Have you ever wondered which paintings are the most famous of all time? Ranking all paintings ever created is not an easy task, especially since painting is an ancient art form that has remained significant and influential despite the emergence of competing mediums such as photography and digital art. However, some paintings could be deemed timeless masterpieces. These paintings have become instantly recognizable to the public and have stood the test of time.
To narrow down the scope of this vast period of artistic creation, we start with the emergence of the Italian Renaissance in the 15th century, which marked a new era in the history of Western art. The period emphasized naturalism, human ideals, and nonreligious themes. Our list of 100 iconic paintings considers timeless classics from the end of the 15th century up until the first half of the 1900s.
Even by narrowing down the artistic output of human endeavor to five hundred years, it's still challenging to determine what constitutes a timeless masterpiece and how talent, genius, and circumstance intertwine to create such a distinctive work of art. Art is being made at an astonishing rate these days, so it can be tricky to separate the wheat from the chaff. Perhaps the simplest answer to what constitutes a masterpiece is this: you know a masterpiece when you see one. However, masterpieces typically need a consensus among art lovers and have transcended time and culture, securing a place in collective human memory.
Our group of art connoisseurs presents our top 100 world's most famous paintings for your consideration. This list comprises works by many famed artists that are now housed in some of the world's finest museums. However, we acknowledge that evaluating art is entirely subjective, and few will completely agree with the contents of the list. Rest assured that the list of top 100 masterpieces is only an acknowledgment of the immense contribution of the artists who made them so memorable.