Painting is one of the best mediums that one can use to express their thoughts creatively. The brush strokes, game of colors, and themes together create a beautiful art piece, ready to depict a thousand emotions and stories.
Art, in the form of painting, dates back to ancient times, when cave paintings were used as story-telling. Gradually, the different forms of paintings such as modern artworks, abstract, vintage, and others were introduced. The artists who painted these masterpieces were hailed as the trailblazers. Their work is still preserved in some of the most renowned galleries worldwide.
Most Famous Painters in the World?
Every artist uses their own techniques and thought process in creating their paintings. These talented painters are loved by people worldwide. While some are avant-garde as they pushed all the boundaries and created startling innovations, others have recently established careers.
Here are the best and the most famous painters in the world:
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Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci experimented with various mediums and introduced innovative ways of designing striking compositions. His signature triangular composition is still perceived by artists around the world today.
Vinci was an early advocate of studying anatomical models to master his art, which was considered illegal during that time. He is the most celebrated painter even today. The most notable works by him include Mona Lisa and the Last Supper.
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Michelangelo
Like Vinci, Michelangelo is also one of the most celebrated artists among art lovers. He started as a sculptor and soon experimented with a different form of paintings. Though relatively few of his works survived, those are considered the best worldwide.
Michelangelo mastered the fresco painting and took it to new heights. You may explore his work in both the Sistine Chapel Ceiling and the Last Judgement. His paintings continue to inspire artists even today.
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Cecily Brown
This modern painter is a famous contemporary artist based in London. Her modern art and abstract paintings are a treat to watch.
They feature erotic, fragmented bodies in the middle of beautiful pulsating colors. Although the critical reception of Cecily’s paintings is mixed, she has marked a strong presence with her art. Very recently, she broke her auction record with a whopping sale of $2.2 million.
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Miquel Barcelo
This Spanish artist is popular for his installation on the ceiling of the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Chamber at the UN Palace of Nations in Geneva. His work is all about metamorphosis, decomposition, and the passage of time.
When you explore the artworks by Miquel Barcelo, you will come across abstract paintings of faces in the majority. He became the youngest artist to have his work exhibited in the Louvre in Paris in 2004.
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Edouard Manet
Another classic mention in our list of the best painters is Edouard Manet. He was born into a wealthy family in Paris in 1832. He shook up the art world by overthrowing old painting methods and creating new and innovative ones.
He was known to portray his subjects in an uncompromised manner. His incredible works include Olympia, where he painted a courtesan staring directly out, A Bar at the Folies Bergere, and Luncheon on the Grass. The painter called himself to be a realist.
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Artemisia Gentileschi
She is considered one of the first female artists to taste success in this field. Artemisia Gentileschi was a powerhouse of Baroque painting. She started exploring her talent at a very young age of 15 when she produced professional art.
Through the 17th century, she successfully created explosive and dynamic paintings. A majority of her works feature rich colors and her trademark chiaroscuro. She is considered a big name in pioneering female artists around the world. You can explore her work at various galleries and museums.
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Takashi Murakami
He is known as the Warhol of Japan and happens to be one of the best painters that the world has today. Takashi Murakami is famous for combining fine art and popular culture. His work is a blending of colorful anime and manga cartoons that further mix into abstract paintings of faces.
According to him, the people of Japan accept that art and commerce will be blended. He is also very popular in the Western art world. His work remains high in demand in the art world today.
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Vincent Van Gogh
The list remains incomplete without the mention of Vincent Van Gogh. He has been the most influential painter in Western art. Interestingly, his work was not commercially successful during his lifetime. It was in the early 20th century that his paintings were prized for their expressive emotion.
The works of Gogh represent bold colors and dramatic brushstrokes. Many art lovers consider his paintings to be the roadmap to modern art. Among all his works, Starry Night remains the most iconic name.
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Zhou Chunya
This Chinese artist is known for his Green Dog series where he depicted a green German Shepherd in different poses and settings. He describes his painting style as a blend of traditional Chinese painting, Modernism, and Socialist Realism. All these factors make his work notable among all.
The artist considers himself a colorist. He says that he is deeply intrigued with the meanings of color to beget when people think about them. Zhou became the youngest artist to top the Hurun Art List in 2013. His work is worth exploring.
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Rudolf Stingel
Rudolf Stingel is an Italian artist based in New York. He is popular in the art world. Since the 80s, his contemporary art is concerned with interrogating his selected medium of painting and subverting notions of hierarchy, authenticity, context, and meaning.
He likes to engage the audience in a dialogue about their perception of contemporary art through his work and includes them in the process. He exhibited many of his paintings in the Whitney Museum, New York in 2007. Since then, his paintings have been in demand, and their prices go through the roof.
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