The most famous and significant paintings of the world for the history of art. The most famous Russian artists The best artists of all time

Magnificent works of art by the hands of great masters can surprise even people for whom art means little. That is why world-famous museums are among the most popular attractions, attracting millions of visitors a year.

To stand out from the huge number of paintings written throughout the history of art, the artist needs not only talent, but also the ability to express a unique story in an unusual and very relevant way for his time.

The paintings presented below speak loudly not only about the talent of their authors, but also about the numerous cultural trends that have appeared and disappeared, and about the most important historical events that have always been reflected in art.

"Birth of Venus"

This painting, painted by the great Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli, depicts the moment when the beautiful Venus appears from the sea foam. One of the most compelling aspects of the painting is the modest pose of the goddess and her simple yet beautiful face.

"Dogs play poker"

Painted by Cassius Coolidge in 1903, this series of 16 paintings depicts dogs gathered around a coffee or gambling table playing poker. Many critics recognize these paintings as the canonical depiction of Americans of the era.

Portrait of Madame Recamier

This portrait, painted by Jacques-Louis David, depicts a brilliant socialite in a contrastingly minimalist and simple setting, dressed in simple White dress without sleeves. This is a vivid example of neoclassicism in portrait art.

№5

This famous painting by Jackson Pollock is his most iconic work, which vividly depicts all the chaos that raged in the soul and mind of Pollock. This is one of the most expensive works ever sold by an American artist.

"Son of Man"

"The Son of Man" by Rene Magritte is a kind of self-portrait depicting the artist himself in a black suit, but with an apple instead of a face.

"Number 1" ("Royal Red and Blue")

This rather recent piece by Mark Rothko is nothing more than brushstrokes of three different shades on a handmade canvas. The painting is currently on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Massacre of the Innocent"

Based on the biblical story of the massacre of innocent babies in Bethlehem, Peter Paul Rubens created this macabre and brutal painting that touches the emotions of all who look at it.

"A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grande Jatte"

Created by Georges Seurat, this unique and very popular painting depicts the relaxed atmosphere of a weekend in big city. Such painting is an excellent example of pointillism, which combines many dots into one whole.

"Dance"

"Dance" by Henri Matisse is an example of a style called Fauvism, which is characterized by bright, almost unnatural colors and shapes and high dynamics.

"American Gothic"

"American Gothic" is a work of art that perfectly symbolizes the image of Americans during the Great Depression. In this painting, Grant Wood depicted a stern, apparently religious couple standing in front of a simple house with gothic windows.

"Flower Loader"

This painting by the most popular Mexican painter of the 20th century, Diego Rivera, depicts a man who is struggling to carry a basket overloaded with bright tropical flowers on his back.

"Whistler's Mother"

Also known as Arrangement in Gray and Black. The Artist's Mother, this is one of the most famous paintings by American artist James Whistler. In this painting, Whistler depicted his mother sitting in a chair against a gray wall. The painting uses only black and gray shades.

"The Persistence of Memory"

This is a cult work of no less cult Salvador Dali, the world-famous Spanish surrealist who brought this movement to the forefront of art.

Portrait of Dora Maar

Pablo Picasso is one of the most popular and influential Spanish painters. He is the founder of the sensational style at the time, called cubism, which seeks to break up any object and convey it with clear geometric shapes. This painting is the first portrait in the cubist style.

"Portrait of an Artist Without a Beard"

This painting by Van Gogh is a self-portrait, and unique, because it depicts the painter without the usual beard. In addition, this is one of the few Van Gogh paintings that have been sold to private collections.

"Night Cafe Terrace"

Painted by Vincent van Gogh, this painting depicts a familiar sight in a whole new way, using amazingly vibrant colors and unusual shapes.

"Composition VIII"

Wassily Kandinsky is recognized as the founder of abstract art - a style that uses forms and symbols instead of familiar objects and people. "Composition VIII" is one of the first paintings by the artist, made exclusively in this style.

"Kiss"

One of the first works of art in the Art Nouveau style, this painting is almost entirely done in gold tones. The painting by Gustav Klimt is one of the most striking works of style.

"Ball at the Moulin de la Galette"

The painting by Pierre Auguste Renoir is a vivid and dynamic depiction of city life. In addition, it is one of the most expensive paintings in the world.

"Olympia"

In Olympia, Édouard Manet created a real controversy, almost a scandal, since a naked woman with a gaze is clearly a mistress, not veiled by the myths of the classical period. This is one of the early works in the style of realism.

"Third May 1808 in Madrid"

In this work, Francisco Goya depicted Napoleon's attack on the Spaniards. This is one of the first Spanish paintings to portray the war in a negative light.

"Las Meninas"

The most famous painting by Diego Velasquez depicts the five-year-old Infanta Margherita in front of a portrait of her parents painted by Velasquez.

"Portrait of the Arnolfinis"

This painting is one of the oldest works of painting. It was painted by Jan van Eyck and depicts Italian businessman Giovanni Arnolfini and his pregnant wife in their home in Bruges.

"Scream"

A painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch depicts a man's face distorted by fear against a blood-red sky. The landscape in the background adds a dark charm to this painting. In addition, The Scream is one of the first expressionist paintings where realism is kept to a minimum to allow more freedom for emotion.

"Waters"

Water Lilies, by Claude Monet, is part of a series of 250 paintings depicting elements of the artist's own garden. These paintings are exhibited in various art museums around the world.

"Starlight Night"

"Starry Night" by Van Gogh is one of the most famous images in contemporary culture. It is currently on display at the Museum. contemporary art in New York City.

"Fall of Icarus"

This painting, painted by the Dutch artist Pieter Brueghel, shows a person's indifference to the suffering of their fellow men. strong social theme shown here pretty in a simple way, using the image of Icarus drowning under water, and people ignoring his suffering.

"The Creation of Adam"

The Creation of Adam is one of several magnificent frescoes by Michelangelo adorning the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Palace. It depicts the creation of Adam. In addition to depicting ideal human forms, the fresco is one of the first attempts to depict God in the history of art.

"The Last Supper"

This fresco by the great Leonardo depicts the last supper of Jesus before his betrayal, arrest and death. In addition to composition, form and color, the discussion of this fresco is replete with theories about hidden symbols and the presence of Mary Magdalene next to Jesus.

"Guernica"

"Guernica" by Picasso depicts the explosion of the Spanish city of the same name during the Spanish civil war. This is a black-and-white picture, negatively depicting fascism, Nazism and their ideas.

"Girl with a Pearl Earring"

This painting by Johannes Vermeer is often referred to as the Dutch Mona Lisa, not only because of its extraordinary popularity, but also because the expression on the girl's face is difficult to capture and explain.

"Beheading of John the Baptist"

The painting by Caravaggio very realistically depicts the moment of the murder of John the Baptist in prison. The semi-darkness of the painting and the facial expressions of its characters make it a true classic masterpiece.

"The night Watch"

The Night Watch is one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings. It depicts a group portrait of a rifle company led by its officers. A unique aspect of the painting is the semi-darkness, which gives the impression of a night scene.

"School of Athens"

Painted by Raphael in his early Roman period, this fresco depicts famous Greek philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Socrates, Pythagoras and others. Many philosophers are depicted as contemporaries of Raphael, for example, Plato - Leonardo da Vinci, Heraclitus - Michelangelo, Euclid - Bramante.

"Mona Lisa"

Probably the most famous painting in the world is the Gioconda by Leonardo da Vinci, better known as the Mona Lisa. This canvas is a portrait of Mrs. Gherardini, who attracts attention with a mysterious expression on her face.

There are many talented individuals among Russian artists. Their work is highly valued all over the world and competes with such world masters as Rubens, Michelangelo, Van Gogh and Picasso. In this article, we have collected 10 of the most famous Russian artists.

1. Ivan Aivazovsky

Ivan Aivazovsky is one of the most famous Russian artists. He was born in Feodosia. From childhood, Aivazovsky showed his incredible creative abilities: he loved to draw and taught himself to play the violin.

At the age of 12, the young talent began to study in Simferopol at the Academy of Painting. Here he learned to copy engravings and paint from nature. A year later, he managed to enter the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy, although he had not yet reached the age of 14 years.

For a long time the artist traveled around Europe and lived in Italy, where his paintings were also recognized for their true worth. So the young artist from Feodosia became a fairly famous and rich man.

Later, Aivazovsky returned to his homeland, where he received the uniform of the Naval Ministry and the title of academician. The artist also visited Egypt and was present at the opening of the new Suez Canal. The artist described all his impressions in pictures. By this time, he had already developed his own unique style and the ability to write from memory. Aivazovsky briefly sketched complex elements in a notebook in order to later transfer them to the canvas. The paintings "Odessa", "The Ninth Wave" and "The Black Sea" brought him worldwide fame.

The artist spent the last years of his life in Feodosia, where he built himself a house in the Italian style. A little later, Aivazovsky added a small gallery to it, so that everyone could freely enjoy his amazing paintings and drown in the ocean of colors. Today, this mansion still serves as a museum and many visitors come here every day to see with their own eyes the skill of the marine painter, who lived a long and happy life.

2. Viktor Vasnetsov

Viktor Vasnetsov continues the list of the most famous Russian artists. He was born in the spring of 1848 in the family of a priest in the small village of Lopyal. The craving for painting woke up in him at a very early age, but his parents could not give him a proper education due to lack of money. Therefore, at the age of 10, Victor began to study at a free theological seminary.

In 1866, with virtually no money, he left for St. Petersburg. Vasnetsov easily passed the entrance exam and entered the Academy of Arts. Here began his friendship with the famous artist Repin, with whom he later went to Paris. After returning to St. Petersburg, Vasnetsov begins to paint his most famous paintings: "Three heroes", "Snow Maiden" and "God Sabaoth".

The artist was able to fully reveal his talent only after moving to Moscow. Here he is cozy and comfortable, and each subsequent picture is better than the previous one. It was in Moscow that Vasnetsov painted such paintings as Alyonushka, Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf and Nestor the Chronicler.

3. Karl Bryullov

This famous Russian artist was born in 1799. Karl's father was a famous painter and professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Therefore, the fate of the boy was a foregone conclusion. Fortunately, Karl Bryullov managed to inherit the artist's talent from his father.

Studying was given to the young artist very easily. He was many times superior to the rest of the students in his class and graduated from the Academy of Arts with honors. After that, Karl went to travel around Europe, stopping for a long time only in Italy. It was here that he created his masterpiece - "The Last Day of Pompeii", having spent about six years writing it.

Upon his return to St. Petersburg, Karl Bryullov was awaited by fame and glory. They were glad to see him everywhere and certainly admired his new paintings. During this period, the artist creates several of his immortal paintings: Horsewoman, Siege of Pskov, Narcissus and others.

4. Ivan Shishkin

Ivan Shishkin is one of the most famous Russian landscape painters, who in his paintings could present any inconspicuous landscape in the most favorable light. It seems that nature itself plays on the canvases of this artist with living colors.

Ivan Shishkin was born in 1832 in Yelabuga, which today belongs to Tatarstan. The father wanted his son to eventually take the post of city official, but Ivan gravitated towards drawing. At the age of 20, he left for Moscow to study painting. After successfully graduating from the Moscow School of Arts, Shishkin entered the Imperial Academy in St. Petersburg.

Later, he traveled a long time in Europe, sketching amazing landscapes. At this time, he created the painting "View in the vicinity of Düsseldorf", which brought him great fame. After returning to Russia, Shishkin continues to create with redoubled energy. According to him, Russian nature is several hundred times superior to European landscapes.

Ivan Shishkin painted many amazing paintings in his life: “Morning in a Pine Forest”, “First Snow”, “Pine Forest” and others. Even death overtook this painter right behind the easel.

5. Isaac Levitan

This great Russian master of landscapes was born in Lithuania, but lived all his life in Russia. Repeatedly, his Jewish origin caused him many humiliations, but did not force him to leave this country, which he idolized and praised in his paintings.

Already the first landscapes of Levitan received high marks from Perov and Savrasov, and Tretyakov himself even bought his painting “Autumn Day in Sokolniki”. But in 1879, Isaac Levitan, along with all the Jews, was expelled from Moscow. Only with the great efforts of friends and teachers he manages to return to the city.

In the 1880s, the artist painted many amazing paintings that made him very famous. These were "Pines", "Autumn" and "First Snow". But yet another humiliation forced the author to leave Moscow again and go to the Crimea. On the peninsula, the artist writes a number of amazing works and significantly improves his financial condition. This allows him to travel around Europe and get acquainted with the work of world masters. The pinnacle of Levitan's work was his painting "Above Eternal Peace".

6. Vasily Tropinin

The great Russian portrait painter Vasily Tropinin had an amazing fate. He was born into the family of serfs Count Markov in 1780 and only at the age of 47 received the right to be a free man. Even as a child, little Vasily had a penchant for drawing, but the count sent him to study as a confectioner. Later, he is still sent to the Imperial Academy, where he shows his talent in all its beauty. For his portraits "The Lacemaker" and "The Beggar Old Man" Vasily Tropinin was awarded the title of academician.

7. Petrov-Vodkin Kuzma

A rich heritage in world painting managed to leave behind a famous Russian artist Petrov-Vodkin. He was born in 1878 in Khvalynsk, and in his youth he was going to become a railway worker. However, fate made him a painter of world renown.

8. Alexey Savrasov

The paintings of this Russian artist were already selling well, as soon as he was 12 years old. A little later, he entered the Moscow School of Painting and instantly became one of the best students. A trip to Ukraine helped Savrasov finish college ahead of schedule and receive the title of artist.

The paintings "Stone in the Forest" and "Moscow Kremlin" made this painter an academician at the age of 24! The royal family is interested in young talent, and Tretyakov himself buys many of his works for international exhibitions. Among them were "Winter", "Rooks have arrived", "Thaw" and others.

The death of two daughters and the subsequent divorce take a toll on Savrasov. He drinks heavily and soon dies in a hospital for the poor.

9. Andrey Rublev

Andrei Rublev is the most famous Russian icon painter. He was born in the 15th century and left behind a great legacy in the form of the icons "Trinity", "Annunciation", "Baptism of the Lord". Andrei Rublev, together with Daniil Cherny, decorated many churches with frescoes, and also painted icons for iconostases.

10. Mikhail Vrubel

Our list of the most famous Russian artists is completed by Mikhail Vrubel, who during his life created many masterpieces in various subjects. He was engaged in painting the Kiev temple, and later in Moscow he set about creating his famous series of "demonic" paintings. The creative throwing of this artist did not find proper understanding among his contemporaries. Only a few decades after the death of Mikhail Vrubel, art critics gave him his due, and the Church agreed with his interpretations of biblical events.

Unfortunately, the artist's personal life caused him to develop a severe form of mental disorders. The title of academician overtook him in a lunatic asylum, from which he was no longer destined to leave. Nevertheless, Mikhail Vrubel managed to create many amazing works of art that are worthy of genuine admiration. Among them, it is especially worth highlighting the paintings "Seated Demon", "The Swan Princess" and "Faust".

Among all the most famous artists I would like to especially note the work of the artist Miftyakhov Marat Khaidarovich.
The landscapes of Marat are amazing and unique.
Pictures are different realistic and unrealistic, understandable and incomprehensible.
If you see that a glass is drawn in the picture, then this is quite obvious and what is there to think about? You looked at the picture and realized that it was a glass, tomorrow you looked again and again and realized that it was a glass ... Most likely, after looking at a similar picture once, you no longer want to look at it again, since it is obvious and does not need in explanation. Marat's paintings are the complete opposite of such paintings. They attract and fascinate in that they depict completely unfamiliar and incomprehensible objects and landscapes, creating fantastic views in combination with each other.
The paintings contain many different small details.
It is very difficult to see the whole picture in detail at once, such pictures need to be viewed multiple times. And each time, approaching the picture, the viewer can discover something new, something that he had not noticed before. This quality is inherent in all the paintings of Marat and it attracts even more to their viewing. The pictures are informative and carry a deep philosophical meaning.

"I consider Renato Guttuso the most significant contemporary artist Western Europe”, - wrote J. Berger.

But the words of Carlo Levi "Guttuso - great artist: and not only Sicily and Italy. Now he is one of the largest artists in the world. I am deeply convinced of this and I am happy that I can state this without restrictions and reservations, with full responsibility.”

Renato Guttuso was born in Sicily in Bagheria near Palermo on December 26, 1911 (according to other sources - January 2, 1912), in the family of a surveyor. He received his first professional skills from the folk master Emilio Murdolo, who painted carriages. Studying at the Lyceum, Guttuso is also engaged in painting: he gets acquainted with books on art, visits the workshops of artists. At the end of the twenties, his first paintings appear.

At the first Quadriennale (a four-year exhibition of Italian artists), he had little success - two of his paintings drew the attention of critics.

Already during his lifetime, the name of Dali was surrounded by a halo of world fame. No one, except Pablo Picasso, could compare with him in fame.

The famous film director Alfred Hitchcock wrote: “I appreciated Dali for the cutting contours of his paintings - of course, in many ways similar to the paintings of de Chirico - for his long shadows, endless estrangement, elusive line that goes to infinity, for faces without form. Naturally, he invented many more very strange things that could not be realized.

Dali said about his painting: “How do you want to understand my paintings, when I myself, who created them, do not understand them either. The fact that I do not understand my paintings at the moment when I am painting does not mean that these paintings do not have any meaning, on the contrary, their meaning is so deep, complex, connected, involuntary that it eludes simple logical analysis.

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dali y Domenech was born on May 11, 1904 in the small town of Figueres (province of Girona), in the family of a lawyer. He was christened with the same name as his brother, who died at the age of seven from meningitis. In his autobiography, the artist writes: “Having been born, I took the place of the adored deceased, whom they continued to love through me ... All my subsequent eccentric actions, all my inconsistent antics were the tragic constant of my life: I had to prove to myself that I was not mine. a dead brother, but a living one. That is how I encountered the myth of Castor and Pollux: by killing my own brother within me, I won my own immortality.”

“Realism is not a formula established once and for all, not a dogma, not an immutable law. Realism, as a form of reflection of reality, must be in constant motion,” says Siqueiros. And one more statement of his: “The viewer is not a statue that is included in the linear perspective of the picture ... he is the one who moves across its entire surface ... a person, surveying the painting, complements the artist’s work with his movement.”

On December 29, 1896, in the Mexican town of Chihuahua, Don Cipriano Alfaro and Teresa Siqueiros had a son, Jose David Alfaro Siqueiros. By the age of eleven, he showed the gift of a painter, so in 1907 the boy was sent to study at the National preparatory school in Mexico City. Shortly thereafter, Alfaro begins to study in the classes of the San Carlos Art Academy.

Here Siqueiros becomes one of the student leaders and raises the academy to protest and strike. The artist recalls: “What were the aims of our strike? What did we require? Our demands concerned both educational and political issues. We wanted to do away with the musty academic routine that reigned supreme in our school. At the same time, we made some demands of an economic nature... We demanded the nationalization of the railways. All of Mexico laughed at us… Frankly speaking, I am deeply convinced that it was on that day that an artist-citizen was born in the soul of each of us, an artist living in public interests…”

Plastov's canvases are full of life-affirming power. Through color and thanks to color, he fills his paintings with a lively, quivering feeling. The artist says: “I love this life. And when you see her from year to year ... you think that you need to tell people about it ... Our life is full and rich, there are so many amazingly interesting things in it that even the ordinary everyday affairs of our people attract attention, shake the soul. You have to be able to see it, notice it."

Arkady Alexandrovich Plastov was born on January 31, 1893 in the village of Prislonikha, Simbirsk province, into the family of a village icon painter. His parents dreamed that their son would become a priest. After graduating from three classes of a rural school, in 1903 Arkady was sent to the Simbirsk Theological School. Five years later he entered the Simbirsk Theological Seminary.

In the spring of the same year, 1908, he came into close contact with the work of an artel of icon painters who were renovating the church in Prislonikha. “When they began to put up scaffolding,” the artist writes in his autobiography, “rubbing paints, cooking drying oil on the steep bank of the river, I myself was not myself and walked, as if enchanted, near the arriving miracle workers.” Watching how a new, unprecedented world of images was born on the walls of an old, sooty church, the boy firmly decided: "To be only a painter and nothing more."

Chagall can be understood through “feeling” and not “comprehension”. "The sky, flight - the main state of Chagall's brush," Andrey Voznesensky noted.

“I walked on the moon,” the artist said, “when there were no astronauts yet. In my paintings, the characters were in the sky and in the air ... "

Mark Zakharovich Chagall was born on July 7, 1887 in the city of Vitebsk. He was the eldest of ten children of a small merchant. His father served as a worker for a herring merchant, and his mother, Feiga, kept a petty shop. In 1905, Mark graduated from the four-year city trade school.

The first teacher of Mark was in 1906 Yu.M. Peng. In his autobiography, entitled “My Life,” Chagall dedicates the following lines to Yuri Moiseevich: “Peng is dear to me. So his trembling figure stands before his eyes. In my memory, he lives next to his father. Often, mentally walking along the deserted streets of my city, I stumble upon it every now and then. How many times I was ready to beg him, standing on the threshold of the school: I don’t need fame, if only I could become like you, a modest master, or hang, instead of your paintings, on your street, in your house, next to you. Let me!”

The famous critic Paul Husson wrote in 1922 of Modigliani:

“After Gauguin, he was undoubtedly the best able to express the feeling of the tragic in his work, but with him this feeling was more intimate and usually devoid of any exclusivity.

... This artist carries within himself all the unspoken aspirations for a new expressiveness, characteristic of an era that yearns for the absolute and does not know the ways to it.

Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was born on July 12, 1884 to Italian Jewish parents. His father, Flaminio Modigliani, after the bankruptcy of his office "Firewood, Coal", headed the office of an intermediary. Mother, Evgenia Garsen, came from a merchant family.

Picasso said: "Art is a lie that helps us understand the truth."

Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in Malaga, Spain, to the artist Don Jose Ruiz and Maria Picasso y Lopez. Over time, the artist took the name of his mother. My father was a modest art teacher, sometimes taking orders for interior painting. The boy began to draw very early. The very first sketches amaze with artistry, professional skill. First picture young artist called "Picador".

When Pablo turns ten years old, he moves with his family to A Coruña. In 1892, he entered the local Art School, where his father taught a class in drawing and ornamentation.

G.S. Oganov writes: “... The artist sought to reveal the life of the image through the expressiveness of form, hence the search for dynamic tension, rhythm and color. Of course, the viewer is not struck by these searches themselves, but, above all, by the result. And this result in Petrov-Vodkin still always goes beyond purely compositional-decorative, pictorial searches - there is always the life of the spirit in a concrete-psychological and at the same time philosophical-generalized expression. This gives a scale to his works and makes them, despite all the external, formal parallels with ancient Russian or modern Western European art, original, original, deeply independent works.

Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin was born on the Volga in the small town of Khvalynsk on November 5, 1878. He was the first-born in the family of the shoemaker Sergei Fedorovich Vodkin and his wife Anna Panteleevna, nee Petrova. When the boy was in his third year, his father was taken into the army and sent to serve in St. Petersburg, on Okhta. Soon Anna Panteleevna also moved there with her little son. Two and a half years later there was a return to Khvalynsk, where the mother entered the service in the house of the local rich. Kuzma lived with her in the wing.

I.E. Repin called Kustodiev "a hero of Russian painting." “A great Russian artist - and with a Russian soul,” another famous painter, M.V., said about him. Nesterov. And here is what N.A. Sautin: “Kustodiev is an artist of versatile talent. A magnificent painter, he entered into Russian art as the author of significant works household genre, original landscapes and deep portraits. An excellent draftsman and graphic artist, Kustodiev worked in linocut and woodcuts, performed book illustrations and theater sketches. He developed his own original artistic system, managed to feel and embody the original features of Russian life.

Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev was born on March 7, 1878 in Astrakhan. His father, Mikhail Lukich Kustodiev, who taught Russian language, literature, logic at the Astrakhan women's gymnasium and seminary, died when the boy was not even two years old. All worries about the upbringing of four children fell on the shoulders of the mother, Ekaterina Prokhorovna. Mother rented a small outbuilding in the house of a wealthy merchant. As Boris Mikhailovich recalls: “The whole way of a rich and abundant merchant life was in full view ... These were the living types of Ostrovsky ...” Decades later, these impressions materialize in Kustodiev’s paintings.

The founder of his own abstract style - Suprematism - Kazimir Severinovich Malevich was born on February 23, 1878 (according to other sources - 1879) in Kiev. Parents Severin Antonovich and Ludwig Alexandrovna were Poles by origin. Later, the artist recalled: “The circumstances in which my childhood life proceeded were as follows: my father worked at beet-sugar factories, which are usually built in the deep wilderness, far from cities and towns.”

Around 1890, the father was transferred to the plant, which was located in the village of Parkhomovka, near Belopolye. Here, Kazimir graduated from a five-year agricultural school: “The village ... was engaged in art (I didn’t know such a word then) ... I watched with great excitement how the peasants made paintings, and helped them smear the floors of the hut with clay and make patterns on the stove ... The whole life of the peasants fascinated me strongly ... Against this background, feelings for art, for art, developed in me. Four years later, the family moved to a factory in Volchka, and then moved to Konotop.

Many people who are fond of painting are forced to give up such an occupation, since it is not easy to break into people and become a famous and sought-after artist. And yet, some succeeded. Find out which artists are the most famous.

The most famous artists

So, the top 10 most famous artists in the world:

I started drawing by chance and not in childhood. At the age of 20, Henri had an operation to remove it, and his mother bought him paint and paper. Matisse first copied colored postcards, and then became so interested in drawing that he even decided to become a professional artist.

Despite the protests of his father, Henri began to study painting. Matisse's drawing style was very unusual and similar to impressionism. At first, Henri copied the works of foreign masters, and then began to create his own masterpieces. Most notable works Henri Matisse is "Parisian Dance", "Joy of Life", "Conversation", "Family Portrait", "Red Room".

By the way, Matisse even opened his own school of painting. Today his paintings are kept in best museums and are in the collections of the richest people.

He was a difficult teenager and at school lessons, instead of completing assignments, he painted the covers of notebooks with funny portraits of classmates and teachers. Soon, many people learned about Claude's talent, and he became a very famous cartoonist in his city, and later began to take money for his work. But then Monet met an experienced landscape painter who took up his training.

And only then Claude fell in love with nature and learned to feel it. The guy expressed his emotions in drawings, which later became so popular that today they are included in the best collections of paintings. The most famous works: “Sunset over the Sea”, “Sunflowers”, “Holland Tulips”, “By the Sea”, “Road in the Forest”, “Still Life with Meat”.

Today everyone knows his name, like the most best work, which include such as "Girl on the ball", "Life", "Bathers", "Avignon girls" and many others. And his painting "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" became the most expensive painting ever sold.

Picasso was a talented artist, graphic artist, designer, ceramist, decorator and sculptor. He is the founder of cubism. In addition, Picasso made a huge contribution to the development of the art of the last century, it probably would not have been the same without this person.

In total, during his life, Pablo completed about 20 thousand works, each of which was unique and inimitable. Picasso began to draw from a very early age, and he took his first painting lessons from his father, who was a drawing teacher (later Pablo himself held this position). And young Picasso drew inspiration from fairy tales that his mother invented herself and told her son at night.

4. Vincent van Gogh- A Dutch post-impressionist artist who created many amazing and unusual works. Vincent was a difficult teenager, but to outsiders he seemed thoughtful and serious. Van Gogh began to draw later, when he began working in an art and trading company.

Every day Vincent was in contact with works of art, so he learned to appreciate them. After an unsuccessful love affair, the affairs of the young dealer Van Gogh began to deteriorate, and at some point he decided to try his hand at painting. But still, Vincent had to earn a living, although he did not like the work. After several failures, Van Gogh decided to devote himself entirely to painting and gave the world many masterpieces.

- an artist of Armenian origin (his real name is Hovhannes). From childhood, Ivan showed creative abilities, he even independently learned to play the violin. Aivazovsky also drew beautifully and constantly developed his abilities.

Ivan especially appreciated and idolized the sea, and that is why chic seascapes, which depict storms, shipwrecks, waves and depths. The most famous paintings of the artist are "The Ninth Wave", "Venice", "Chaos", "Sinking Ship", "Ice Mountains", "Wave", "Black Sea".

- an artist who was practically a discoverer of the beauties of Russian nature. He loved everything: trees, every blade of grass, the sky, dew drops, flowers. And this love of his is perfectly visible in the paintings, each of which is a real masterpiece.

His landscapes proved to everyone that Russia is not a gray boring country, as they used to think, but an incredibly beautiful place. Here are some of the artist's most famous works: "Evening Bells", "March", " Golden autumn". By the way, many of his landscapes are still used as illustrations and printed in textbooks.

- this is a truly unique and legendary artist who changed the views of society on painting. A distinctive feature of Pollock's work was that they bore little resemblance to paintings. It may seem that someone has spilled paint on paper, but upon closer and closer examination, you can see something mysterious and deep.

And Jackson himself was completely immersed in the process and expressed his emotions through the canvas. He spread paper on the floor, and for drawing he used broken glass, liquid paints, scoops, knives and sticks. Pollock's most famous works are "Number 5" (this is the artist's most expensive painting), "Moon Woman Cutting Circle" and "She-Wolf".

Known for painting portraits of most famous people. But the stars turn to Nikas for a reason, he is very talented. Safronov was born in a simple family and achieved everything himself. In addition, this is one of the few artists who managed to become famous during his lifetime. Nikas's list of works includes portraits of such celebrities as Mike Tyson, Sophia Loren, Mick Jagger, Julio Iglesias, Elton John, Sting, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson and many others.

- perhaps the most iconic and significant person in the history of pop art. Andy started drawing as a child. At first he illustrated magazines, but then he decided to create independent works, drawing inspiration from food, drinks and other consumer goods.

He painted canned food, fruits, alcoholic drinks. But all the paintings were distinguished by a special manner of execution. The drawings were so eccentric and bright that they simply could not be overlooked.

- master of figurative painting and expressionist artist. The main theme of his work is the human body. But Francis painted bodies usually elongated, distorted, enclosed in some figures or objects. Bacon's most famous works are The Sleeping Man, The Woman, The Crucifixion triptych, and Three Sketches for a Portrait of Lucian Freud.

These were the most famous artists of all time.

It is difficult to assess the significance of this or that artist for world art. But among the many authors, one can single out several of the most prominent personalities, whose work will not leave any critics indifferent. The most famous artists in the world, who are included in our list, no doubt deserve this title.

1. Leonardo da Vinci

One of the most brilliant people in history can be called Leonardo da Vinci. This man managed to become famous not only as a talented artist and sculptor, but also as a brilliant researcher, scientist, engineer, musician, philosopher and chemist. The paintings of Leonardo da Vinci also deserve high praise. Only 17 of them have survived to our time: "Gioconda", "Last Supper", "Annunciation" and others.

Leonardo da Vinci was born in the spring of 1452 in Anciano. He moved from Florence to Venice and back, served several dukes of Milan, survived years of war between Italy and France, negotiated between the Pope and the French king, competed with famous artists Michelangelo and Raphael.

At the beginning of 1516, Leonardo da Vinci began to serve King Francis I, almost immediately endearing himself to the monarch. For talented artist the crown allocated the Klaw estate and a decent pension. Here Leonardo lived the last three years of his life, leaving behind many unfinished masterpieces of painting and unsolved messages.

2. Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso is the most famous Spanish artist. Born in 1881 in Malaga. At the age of 13, he began to study painting at the Art Academy in Barcelona, ​​and after graduation he entered the capital's San Fernando. After studying in Madrid, Picasso moved to Paris, where he created most of his best masterpieces.

All the work of this artist can be divided into several stages. During the blue period, Pablo painted poor people mostly in cold colors. Enlightenment came in the rose period after Picasso met Fernande Olivier, his muse and first love. She gave the artist's canvases bright colors, pink and orange tones.

During the African period, African notes begin to openly appear in the paintings, intertwining with the traditional European style. One of the most controversial period of creativity of this Spanish artist is cubism. More bright colors appear on the canvases of Picasso during neoclassicism. It affects the wedding of the artist and ballerina Olga Khokhlova, as well as the appearance of an heir.

A little bit later family life leaves a completely different imprint on the work of Pablo Picasso. This period is called surrealism. It is expressed by a series of paintings depicting monstrous women. new era was opened by Françoise Gilot, who became the new wife of Pablo Picasso. It is believed that it was she who inspired him to create the world-famous painting called "The Dove of Peace."

At the age of eighty, the artist marries again. Pablo Picasso died in 1973, leaving behind about 20,000 works.

3. Vincent van Gogh

The craving for painting woke up with Vincent van Gogh quite late. This famous Dutch artist was born in the spring of 1853. At the age of 16, Vincent starts trading in works of art in The Hague. He also begins to paint a little, trying to make decent reproductions of paintings by famous authors. Since 1875, Vincent moved to Paris, where the Luxembourg Museum and the famous Louvre await him.

In early 1878, Van Gogh began work as a preacher in a small village in southern Belgium, but very soon became disillusioned with religion. Returning to the capital of France, the artist literally absorbs the basics of impressionism and neo-impressionism in two years. Then he develops his own unique style with great effort. Vincent's innovation literally blows up Paris!

From the end of 1889, Van Gogh's mental disorders worsened, more and more often there were fits of insanity and attempts to commit suicide. Brother Theo takes him from Paris and settles him in a small village. In the summer of 1890, Vincent travels to Paris to meet his brother. Exactly three weeks after his arrival, Van Gogh kills himself with a revolver shot in the chest area.

4. Claude Monet

The founder of impressionism is the famous French artist Claude Monet, and the first painting in this style was his depiction of dawn in the port of Le Havre.

Claude Monet was born in the capital of France in 1840. At the age of five, he moves with his family to the city of Le Havre in Normandy. Here the little artist learns to draw and everyone celebrates his outstanding talent. Claude Monet's father even offered his son to put his paintings up for sale in his grocery store.

In 1860, the young artist was called up to serve in the army. But two years later he entered the painting studio, where he met future like-minded people: Basil, Renoir and Sisley.

During his life, the artist married twice. The first marriage was with Camille Donsier, and the second with Alice Hoschede. The portrait of Camilla, which he painted four years before their wedding, brought great fame to the artist. Both eyes of the artist became inflamed from constant hard work. The doctors performed the operation and strictly forbade Claude from continuing to paint. But this did not stop him and he continued to paint picture after picture. Claude Monet died in 1926, and after 15 years his work was finally appreciated.

5. Rembrandt Van Rijn

Rembrandt van Rijn is one of the most famous artists in the world. Born in Holland in 1606. All the young years of the future master took place in his native Leiden, and in 1632 he moved to Amsterdam. Much attention in the artist's paintings is paid to the play of light and shadow, which gives his paintings a unique atmosphere of emotional tension.

In 1642, Rembrandt loses his wife and paints The Night Watch, which brings him unprecedented fame. The complex composition of this canvas was quite different from the usual style of a group portrait.

In the following years, the artist writes a lot and his paintings are well received by critics. In 1668, he loses his new muse, Hendrikje Stoffels, and a little later, his own son Titus. Now Rembrandt's self-portraits depict a man who has endured difficult life trials.

6 Michelangelo Buonarroti

Michelangelo Buonarroti is one of the most brilliant artists of the Renaissance. He was born in 1475 in the small town of Chiusi not far from Florence. The noble origin allowed the boy to communicate with many prominent artists and scientists of that time. This communication very well contributed to the development of young talent.

In the gardens of Mark, the young artist carved the mask of a faun, and also made a relief in which he depicted the battle of Hercules and the centaurs. Many were delighted with these sculptures and prophesied a great future for Michelangelo. A little later, he created the famous "Crucifixion", after which the young genius was invited to Rome. Here, Michelangelo created the Madonna, who holds the dead Jesus Christ in her arms, and also sculpted a marble sculpture of Bacchus. They brought their author a huge success and made him one of the most popular Italian sculptors.

For twenty-two months he worked hard on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the result of his long work did not leave anyone indifferent. A quarter of a century later, Michelangelo returned here again to decorate the wall with frescoes. The Last Judgment came out no less brilliant, but slightly inferior to the first picture.

V last years Michelangelo abandoned painting and sculpture, devoting himself entirely to architecture. He was in charge of the construction of the Roman temple named after St. Peter, but he did not manage to finish it. The main dome, according to his personal project, was installed after the death of Michelangelo.

7. Ivan Aivazovsky

Ivan Aivazovsky is a famous Russian artist who was born in 1817 in Feodosia. The real name of this artist is Hovhannes Gaivazovsky. Already from childhood, he had pronounced musical and artistic abilities. The first teacher of Hovhannes was the famous architect Yakov Kokh, who did his best to develop the abilities of this talented boy. At the age of 13, he entered the art gymnasium in Simferopol, and then at the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy. So the boy began to bear the name of Ivan Aivazovsky.

At the age of 20, Aivazovsky graduated from the Academy ahead of schedule with an honorary gold medal. He visited naval military battles on the coast of the Caucasus, then traveled around Europe for four years, was in the Caucasus, then in Georgia, Dagestan, Armenia and Ossetia. This is how the famous paintings "The Ninth Wave", "Sea Coast", "Venice" and others appeared.

Having enjoyed his travels to the full, the artist settled in the Crimean Feodosia, where he bought a plot and built a mansion in the style of Italian palazzos on it. Over time, this house became a private museum of his work.

8. Peter Paul Rubens

The famous Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens was born in Germany in 1577, but after the death of his father, he moved with his family to Antwerp. Here he begins to draw passionately and decides to study to find worthy teachers in Italy. There he spends as much as 8 years of painstaking study and work on his first masterpieces.

After graduation, Peter Rubens returns to his homeland and continues to paint. His works "Exaltation of the Cross", "Battle of the Amazons", "Adam and Eve" and others became widely known. The distinctive style of Rubens was the careful drawing of the characters and the background.

9. Diego Velasquez

Diego Velasquez is a famous Spanish painter. He was born in Seville in 1599 and from childhood he showed good drawing abilities. Parents strongly supported the efforts of their son and found the best Spanish teachers for him.

The young Velázquez wrote mainly ordinary people. His paintings "The Old Cook", "Breakfast" and "Water Carrier in Seville" deserve high praise. His painting "The Adoration of the Magi" also caused great delight and Velasquez received the post of royal painter in Madrid. Only he can now paint personal portraits of the royal family and Philip IV himself. Also in Madrid, the artist meets with Rubens, gets acquainted with the work of Titian, da Vinci and Raphael. He devotes two years of his life to a trip to Italy and studying the work of local authors. Here he writes the famous "Forge of Vulcan", as well as his the best picture"Surrender of Breda". In the 1650s, the artist creates another series of his immortal masterpieces: Villa Medici, Spinners, Las Meninas and famous picture Venus in front of a mirror

10. Raphael Santi

Raphael Santi is one of the most famous artists in the world, whose fame began at the age of 17. And a few years later he entered the Pope as a court painter. The young Raphael had to compete with such talents as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. In skill, he clearly lost to them, but he always brought his work to the end.

In the work of Raphael, many paintings are devoted to the image of the Madonna. Also, his works were very popular: “The Transfiguration of the Lord”, “Angel” and others. He also painted portraits, composed poetry, painted temples and studied architecture. He seemed to be trying to do his best, foreseeing his death at an early age.