The Greatest Painters Of All Time

The Greatest Painters Of All Time

Ranker Art
Updated May 22, 2024 294.4K views 31 items
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52.4K votes
9.6K voters
Voting Rules
Vote up history's greatest artists who worked with the medium of paint.

Art has the power to transcend time, influencing and inspiring countless generations. Among the brilliant stars in the artistic firmament are the greatest painters of all time, whose works have become the benchmark of excellence. This meticulously curated list, a labor of love by passionate art aficionados, ranks these luminaries from the universally revered to the critically significant.

The pantheon of legendary painters is dazzlingly diverse, encompassing the delicate touch of Impressionism to the bold strokes of Surrealism. Visionary figures like Leonardo da Vinci, whose masterpieces Mona Lisa and The Last Supper continue to captivate the world, consistently command the highest echelons of art auctions. Meanwhile, Pablo Picasso's revolutionary approach to form and color has cemented his status as one of the defining artists of the modern era.

Claude Monet's serene landscapes, including the iconic Water Lilies, have charmed art enthusiasts for ages, inviting them into a tranquil world of light and reflection. Moving through the timeline, the list also celebrates modern mavericks such as Jackson Pollock, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Roy Lichtenstein, each bringing their own unique flair and innovation to the canvas.

Here lies the opportunity to honor these icons: Whose brushwork resonates most with you? Elevate your preferred maestros by voting them up the list and see how they fare against their illustrious peers. Every vote is a nod to their enduring legacy and a recognition of their indelible impact on the world of art.

Most divisive: Edvard Munch
Over 9.6K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Greatest Painters of All Time
  • Roy Lichtenstein
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    782 VOTES

    Roy Lichtenstein

    Roy Fox Lichtenstein (; October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was an American pop artist. During the 1960s, along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and James Rosenquist among others, he became a leading figure in the new art movement. His work defined the premise of pop art through parody. Inspired by the comic strip, Lichtenstein produced precise compositions that documented while they parodied, often in a tongue-in-cheek manner. His work was influenced by popular advertising and the comic book style. He described pop art as "not 'American' painting but actually industrial painting". His paintings were exhibited at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York City. Whaam! and Drowning Girl are generally regarded as Lichtenstein's most famous works, with Oh, Jeff...I Love You, Too...But... arguably third. Drowning Girl, Whaam! and Look Mickey are regarded as his most influential works. His most expensive piece is Masterpiece, which was sold for $165 million in January 2017.
    782 votes
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