Painting is an ancient mode of expressing your thoughts and we know how our ancestors have used it to depict the times they lived in. Those paintings over time have helped us understand a lot of things about the past. Some of these exceptional paintings are mentioned below to take a look and relive their beauty.
Mona Lisa, 1503–19
by Leonardo Da Vinci
This is a painting of a mysterious girl with an enigmatic smile. The muse of this portrait is unknown, theories believe it to be the wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco di Bartolomeo del Giocondo. Her natural calm expressions with an idealized landscape at her back.
This remained a normal portrait until 1911 when it was stolen to be reintroduced after two years and exposed millions to Renaissance art.
The Starry Night, 1889
By Vincent van Gogh
One of the best works by Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night is an example of his innovative brushstrokes that were known to make a world of its own. The use of colours with swirls and orbs excites the art lover. He painted this while he was at the asylum in Saint-Rémy, looking out at the view from the window of his room.
The Kiss, 1907–1908
By Gustav Klimt
In this painting, Gustav Klimt explores the raw form of human love expressed with a kiss. It shows a life-sized couple engaged in a passionate portrayal of intimacy. This signifies Klimt’s golden period when he used gold leaf—a technique inspired by his trip to the Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, where he saw the church’s famed Byzantine mosaics.
‘Girl With a Pearl Earring, 1665
By Johannes Vermeer
This painting is a fine example of a tronie – a Dutch word for a painting of an imaginary figure with an attempt to focus on features rather than capturing the likeness of the muse. The oil on canvas painting focuses brilliantly on the blue attire and gold turban of the girl wearing an oversized pearl earring.
The Birth of Venus, 1485
By Sandro Botticelli
Botticelli in this painting creates an unforgettable figure with the Goddess of Love emerging from a huge scallop shell. Nudity was rare at this time, so it was daring of him creating Venus completely exposed minus her long, flowing hair and a hand (barely) covering her most intimate body parts.
