The Best Movies About Real Artists
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Vote up the best biographical movies about painters, sculptors, and other types of visual artists.
- 1Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Geoffrey RushWatch for Free with Amazon Prime Free TrialIn the vibrant biographical drama Frida, Salma Hayek dons the mantle of Frida Kahlo, a groundbreaking Mexican artist known for her surreal self-portraits. Alfred Molina plays Diego Rivera, her larger-than-life husband and fellow artist. The movie chronicles their tumultuous relationship, as well as Frida's struggle with a crippling accident and her journey to becoming an internationally celebrated painter. Directed by Julie Taymor, this film won two Academy Awards in 2003 for Best Makeup and Best Original Score. It paints a vivid picture of passion, politics, and the power of art.More Frida
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- 2Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Danny HustonIn the late 1950s and early '60s, artist Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) achieves unbelievable fame and success with portraits of saucer-eyed waifs. However, no one realizes that his wife, Margaret (Amy Adams), is the real painter behind the brush. Although Margaret is horrified to learn that Walter is passing off her work as his own, she is too meek to protest too loudly. It isn't until the Keanes' marriage comes to an end and a lawsuit follows that the truth finally comes to light.More Big Eyes
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- 3Douglas Booth, Robert Gulaczyk, Eleanor TomlinsonMystery surrounds the death of famed painter Vincent van Gogh in 1890 France.
- 4Ed Harris, Marcia Gay Harden, Amy MadiganIn August of 1949, Life Magazine ran a banner headline that begged the question: "Jackson Pollock: Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?" The film is a look back into the life of an extraordinary man, a man who has fittingly been called "an artist dedicated to concealment, a celebrity who nobody knew." As he struggled with self-doubt, engaging in a lonely tug-of-war between needing to express himself and wanting to shut the world out, Pollock began a downward spiral.
- 5Daniel Day-Lewis, Ray McAnally, Brenda FrickerNo one expects much from Christy Brown (Daniel Day-Lewis), a boy with cerebral palsy born into a working-class Irish family. Though Christy is a spastic quadriplegic and essentially paralyzed, a miraculous event occurs when, at the age of 5, he demonstrates control of his left foot by using chalk to scrawl a word on the floor. With the help of his steely mother (Brenda Fricker) -- and no shortage of grit and determination -- Christy overcomes his infirmity to become a painter, poet and author.More My Left Foot
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- 6Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Everett SloaneThis lauded drama depicts the life of revered Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (Kirk Douglas). An intense and imaginative artist, Van Gogh possesses undeniable talent, but he is plagued by mental problems and frustrations with failure. Supported by his brother, Theo (James Donald), the tormented Van Gogh eventually leaves Holland for France, where he meets volatile fellow painter Paul Gauguin (Anthony Quinn) and struggles to find greater inspiration.
- 7Jeffrey Wright, David Bowie, Courtney LoveDespite living a life of extreme poverty in Brooklyn, graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Jeffrey Wright) strives to rise up through the heady New York art scene of the 1970s and 1980s. He becomes the brightest star of neo-Expressionist painting and one of the most successful painters of his time, and even develops a friendship with Andy Warhol (David Bowie). But Basquiat's tumultuous life, specifically his addiction to heroin, overshadows his rise to fame, threatening all.More Basquiat
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- 8Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom WilkinsonWhen her father goes blind, Griet (Scarlett Johansson) must go to work as a maid for painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). While cleaning the house, Griet strikes up an unlikely friendship with Vermeer, which both agree to keep secret for fear of provoking the painter's jealous wife, Catharina (Essie Davis). When wealthy patron Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson) begins to lust after Griet, and commissions a painting of her, Vermeer and Griet are obliged to spend long hours alone together.
- 9Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar IsaacFamed but tormented artist Vincent van Gogh spends his final years in Arles, France, painting masterworks of the natural world that surrounds him.
- 10Michel Bouquet, Christa Théret, Vincent RottiersPierre-Auguste Renoir paints on the French Riviera in 1915 after his wife dies and his son is wounded in a battle. He finds a young woman named Andrée and she becomes his last model.
- 11
The Danish Girl
Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Ben WhishawWith support from his loving wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander), artist Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) prepares to undergo one of the first sex-change operations.More The Danish Girl- #179 of 241 onThe 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
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- 12Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, Stellan SkarsgårdBrother Lorenzo (Javier Bardem), a member of the Spanish Inquisition, seeks to curry favor with the Inquisitor General by arresting the muse (Natalie Portman) of artist Francisco Goya (Stellan Skarsgard). Lorenzo's plan backfires when the woman's father, a wealthy merchant, captures and tortures Lorenzo, and he must flee the wrath of his fellow Inquisitors.
- 13Nigel Terry, Sean Bean, Michael GoughThis fictional portrait of Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (Nigel Terry) follows the painter as he wanders the streets, often using prostitutes and homeless people as models for his work, which was lauded in his own time. Involved with two very different lovers, Ranuccio (Sean Bean) and Lena (Tilda Swinton), Caravaggio leads a troubled life in spite of his relative success, with his reckless behavior steering him towards an early grave.More Caravaggio
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- 14Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Ivan Lapikov, Nikolay GrinkoAn expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev (Anatoliy Solonitsyn). Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.More Andrei Rublev
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- 15Tim Roth, Paul Rhys, Adrian BrineVincent & Theo is a 1990 biographical drama film directed by Robert Altman, starring Tim Roth and Paul Rhys. The movie is an exploration of the relationship between Vincent van Gogh and his art dealer brother, Theo. Originally a four-hour mini-series for the BBC, Robert Altman and writer Julian Mitchell were able to pare it down to two and a half hours. The production saved money by hiring art students to reproduce Van Gogh's masterpieces.
- 16
Maudie
Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, Kari MatchettMaudie is a 2016 biographical romantic drama film directed by Aisling Walsh and starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. A co-production of Ireland and Canada, the film is about the life of artist Maud Lewis, who painted in Nova Scotia. - 17Andy Garcia, Eva Herzigová, Peter CapaldiModigliani is a 2004 American-French-German-Italian drama biographical film written and directed by Mick Davis and starring Andy García, Elsa Zylberstein, Omid Djalili, Hippolyte Girardot, Eva Herzigova and Udo Kier. It is based on the life of the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.
- 18Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane CilentoDuring the Italian Renaissance, Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison) contracts the influential artist Michelangelo (Charlton Heston) to sculpt 40 statues for his tomb. When the pope changes his mind and asks the sculptor to paint a mural in the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo doubts his painting skills and abandons the project. Divine inspiration returns Michelangelo to the mural, but his artistic vision clashes with the pope's demanding personality and threatens the success of the historic painting.
- 19
Factory Girl
Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, Hayden ChristensenIn the mid-1960s, wealthy debutant Edie Sedgwick (Sienna Miller) meets artist Andy Warhol (Guy Pearce). She joins Warhol's famous Factory and becomes his muse. Although she seems to have it all, Edie cannot have the love she craves from Andy, and she has an affair with a charismatic musician (Hayden Christensen), who pushes her to seek independence from the artist and the milieu. - 20Jacques Dutronc, Elsa Zylberstein, Bernard Le CooVan Gogh is a 1991 French film written and directed by Maurice Pialat. It stars Jacques Dutronc in the role of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, for which he won the 1992 César Award for Best Actor. Set in 1890, the film follows the last 67 days of Van Gogh's life and explores his relationships with his brother Theo, his physician Paul Gachet, and the women in his life, including Gachet's daughter, Marguerite. The film was entered into the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.More Van Gogh
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- 21
Mr. Turner
Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson, Marion BaileyEccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner (Timothy Spall) lives his last 25 years with gusto and secretly becomes involved with a seaside landlady, while his faithful housekeeper (Dorothy Atkinson) bears an unrequited love for him.More Mr. Turner- #36 of 79 onGreat Period Movies Set in the 19th Century
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- 22
Lautrec
Elsa Zylberstein, Claude Rich, AnémoneLautrec is a 1998 comedy, drama, biographical film written and directed by Roger Planchon. - 23Anthony Hopkins, Natascha McElhone, Julianne MooreWorld-renowned painter Pablo Picasso (Anthony Hopkins) is notorious for his infidelity, but his French lover, Françoise Gilot (Natascha McElhone), manages to weather her stormy relationship with him better than many other women. While serving as Picasso's muse and the mother of two of his children, Gilot -- an artist in her own right -- has to contend with his relationships with other women, including his wife, dancer Olga Khokhlova (Jane Lapotaire), and photographer Dora Maar (Julianne Moore).
- 24Jeremy Irons, Joan Allen, Ed BegleyGeorgia O'Keeffe is a 2009 American television biographical film, produced by City Entertainment in association with Sony Television, about noted American painter Georgia O'Keeffe and her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz. The film was directed by Bob Balaban, executive-produced by Joshua D. Maurer, Alixandre Witlin and Joan Allen, and line-produced by Tony Mark. Shown on Lifetime Television, it starred Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons in lead roles. At the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards, the film received nine nominations, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Jeremy Irons and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for Joan Allen. The film was also nominated for three 2009 Golden Globe Awards, including Best Miniseries or Television Movie or Miniseries, as well as receiving nominations for director by the Directors Guild of America and a Producers Guild nomination for Producer of the Year award for Outstanding Television Movie or Miniseries, and a NAACP nomination for supporting actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries.
- 25
Camille Claudel 1915
Juliette Binoche, Armelle Leroy-Rolland, Sandra RiveraCamille Claudel 1915 is a 2013 French biopic written and directed by Bruno Dumont. The film premiered in competition at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. - 26Geir Westby, Gro Fraas, Johan HalsborgWatch for Free with Amazon Prime Free TrialThis intimate docudrama reveals the life of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (Geir Westby), the Expressionist best known for his iconic painting "The Scream." Munch's childhood is overshadowed by death:he suffers the loss of his sister and mother, while enduring serious illness himself, almost dying. At university, Munch discovers his talent as a painter. As he immerses himself in the art world, he becomes part of a cultural revolution lead by the likes of nihilist Hans Jæger (Kare Stormark).
- 27John Malkovich, Saffron Burrows, Veronica FerresKlimt is a 2006 Austrian art-house biographical film about the life of the Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt. It was written and directed by Raoul Ruiz, with an English screenplay adaptation by Gilbert Adair. The director of photography was Ricardo Aronovich, and the music was composed by Jorge Arriagada. The title role was played by John Malkovich and the cast included Stephen Dillane. Both a 130 minute long director's cut and a shortened producer's cut of 96 minutes were shown at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival.
- 28Guy Pearce, Claes Bang, August DiehlThe Last Vermeer is a 2020 American war drama film directed by Dan Friedkin, based on the book The Man Who Made Vermeers by Jonathan Lopez. Dutch folk hero Han van Meegeren (Guy Pearce) swindles millions of dollars from the Nazis by selling them forgeries of Johannes Vermeer paintings becoming the most successful art forger of all time.
- 29Yolande Moreau, Ulrich Tukur, Serge LarivièreSeraphine is a 2008 film directed by Martin Provost.
- 30Martin Freeman, Toby Jones, Emily HolmesNightwatching is a 2007 film about the artist Rembrandt and the creation of his painting The Night Watch. The film is directed by Peter Greenaway and stars Martin Freeman as Rembrandt, with Eva Birthistle as his wife Saskia van Uylenburg, Jodhi May as his lover Geertje Dircx, and Emily Holmes as his other lover Hendrickje Stoffels. Reinier van Brummelen is the director of photography. James Willcock, known for his esoteric sets, is the art director. The film is described by co-producer Jean Labadie as "a return to the Greenaway of The Draughtsman's Contract." It features Greenaway's trademark neoclassical compositions and graphic sexuality. The music is by Włodek Pawlik. The film premiered in competition, at the Venice Film Festival. Nightwatching is the first feature in Greenaway's film series "Dutch Masters". The following film in the series is Goltzius and the Pelican Company. An associated work by the same director is the documentary film Rembrandt's J'Accuse, in which Greenaway addresses 34 "mysteries" associated with the painting, illustrated by scenes from the drama. The Night Watch by Rembrandt
