Spanning across ages, there are a lot of incredible painters in the history of art who have mesmerized the world with their artworks. But there are some artists who stand above the rest and have created a lasting legacy that transcends well beyond their lifetime.
Not only are they were well-versed with the techniques, but these artists have all made significant contributions that brought in a prominent impact on art and culture as we know it. Some artists pushed boundaries and initiated indelible changes and hence were considered avant-garde. Most of these famous artists were already celebrated as geniuses during their lifetimes and enjoyed unparalleled success, while others were not acknowledged until after their death.
Here are ten of our favorite greatest painters who possessed the perfect combination of technical skills, outlandish creative thinking, dedication, and determination.
- Leonardo Da Vinci
Regarded as the epitome of the ‘Renaissance Man’, Leonardo da Vinci not only experimented with the mediums but also developed some remarkable ways of creating striking compositions. In fact, his signature triangular composition that became the hallmark of the Italian Renaissance style is still used in contemporary times and is widely considered one of the most visually pleasing painting patterns. He was also an early proponent of anatomical models which he studied to perfect his art, something that was not legally allowed at the time. Today, his sublime collection of drawings of human anatomy is regarded as one of the greatest treasures of the Royal Collection of Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle.
Best Places to View Vinci’s Works:
Louvre Museum, Paris
Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
The National Gallery, London
- Pablo Picasso
One of the most recognized names in the Western art world, Pablo Picasso had a wide-ranging career that bounced through multiple styles. Though his significant role in pioneering the revolutionary style of modern art ‘Cubism’ is enough to cement his status in the books of art history, Picasso did much more. He invented the practice of collage and made major contributions to the artistic movements of Symbolism and Surrealism. Displaying the world about how Classical art can be mastered, he later manipulated it to become something new, fresh, more relevant, and modern.
Best Places to View Picasso’s Works:
Museu Picasso, Spain
The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Spain
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
- Michelangelo
The renowned Italian sculptor, painter, and architect of the Renaissance period, Michelangelo’s works had an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art. Though very few of his paintings survive, those that do are considered some of the most famous artist paintings in the world. His ability to quickly master the techniques of fresco painting and take it further to the next level is clearly evident in both the mesmerizing Sistine Chapel Ceiling artwork and The Last Judgement, which continue to inspire artists for generations.
Best Places to View Michelangelo’s Works:
Vatican Museums, Vatican
Uffizi Galleries, Italy
- Vincent Van Gogh
Though Vincent van Gogh was not a commercially successful artist during his lifetime, his masterful paintings have fetched high prices for their expressive emotion since the early 20th century. With dramatic thick brushstrokes and bold color use, the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter’s artwork is regarded as a roadmap to modern art.
Best Places to View Van Gogh’s Works:
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
The Musée d’Orsay, France
- Artemisia Gentileschi
An Italian Baroque painter, Artemisia Gentileschi is one of the first female artists to achieve great success. Initially working in Caravaggio style, she has created dynamic paintings that brilliantly showcase her trademark chiaroscuro effect and rich colors. Over time her spectacular painting skill and role in pioneering other female artists were highly appreciated and today, she is considered one of the most accomplished artists of the 17th century.
Best Places to View Gentileschi’s Works:
Uffizi Galleries, Italy
The Palazzo Pitti, Italy
Capodimonte Museum, Italy
- Paul Cezanne
Thanks to his innovative approach to art which emphasized the elements of perspective, vivid color palette, and painterly brushstrokes, French painter Paul Cézanne has enjoyed a lasting legacy of his artistic endeavors. His preference for breaking down forms, use of bold tones, and other maneuvers laid the foundations of the shift from the 19th-century to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century.
Best Places to View Cézanne’s Works:
The Musée d’Orsay, France
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg
- Rembrandt
Dutch master Rembrandt painted almost everything from the genre scenes to the splendid landscapes to great historical and mythological works. He was the dominant and influential force in Dutch art for the major of the 17th century. His brilliant use of lights and his polished and expressive approach to painting have made him a favorite amongst art lovers for ages.
Best Places to View Rembrandt’s Works:
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
The National Gallery, London
- Claude Monet
From taking his easel out of the studio and into the open airfields to his significant research and studies of time and light, Claude Monet is perhaps the most admired of all Impressionist artists. In fact, the famous artist painting ‘Sunrise’ of Monet is credited with initiating the entire Impressionist movement.
Best Places to View Monet’s Works:
Musée d’Orsay, France
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris
- Georgia O’Keeffe
Pioneering artist Georgia O’Keeffe managed to reshape the art world and its practices with her creative vision. While flower painting and landscapes were a tradition practiced for a long, no one had ever done it so incredibly well like O’Keeffe. She was among one of the first American painters to incorporate abstraction in her drawings. Her enlarged depictions of flowers and Mexican landscapes have remained one of a kind even in the contemporary world. Drawn to the regions of American Southwest, her dynamic creations helped her bring recognition to the unknown part of the country especially at a time when Modern art was focused in the bustling New York City.
Best Places to View Georgia O’Keeffe’s Works:
Art Institute of Chicago
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, New Mexico
- JMW Turner
The famous artist of Romanticism JMW Turner is well-known as a forerunner of Modern art. Coming from the era of traditional Neo-classical painting, Turner rejected the existing styles and techniques and infused realism in his work—which was unheard and unknown of at the time. He experimented with texture, light, color, and brushwork as displayed in thousands of his splendid watercolors and oil paintings. He even worked on his oil paintings out in the field, something that later influenced the artists and thus emerged the Impressionists.
Best Places to View Turner’s Works:
Tate Britain, London
Yale Center for British Art, Yale
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
