky, 1889

Few people know that in addition to Ivan Shishkin, another famous person participated in the creation of this picture. Russian artist, whose signature, at the insistence of Pavel Tretyakov, was erased. Ivan Ivanovich, who had an exceptional talent as a painter, depicted the grandeur of the awakening forest, but the creation of the playing bears belongs to the brush of his comrade, Konstantin Savitsky. This painting has another popular name - “Three Bears”, which appeared thanks to famous sweets Factory "Red October".

“Seated Demon”, Mikhail Vrubel, 1890

Tretyakov Gallery- a unique place for fans of the work of Mikhail Vrubel, since here is the most full of meetings his paintings. The theme of the demon, personifying the internal struggle of the greatness of the human spirit with doubts and suffering, became the main one in the artist’s work and a phenomenal phenomenon in world painting.

"The Seated Demon" is the most famous of similar images Vrubel. The painting was created with fairly large, sharp strokes of a palette knife, reminiscent of a mosaic from a distance.

“Boyaryna Morozova”, Vasily Surikov, 1884-1887.

Gigantic in size epic historical painting was written based on “The Tale of Boyarina Morozova,” an associate of supporters of the old faith. The author spent a long time looking for a suitable face - bloodless, fanatical, from which he could write a portrait sketch. main character. Surikov recalled that the key to the image of Morozova was given by a crow he once saw with a damaged wing, which was desperately beating against the snow.

“Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan November 16, 1581” or “Ivan the Terrible kills his son”, Ilya Repin, 1883-1885.

This picture does not leave any gallery visitor indifferent: it causes anxiety, inexplicable fear, attracts and at the same time repels, fascinates and gives goosebumps. Repin wrote about his feelings of anxiety and excitement during the creation of the painting: “I worked as if spellbound. For minutes it became scary. I turned away from this picture. Hid her. But something drove me to her, and I worked again. Sometimes I would tremble, and then the feeling of nightmare would dull...” The artist managed to complete the painting for the 300th anniversary of the death of Ivan the Terrible, but the masterpiece did not immediately appear before the public: for three months the painting was banned by censorship. They say that the painting mystically brought disaster to its creator and the people who participated in its creation. After completing the painting, Repin lost his hand, and the artist’s friend, who posed for the painting in the role of the murdered Ivan, went crazy.

“Girl with Peaches”, Valentin Serov, 1887

This painting is considered one of the most joyful, fresh and lyrical paintings late XIX century. Youth and thirst for life here are felt in every stroke of the still very young (22 years old) Valentin Serov, in the light, subtle smile of Verochka Mamontova, the daughter of a famous entrepreneur and philanthropist, as well as in the bright and cozy room, the warmth of which spills over to its viewer.

Later Serov became one of best portrait painters, recognized almost all over the world, and immortalized many famous contemporaries, but “Girl with Peaches” still remains his most famous work.

“Bathing the Red Horse”, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, 1912

Art critics call this picture visionary. They believe that the author symbolically predicted the “red” fate of Russia in the twentieth century, depicting it in the image of a racing horse.

Petrov-Vodkin’s work is not just a painting, but a symbol, an epiphany, a manifesto. Contemporaries compare the power of its impact with Kazimir Malevich’s “Black Square,” which you can also see in the Tretyakov Gallery.

“Black Square”, Kazemir Malevich, 1915

This painting is called an icon of the Futurists, which they put in place of the Madonna. According to the author, it took several months to create it, and it became part of a triptych, which also included “Black Circle” and “Black Cross”. As it turned out, Malevich painted the primary layer of the painting with different colors and, if you look closely, you will see that the corners of the square can hardly be called straight. In the history of world art it is difficult to find a painting with more loud fame than “Black Square” by Kazimir Malevich. He is copied, imitated, but his masterpiece is unique.

Gallery of art from Europe and America of the 19th–20th centuries. State Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin

“Portrait of Jeanne Samary”, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1877

It is paradoxical that this painting was originally planned by the artist just as a preparatory sketch for a ceremonial portrait French actress Jeanne Samary, which can be seen in the Hermitage. But in the end, art critics unanimously agreed that this is the best of all Renoir’s portraits of the actress. The artist so skillfully combined the tones and half-tones of Samari’s dress that as a result the picture sparkled with an unusual optical effect: when viewed from a certain angle, Jeanne’s green dress turns blue.

"Boulevard des Capucines in Paris", Claude Monet, 1873

This is one of the most recognizable works of Claude Monet - pride and heritage Pushkin Museum. From a close distance, only small strokes are visible in the painting, but if you take just a few steps back, the painting comes to life: Paris is breathing fresh air, the rays of the sun illuminate the seething crowd that is bustling along the boulevard, and it seems that you can even hear the city rumble, which can be heard far beyond the boundaries of the picture. This is the skill of the great impressionist Monet: for a moment you forget about the plane of the canvas and dissolve in the illusion skillfully created by the artist.

"Prisoners' Walk", Van Gogh, 1890

There is something symbolic in the fact that Van Gogh wrote Prisoners' Walk, one of his most poignant creations, in the hospital where he first ended up due to the onset of mental illness. Moreover, if you look closely, you can clearly see that central character The paintings are endowed with features by the artists. Despite the use of pure shades of blue, green and purple colors, the color of the canvas seems gloomy, and the prisoners moving in a circle seem to be saying that there is no way out of the dead end, where life is like a vicious circle.

"The King's Wife", Paul Gauguin, 1896

Many art critics consider this work of the artist to be a unique pearl among the famous nude maidens of European art. It was painted by Gauguin during his second stay in Tahiti. By the way, the painting depicts not the king’s wife, but Gauguin himself - 13-year-old Tehura. The exotic and picturesque landscape of the picture cannot but arouse admiration - the abundance of colors and greenery, colored trees and the blue coastline in the distance.

"Blue Dancers", Edgar Degas, 1897

Works French impressionist Edgar Degas contributed invaluable contribution into the history of world and French fine art. The painting “Blue Dancers” is recognized as one of best works Degas on the theme of ballet, to which he devoted many of his most outstanding paintings. The painting was done in pastel, which the artist especially loved for its elegant combination of color and lines. "Blue Dancers" refers to late period the artist’s creativity, when his vision weakened and he began to work with large spots of color.

"Girl on a Ball", Pablo Picasso, 1905

One of the most famous and significant works " rose period» Pablo Picasso appeared in Russia thanks to the philanthropist and collector Ivan Morozov, who acquired it in 1913 for his personal collection. The blue color, in which almost all the works of the artist’s previous difficult period were painted, is still present in the work, but is noticeably weakening, giving way to a lighter and more joyful pink. Picasso's canvases are easily recognizable: the author's soul and his extraordinary perception of the world around him are clearly visible in them. And as the artist himself said: “I could draw like Raphael, but it would take me my whole life to learn to draw like a child.”

Address: Lavrushinsky lane, 10

Permanent exhibition “Art of the 20th century” and exhibition halls

Address: Krymsky Val, 10

Operating mode:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday - from 10.00 to 18.00

Thursday, Friday, Saturday - from 10.00 to 21.00

Monday - closed

Entrance fee:

Adult - 400 rubles ($6)

Gallery of art from Europe and America of the 19th–20th centuries.

Address: Moscow, st. Volkhonka, 14

Operating mode:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - from 11:00 to 20:00

Thursday - from 11:00 to 21:00

Monday - closed

Entrance fee:

Adult - 300 rubles ($4.5), on Fridays from 17:00 - 400 rubles ($6)

Discount ticket - 150 rubles ($2.5), on Fridays from 17:00 - 200 rubles ($3)

Children under 16 years old free

There are works of art that seem to hit the viewer over the head, stunning and amazing. Others draw you into thought and a search for layers of meaning and secret symbolism. Some paintings are shrouded in secrets and mystical mysteries, while others surprise with exorbitant prices.

We carefully reviewed all the main achievements in world painting and selected from them two dozen of the most strange paintings. Salvador Dali, whose works completely fall within the format of this material and are the first to come to mind, were not included in this collection on purpose.

It is clear that “weirdness” is a rather subjective concept and everyone has their own amazing paintings, standing out from a number of other works of art. We will be glad if you share them in the comments and tell us a little about them.

"Scream"

Edvard Munch. 1893, cardboard, oil, tempera, pastel.
National Gallery, Oslo.

The Scream is considered a landmark expressionist event and one of the most famous paintings in the world.

There are two interpretations of what is depicted: it is the hero himself who is gripped by horror and silently screams, pressing his hands to his ears; or the hero closes his ears from the cry of the world and nature sounding around him. Munch wrote four versions of “The Scream,” and there is a version that this painting is the fruit of manic-depressive psychosis from which the artist suffered. After a course of treatment at the clinic, Munch did not return to work on the canvas.

“I was walking along the path with two friends. The sun was setting - suddenly the sky turned blood red, I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned against the fence - I looked at the blood and flames over the bluish-black fjord and city. My friends moved on, and I stood, trembling with excitement, feeling an endless scream piercing nature,” Edvard Munch said about the history of the painting.

“Where did we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?"

Paul Gauguin. 1897-1898, oil on canvas.
Museum fine arts, Boston.

According to Gauguin himself, the painting should be read from right to left - three main groups of figures illustrate the questions posed in the title.

Three women with a child represent the beginning of life; middle group symbolizes the daily existence of maturity; in the final group, according to the artist’s plan, “ old woman, approaching death, seems reconciled and given over to her thoughts”, at her feet “a strange white bird... represents the futility of words.”

The deeply philosophical painting of the post-impressionist Paul Gauguin was painted by him in Tahiti, where he fled from Paris. Upon completion of the work, he even wanted to commit suicide: “I believe that this painting is superior to all my previous ones and that I will never create something better or even similar.” He lived another five years, and so it happened.

"Guernica"

Pablo Picasso. 1937, oil on canvas.
Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid.

Guernica presents scenes of death, violence, brutality, suffering and helplessness, without specifying their immediate causes, but they are obvious. It is said that in 1940, Pablo Picasso was summoned to the Gestapo in Paris. The conversation immediately turned to the painting. “Did you do this?” - “No, you did it.”

The huge fresco painting “Guernica,” painted by Picasso in 1937, tells the story of a raid by a Luftwaffe volunteer unit on the city of Guernica, as a result of which the city of six thousand was completely destroyed. The painting was painted literally in a month - the first days of work on the painting, Picasso worked for 10-12 hours, and already in the first sketches one could see main idea. This is one of the best illustrations of the nightmare of fascism, as well as human cruelty and grief.

"Portrait of the Arnolfini couple"

Jan van Eyck. 1434, wood, oil.
London National Gallery, London.

The famous painting is completely filled with symbols, allegories and various references - right down to the signature “Jan van Eyck was here”, which turned the painting not just into a work of art, but into a historical document confirming the reality of the event at which the artist was present.

The portrait supposedly of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife is one of the most complex works Western school of painting of the Northern Renaissance.

In Russia, in the last few years, the painting has gained great popularity due to Arnolfini’s portrait resemblance to Vladimir Putin.

"Demon Seated"

Mikhail Vrubel. 1890, oil on canvas.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

"The hands resist him"

Bill Stoneham. 1972.

This work, of course, cannot be ranked among the masterpieces of world painting, but the fact that it is strange is a fact.

There are legends surrounding the painting with a boy, a doll and his hands pressed against the glass. From “people are dying because of this picture” to “the children in it are alive.” The picture looks really creepy, which gives rise to a lot of fears and speculation among people with weak psyches.

The artist assured that the picture depicts himself at the age of five, that the door is a representation dividing line between real world and the world of dreams, and the doll is a guide who can guide the boy through this world. The hands represent alternative lives or possibilities.

The painting gained notoriety in February 2000 when it was put up for sale on eBay with a backstory saying that the painting was “haunted.” “Hands Resist Him” was bought for $1,025 by Kim Smith, who was then simply inundated with letters from creepy stories and demands to burn the painting.

The page presents the most famous paintings by Russian artists of the 19th century with names and descriptions

The diverse painting of Russian artists since the beginning of the 19th century has attracted attention in the domestic world with its originality and versatility. fine arts. The masters of painting of that time never ceased to amaze with their unique approach to the subject and reverent attitude towards the feelings of people, to native nature. In the 19th century, portrait compositions with an amazing combination of an emotional image and an epically calm motif were often painted.

The paintings of Russian artists are magnificent in skill and truly beautiful in perception, amazingly accurately reflecting the breath of their time, the unique character of the people and their desire for beauty.

Canvases of Russian painters who are the most popular: Alexander Ivanov - bright representative picturesque biblical direction, telling us in colors about episodes of the life of Jesus Christ.

Karl Bryullov - a painter popular in his time, his direction history painting, portrait themes, romantic works.

Marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky, his paintings perfectly and one might say simply unsurpassedly reflect the beauty of the sea with transparent rolling waves, sea sunsets and sailboats.

The works of the famous Ilya Repin, who created genre and monumental works reflecting the life of the people, stand out for their distinctive versatility.

Very picturesque and large-scale paintings by the artist Vasily Surikov, the description of Russian history is his direction, in which the artist emphasized the episodes in colors life path Russian people.

Each artist is unique, for example, the painterly master of fairy tales and epics, Viktor Vasnetsov, unique in his style - these are always rich and bright, romantic canvases, the heroes of which are all of us famous heroes folk tales.

Each artist is unique, for example, the painterly master of fairy tales and epics, Viktor Vasnetsov, unique in his style - these are always rich and bright, romantic canvases, the heroes of which are the heroes of folk tales known to us all. The artist Vasily Surikov’s paintings are very picturesque and large-scale, the description of Russian history is his direction, in which the artist emphasized in paint the episodes of the life path of the Russian people.

In Russian painting of the 19th century, such a trend as critical realism, emphasizing ridicule, satire and humor in the plots. Of course, this was a new trend, not every artist could afford it. Such artists as Pavel Fedotov and Vasily Perov decided in this direction

Landscape artists of that time also occupied their niche, among them Isaac Levitan, Alexei Savrasov, Arkhip Kuindzhi, Vasily Polenov, the young artist Fyodor Vasiliev, a picturesque master of the forest, forest glades with pine and birch trees with mushrooms Ivan Shishkin. All of them colorfully and romantically reflected the beauty of Russian nature, the variety of forms and images of which is associated with the colossal potential of the surrounding world.

According to Levitan, in every note of Russian nature there is a unique colorful palette, hence the enormous freedom for creativity. Perhaps this is the mystery that the canvases created in the vast expanses of Russia stand out with a certain refined severity, but, at the same time, attract with an understated beauty, from which it is difficult to look away. Or Levitan’s painting Dandelions, which is not at all intricate and rather not flashy, seems to encourage the viewer to think and see the beauty in the simple.