American essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Love of beauty is taste. The beauty of creation is art."
It is no secret that we are drawn to beauty in many forms, whether it's a person, a scenery, or even a pattern. It's for this same reason that some of us can spend hours just roaming in an art museum, staring at still images.
To discover beautiful art is to embark on an unknown but culturally rich journey.
In this article, we will immerse ourselves in the world of amazing artworks from different genres and talented artists.
Mirroring Reflections and Faces: Figure/ Portrait Artworks
Can you imagine sitting for a long time to get your facial expressions, fashion and background covered in a whole painting?
Before the advent of smartphones and the clicks of film cameras, that's how everyone got their first ever "photograph" or selfies done.
Portrait artworks are one of a kind, because of the subject matter. From the colour of one's hair and skin tone to the different shades of each clothing and even one's overall posture, it's a combination of micro and macro details.
Like photographs, portraits serve as a means of remembrance and records, whether for a personal or public keepsake.
Most famous portrait artworks in the world usually revolve around these themes:
Key historical figures
You have probably seen these examples in movies and world history textbooks.
- Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David
Napoleon Bonaparte is certainly the epitome of European military conquerors of all times. Known for his military campaigns and expeditions, Napolean eventually rose to the Emperor of the French in 1804.
This painting is painted on an oil on canvas medium by French painter, Jacques-Louis David. It depicts Napoleon on horseback crossing the Alps during one of his military expeditions.
Currently, this painting is located at Château de Malmaison near Paris, France.
- Chandos Portrait by John Taylor
Our next one is a treat for English literature lovers. The Chandos Portrait is believed to be a portrait painting of the Bard, William Shakespeare.
This painting is also painted on an oil on canvas medium and is attributed to be painted by John Taylor, an English painter around 1600 to 1610.
This painting is currently located at the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Female noblewoman
Female portraits are also popular painting subjects as they reflect the different angles of beauty, artistry and various cultures of the world.
- Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
This is, of course, one of the most iconic portrait paintings of all time. The subject of the painting is Lisa del Giocondo, an Italian female noblewoman. This painting by Italian painter, Leonardo da Vinci is believed to be commissioned by Lisa's husband around the 16th century.
The Mona Lisa is one of the main reasons why art lovers flock to the Louvre Museum in France each year.
- Marie Antoinette with a Rose by Elizabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun
Another famous French royalty, Marie Antoinette was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. Her husband was Louis XVI.
A stylish fashion icon ahead of her time, Marie Antoinette showed extravagant fashion choices through her ensemble, hairstyle and accessories. This oil on canvas portrait painting of hers was painted by her good friend and also one of the few female court painters of all time, Elizabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun.
Artist's Self-Portraits
Just as we have selfies now, they have self-portraits back then. Many talented painters paint their reflections too, whether it's a full portrait or half portrait. We have listed two examples to represent female and male painters.
- Self Portrait in a Straw Hat by Elizabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun
An established female painter herself, this painting symbolises Elizabeth's pride as a painter even as she holds a palette and dons a beautiful gown with a lovely straw hat.
You can find this lovely oil on canvas painting at the National Gallery in London.
- Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat by Vincent Van Gogh (1887)
An iconic Dutch painter known for his beautiful paintings yet turbulent life, Vincent Van Gogh was also famous for his self-portraits.
This particular self-portrait featuring him in a grey felt head is slightly different from his previous portraits because it applies the influence of the Pointillist (applying small, distinct dots or strokes of pure colour to a canvas) when he was in Paris.
This portrait painting is located at the Van Gogh Museum, in Amsterdam.
Experience twice the joy and charm of art appreciation as you learn more about various artists and how they impacted different art movements in history.
Adoration and Exaltation of Faith: Religious and Biblical Artworks
Now, let's take a look at another genre of painting that has garnered much attention from art lovers. It's none other than religious artworks, more specifically Christian artworks.
Religious artworks have played a big role in many Western cultures and countries since the birth of the Renaissance. So here are some notable examples:
The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo
A masterpiece by Italian Renaissance painter, Michelangelo, this painting depicts the titular scene from the first book of the Bible, Genesis featuring the creation of Adam, the first ever man created.
It is one of the few paintings that is drawn on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.
The Wedding At Cana by Paolo Veronese
This is a beautiful painting by another Italian Renaissance painter, Paolo Veronese. This painting portrays the first-ever miracle done by Jesus where he turned water into wine during a wedding.
It is currently located at the Louvre Museum.
The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci
Last but not least (pun not intended), this is another famous mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci that holds great religious and artistic significance.
It uses the tempera painting medium and is currently located at Santa Maria delle Grazie, a church in Milan.
Uncover the relationships between elements, characteristics and key artists for different art movements over the years.
Celebration of Nature: Landscape Artworks
We're pretty sure a change of scenery is very much welcomed at this point of reading. Check out these exceptional landscape artworks by these amazing artists.
Water Lilies by Claude Monet
This is a series of oil paintings by French painter, Claude Monet. The paintings illustrate the garden and sceneries of Monet's actual home garden at that time in Giverny.
You can view these paintings at different musems and galleries across the globe such as the Princeton University Art Museum, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Bridgestone Museum of Art, Tokyo and many more.
The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh
The iconic painting that inspired the ever-famous song, "Vincent" by Don McLean, this landscape artwork features a swirling night sky with stars and an imaginary village when Van Gogh was staying in an asylum.
It is currently located at the Museum of Modern Art, New York
Photo by Prashant on Unsplash
The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai
Widely known as one of the greatest Japanese landscape artworks, this painting incorporates the woodblock print method with Mount Fuji set as background.
You can view various versions of this painting at the Tokyo Art Museum, the British Museum, and other art museums across the globe.
Innovation and Abstract Exploration: New Genres of Modern Arts
We are now getting closer to exploring a series of modern artworks and abstract paintings. Let's start with these three.
Composition in Red, Blue, and Yellow by Piet Mondrian
This abstract artwork is painted by the Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian. The artwork illustrates and highlights geometrical shapes and primary colours to show a harmony of visual contrast.
Campbell's Soup Cans by Andy Warhol
A household name in the pop art movement, Andy Warhol made history when he created this iconic synthetic polymer paint on canvas featuring soup cans in 1962.
Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) by David Hockney
Another famous pop part painter, David Hockey created this acrylic on canvas painting in 1972 where swimming pools became a prominent theme in his paintings.
This painting became one of the most expensive paintings to be auctioned at the price of US$90.3 million for private collection in 2018.
How To Deepen Your Artistic Appreciation and Skills?
You must have had a visual feast of images and information about these amazing artworks that have left a mark on the world. Surely this journey doesn't end here, right?
Perhaps, you can start saving and planning to visit some of the most prestigious art museums and galleries in the world.
For example, you can visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, United States of America to have an overview of art history, you can also visit Tate Modern, an art gallery in London that specialises in contemporary art and learn more about Picasso's artworks. Of course, the Louvre Museum should be on the top of your bucket list too!
Photo by Diane Picchiottino on Unsplash
To make your visits more memorable, you can even enhance your artistic skills by taking private painting lessons too.
One of the best tutoring platforms that offer personalised and flexible art lessons is none other than Superprof!
At Superprof, you can find a home tutor or an online tutor that matches your preferences in terms of teaching specialisation, years of experience, hourly rates and locations. This means you can master various painting skills and techniques anywhere and anytime at your own pace. Make the best out of these amazing art learning resources.
Once you have reviewed the tutors' profiles via the Superprof Malaysia homepage, you can proceed to connect with them to discuss your future lesson arrangements. Learning art has never been so easy!
We hope you are inspired by the beauty and craftsmanship of these amazing artworks and painters as embark on this journey of discovering beautiful art. This is just the beginning.
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