What makes a painting iconic is a balance of demand, infamy and recognition, but whether or not people actually like the piece is another story altogether. It’s widely agreed however, that the following form the most iconic paintings of all time - you’ll probably recognise at least a few of them!
Mona Lisa – Leonardo Da Vinci
The Mona Lisa, now housed in Paris’ Louvre, arguably revolutionised contemporary portrait painting: making the three-quarter pose the standard and encouraging freer studies of subjects. Part of the Renaissance movement, it has inspired movies, songs and lots of replicas; and is perhaps the world’s most easily recognised painting. Dated back to 1503, value on the Mona Lisa is entirely speculative with some estimating it would be well over 1 billion pounds, making it essentially priceless, as no one would be able or willing to pay such an amount. The painting was stolen in 1911 by the man hired by the gallery to fit protective glass over it – but it was returned two years later!
The Starry Night – Vincent Van Gogh
One of Van Gogh’s final works before he died by suicide the following year, The Starry Night is a moderately abstract landscape painted in 1889. Van Gogh painted the piece during his year-long stay at an asylum, after suffering a breakdown. It is a representation of what he could see from his window. Estimated to be worth some £100million (but likely to fetch more if ever sold), it’s displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The Scream – Edvard Munch
There are actually four versions of The Scream, which Munch painted to represent his experiences of suffering panic attacks. A popular and well recognised expressionist piece, it has been stolen twice: once from the National Gallery of Oslo and once from the Munch Museum. Both times, the works have been recovered, albeit not in good condition. The Scream was painted in 1893, 1895 and again in 1910 and in 2018 it had a value estimate of £80million. The Munch Museum in Oslo still displays three versions of the painting.
The Persistence of Memory – Salvador Dali
A surrealist piece characterised by its melting clocks, The Persistence of Memory was painted in 1931 and cemented Dali’s importance as one of the world’s most famous artists. Dali said that the ‘soft watches’ represent the concept of time losing all meaning in an unconscious world. Worth up to £150million, it’s on display in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The Birth of Venus – Sandro Botticelli
Painted in 1485 and considered the epitome of the early Renaissance era, The Birth of Venus depicts the goddess of love and beauty arriving on land for the first time. One of the most valuable paintings in the world, the Italian government purchased the piece for well over 400 million pounds, but it’s had several notable owners over the years. Today it hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
If you’re planning on becoming an iconic artist of any movement, it’s imperative that you store your supplies and works of progress in air-tight, waterproof containers for protection. Don’t risk taking out a piece only to find it’s been damaged – save time and effort with proper storage solutions!