They Have Been Analysed, Reproduced, Referenced, Interpreted And Commercialised More Often Then Perhaps Any Other Work Of Art – But Why?
- Mona Lisa
- The Starry Night
- The Scream
- The Persistence of Memory
- The Birth of Venus
Every year, billions of dollars worth of memorable art pass through international auction houses, while leading museums each hold tens of thousands of artworks in their collections.
Whether on the walls of a cave, the tombs of great kings, a canvas, or the walls of a building, the human desire to put ink to paper has left the world with some of the most beautiful masterpieces.
But precious few ever achieve the fame required to truly be considered household names. What is it about these paintings that will forever be engrained within our minds?
The Most Memorable Mona Lisa
Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
Estimated date: 1503 to 1519
Where to see it: Louvre Museum (Paris)
The Mona Lisa is arguably one of the most memorable and talked about pieces ever. At the Louvre museum, his painting attracts more than six million people each year to gaze upon the woman who is thought to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florence merchant Francesco del Giocondo – but experts aren’t sure.
She is a pure mystery.
The Starry Night
Artist: Vincent Van Gogh
Estimated date: 1889
Where to see it: Museum of Modern Art (New York City)
We all know Vincent Van Gogh as the fruit-loop who lived his later years in France and the artist who ended up hacking off his own ear. But he produced some spectacular works and became extremely successful after death.
His painting The Starry Night is one of the most popular images in modern culture. The painting’s striking blues and yellows and the dreamy, swirling atmosphere have intrigued art lovers for decades.
This is because it was classed as his signature style, one of many. During his time in a mental asylum in Saint-Rémy, France, he was inspired by the view from the window of his room.
The Memorable Art Piece Called The Scream
Artist: Edvard Munch
Date: 1893
Where to see it: National Museum (Oslo, Norway)
This painting of The Scream is one of the most iconic pieces of art in history. It was part of an epic series known as The Frieze of Life. But The Scream was signalled out to be the most influential composition of the time.
It was inspired by an experience Munch had while taking a sunset stroll in Oslo when a dramatic red hue overwhelmed his senses.
The Persistence Of Memory – A Memorable Art Moment
Artist: Salvador Dali
Estimated date: 1931
Where to see it: Museum of Modern Art (New York)
With a crazy moustache and an imagination to match, Dali’s creativity far surpassed the norm.
“Even though he was expelled from the Surrealist movement in 1934, his work will always be remembered for taking the viewer into his bizarre, dark and unreal conscious.”
The painting Persistence of Memory, which features melting clocks is still one of the most recognised surrealist examples to date. It is highly memorable as it depicts imagery more likely to be found in dreams than in waking consciousness – a topic we all love to share.
This painting made Dali world-famous when he was 28-years-old and is one of Dali’s biggest triumphs.
The Memorable Art Of The Birth Of Venus
Artist: Sandro Botticelli
Estimated date: 1482
Where to see it: Uffizi Gallery (Florence, Italy)
Venus was the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite, the Greek love goddess connected with love, beauty and fertility. She was not only the goddess of sexual love but also of the affection that sustains social life.
The story of her birth has a very interesting back-story but in a nutshell, Aphrodite was said to have been born from the foam of the sea; she rose from the waves on a seashell, stepping ashore on Cyprus.
In the painting at her side, the west wind, Zephyrus and Flora, the spring, blow her gently shore in a shower of roses, her sacred flower.
Her birth has been a famous topic among art creatives and enthusiasts for years.
This is because it practically embodies the rebirth of civilization, a new hope, geopolitical, social and cultural shift that occurred after the Middle Age turmoil.
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