Famous oil painting part 2 - places 26 to 50

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Oil painting has a long tradition

Oil works of art can be traced back to around 650 AD , where the oldest still existing oil paintings can be found in the old historical settlement of Bamiyan in Afghanistan

This region lies on the once important silk trade route and is primarily known for the huge Bamiyan-Buddhas. Behind the statues, in a large interior carved into the rock, the earliest examples of oil painting on the walls of the rooms can be found.

The oil paintings of the time already showed a large variation of ingredients and pigments, and the murals were even covered with a varnish layer.

This indicates that the technology was already quite wide and must have been used in Asia before the 7th century.

The invention of the oil paint was long attributed to the European painter Jan van Eyck from the 15th century . However, written instructions for the production of oil paint can be found in theophilus manuscripts that go back (until around 1125 AD)

At that time it was probably not an oil painting on canvas, but oil paint was probably used for decoration of carvings, sculptures and wood paintings, especially for the outdoor area.

The artists from the Netherlands were finally the first to make the use of oil popular , which then spread to Italy as a contemporary medium throughout Northern Europe and then further to Italy.

The first oil paintings were painted on wooden boards, but at the end of the 15th century the use of canvas became increasingly popular. It was inexpensive and easy to transport from one place to another.

Venice was a pioneer in supplying a canvas due to the abundance of canvas in the city. Around 1540 Tempera was a rare medium on panel painting and Italy moved more towards oil works of art on canvas .

In the following centuries, oil painting was used almost continuously on canvas as a medium to express many different styles and artistic movements.

So if you are in the mood for a virtual tour of the most famous and popular oil paintings in recent centuries, you will find our top 25 in the first part of this series of articles .

In this article we present our places 26 to 50 .

Our top 26-50

Despite the large number of paintings that viewers saw in museums and art galleries around the world, only a relatively small number was generally recognized as classic. In their beauty and execution, these works of art have survived the time and artistic concepts to write art history.

These paintings are people of all ages and cultures as representatives of the largest works of art ever created and are still in the minds of artificial lovers for many centuries.

In our collection of the 100 most famous paintings in the world you will find those masterpieces that achieved the maximum artistic effect and recognition. This list includes works by many famous artists who are now housed in some of the best museums in the world.

26. "The lady with the Hermelin" by Leonardo da Vinci

The lady with a ermine is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci from around 1489-1490. This breathtaking picture is 40.3 cm wide and 54.8 cm high. Unfortunately, the original background was probably overlaid in the 17th century.

The motif of the portrait is identified as Cecilia Gallerani and was probably painted at a time when it was the lover of Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, and Leonardo was in the duke's service.

The lady with ermine was heavily painted over. The entire background was darkened, her dress was retouched below the hermeline and a transparent veil that the woman wears, matching the hair color. The result of this last retouching was to give the appearance that her hair reaches below her chin.

Another change was to add dark shadows between the fingers of her right hand. A closer look at the lower two fingers shows that they are quite inferior to the others after an unknown restorer has rejected them. An X -ray of this painting showed the presence of a door in the original background.

Leonardo's lady with the Hermelin is one of the most important works in western art. Only a handful of authentic panel pictures of him are preserved. Leonardo was extremely curious and often painted with experimental materials or abandoned projects as soon as he had mastered the formal challenge that they represented.

The lady with the ermine, an object of great rarity, is a captivating picture of exquisite elegance and reveals the artistic genius of Leonardo da Vinci's incomparable creative spirit.

27. "The portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife (Arnolfini Ehe)" by Jan van Eyck

One of the most famous and fascinating paintings in the world. A richly dressed man and a woman are in a private space. It is probably Giovanni di Nicolao di Arnolfini, an Italian merchant in Bruges, and his wife.

Although the room is absolutely plausible - as if Jan van Eyck simply removed a wall - a precise consideration reveals inconsistencies: there is not enough space for the chandelier and no trace of a fireplace.

In addition, each object was carefully selected in order to proclaim the wealth and social status of the couple without risking criticism of imitating aristocracy.

The man's hand is apparently raised as a greeting. On the back wall, a large convex Mirrors reflects two men who enter the room, one of whom also raises his arm. Van Eyck's signature is located directly above.

Could the man be in Mirrors van Eyck himself who comes to visit with his servant?

28. "The last sacrament" by Leonardo da Vinci

The last sacrament of Leonardo da Vinci (Cenacolo Vinciano) is one of the most famous paintings in the world. This work of art was painted between 1494 and 1498 under the government of Ludovico Il Moro and represents the last "dinner" between Jesus and his disciples.

In order to create this unique work, Leonardo carried out comprehensive research and created an infinity of preparatory sketches. Leonardo leaves the traditional method of fresco painting and paints the scene "dry" on the wall of the refectory.

Traces of gold and silver foils were found, which testify to the willingness of the artist to make the characters much more realistic, including valuable details. After completion, his technology and environmental factor had contributed to the possible deterioration of the fresco, which had been subjected to numerous restorations.

The last restoration was completed in 1999, using various scientific methods to restore the original colors as close as possible and to remove color traces that were applied to restore the fresco in earlier attempts.

29. "The capture of Christ" by Caravaggio

Caravaggio painted this extraordinary work in 1602 for the Roman Marquis Ciriaco Mattei. With a new visual access to biblical history, Caravaggio placed the figures close to the image level and used a strong light-dark contrast, which gives the scene an exceptional meaning and drama.

Judas identified Christ with a kiss when the temple guards enter to arrest him. The fleeing disciple on the left is the St. John the evangelist. Only the moon illuminates the scene. Although the man holds a lantern on the far right, it is actually an ineffective light source. In the trains of this man, Caravaggio portrayed at the age of 31 as observers of events. A remedy that he often used in his paintings.

The painting was a well -documented order and was often copied by contemporary artists. In the 20th century, however, the painting had disappeared after it was wrongly attributed by the family in 1802 and Gerrit van Honthorst, a Dutch follower Caravaggios.

Scientists resumed the search for the original in the 1940s, since many of them no longer accepted the authenticity of a painting in the Odessa Art Museum. This is known today as a copy, which was made in 1626 for another member of the Mattei family.

In the meantime, the painting is considered a key work Caravaggios, created in the short but highly productive time of the artist in Rome. It has all the characteristics associated with its large works: a dramatic story, light-dark lighting, expressive figures, combined with a spiritual dimension and great surface details.

30. "Sternnacht over the Rhone" by Vincent van Gogh

Sternnacht over the Rhone (September 1888) was one of three paintings that were created in the same month and contained the night sky and stars as fundamental symbolic elements. He also painted Cafe Terrace at Night and a portrait of his friend Eugene Boch, which was perhaps the most symbolic of the three.

Sternnacht over the Rhone was painted at one point on the banks of the river, which was only one or two minutes' walk from the yellow house on Place Lamartine, which Van Gogh rented at the time. The night sky and the nightly lighting effects delivered the topic for some of its more famous paintings, including The Starry Night, the most famous painting by Van Gogh with night stars.

Van Gogh fascinated the challenge of painting at night. The viewpoint chosen by him for "Sternnacht over the Rhone" enabled him to capture the reflections of the gas lighting in Arles over the blue shimmering water of the Rhone. In the foreground, two lovers walk on the banks of the river.

Here his stars shine with a light that shines from the dark, blue and velvety night sky. On the banks of the Rhone, houses also radiate a light that contributes in the water against mirrors t and to the mysterious atmosphere of the painting.

31. "The Garden of the Lüste" by Hieronymous Bosch

Of all the works mentioned so far, this may be the one in which most things happen at the same time. Hieronymous Bosch , an former Dutch championship painter , created the triptych oil painting "The Garden of the Lust" in oil.

It hangs in the Museo del Prado and is an oil painting on three oak panels that can be read from left to right show scenes in Eden, the garden of earthly joys (which may warn his viewers of human temptations) and hell.

A representation of the alleged creation of the world can be seen outside when the panels are closed.

For years, the garden of the Lüste has been examined and interpreted differently, based on symbolic systems, including alchemical, heretical, astrological, unconscious and folkloric.

The piece inspired many later artists to quote or integrate elements from it, including Pieter Bruegel of the older, David Teniers of the younger, early surrealists such as Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí and later René Magritte and Max Ernst.

32. "The breakfast of the rudder" by Pierre Auguste Renoir

In 1880 this masterpiece of the Impressionist style of Pierre-Auguste Renoir was created with the title "Lunch of the boat party" , also known as "The breakfast of the rowers" .

It is undoubtedly one of the best -known main works of the artist and shows private impressions from his environment. All people in the picture have been immortalized by people from their personal environment and in his view.

In the right of the right, Angèle, one of Renoir's frequent models, turns to the standing journalist Maggiolo. The painter Gustave Caillebotte sits back in his chair and stares across the table on Aline Charigot, Renoir's future woman who is bound by her terrier, while the stocky alphonse Fournaise Jr., son of the restaurant owner, leans on the railing of the balcony and overlooks the scene.

In the middle, Baron Raoul Barbier, a former cavalry officer, sits with his back to the viewer and speaks to the woman who rests on her elbows on the railing and who is probably alphonsine Fournaise, the owner's daughter.

The actress Ellen Andrée sits opposite Barbier and drinks from a glass. Behind her talks to Charles Ephrussi with a cylinder, banker and editor of the Gazette des Beaux-Arts, with Jules Laforgue, poet, critic and personal secretary of Ephrussi.

Up right, Eugène Pierre Lestringuez, official in the Ministry of the Interior, laughs with Jeanne Samary, a famous actress of Comédie Française, while the artist Paul Lhote, a close friend of Renoir, tends.

"Maison Fournaise" restaurant in Chatou, idyllically located on the Seine, was a popular meeting place for rudder and impressionists of the time. But when interest in cycling increased, the restaurant had to close in the early 20th century.

Thanks to the celebrity of the contemporary artists and this unique work, the restaurant was reopened with a connected museum in the 1990s.

33. "July 28th. Freedom leads the people" by Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix

In the Louvre you can marvel at a fascinating oil painting on canvas from 1830, which was inspired by the July Revolution . In addition to works of art such as the Venus of Milo, the Floß der Medusa and the Mona Lisa of Leonardo da Vinci, it is considered one of the most important masterpieces in the museum.

This painting has become an important symbol of the French revolution.

In July 1830 there was a significant conflict in France, which is known as a Julyevolution. Within three days, a conflict between the Paris people and King Charles X., who ultimately led to his flight and abdication from the capital, broke out.

The reason for the uprising was disregarding the freedoms from 1789 by the king. Instead of Charles X. Louis-Philippe I was used, which founded the Julimonarchy. The July Revolution was the second major revolution in France, which brought sustainable political changes in the country.

In the painting "The Freedom leads the people" by Eugène Delacroix, a scene with barricades is presented that take place in Paris. In the background you can see the towers from Notre Dame, who clearly identify the place of the unrest.

As an eyewitness to the events, the artist decided to create this masterpiece, which later became one of the most important symbols of the French Republic. The work served as inspiration for numerous stamps and even the former 100 franc certificate.

In 1831 the painting was first demonstrated to the public at the Paris Salon Salon. It became known at the time under the title "Scènes de Barricades"

From 1863 the work of art was exhibited in the Musée du Luxembourg. Seven years after the death of Eugène Delacroix, the work that now bears the name "Freedom leads the people" was presented in 1874.

If you want to see the masterpiece live, you will find it in the Denon wing, Hall 77, the first floor of the museum.

34. "The swing" by Jean Honore Fragonard

The rococo embodies lightness, sensuality and playful decadence in a time of upheaval.

Fragonard , a French painter and erotic , mastered this style masterfully and his works did not always encounter approval under Louis XV, as they were perceived as too free. An example of this is a scene in which a young nobleman rocks on a swing in a wild forest.

The old, gnarled tree symbolizes the overgrown aristocracy of France shortly before the revolution. The lady's exquisite clothing is contrasting to the wild environment, which can be seen as a park by the statues.

While she throws her right shoe in the air and spreads her legs, she gives a look under her lavish dress. A man of noble origin is enthusiastic in the bushes and keeps his hat up, attracted to the charm of this game.

In the background, a somewhat older Lakai, probably her husband or a lover, swings the swing.

When the French Revolution broke out, Fragonard had to pack his pictures and flee to his hometown Grasse, where he was born in 1732 as the son of a poor perfume dealer. He died in 1806. Most of his works can be admired in the New York Frick Collection.

35. "The breakfast in the green" by Édouard Manet

In 1863 the French artist Édouard Manet the impressive work of art "The Breakfast in the Green".

The painting shows four people who sit peacefully on a picnic blanket in a forest. Two men seem to be deepened into an excited conversation while a lady sits undressed next to them. Another naked woman can be seen in the background.

In 1863, Manet's work was considered highly provocative and scandalous, since at that time there were strict regulations regarding painting in the Empire. These regulations should serve to promote adapted artists and to exclude “lateral thinkers” by specifying techniques, topics and other requirements.

The annual salon, an exhibition that was monitored by a strict jury, was the highlight of the honor of adapted artists. However, more than half of the submitted works were rejected in 1863 ("Refuser").

For the artists whose works were rejected, this meant extreme stress because access to the art market became almost impossible. However, Manet was able to allow himself the provocation due to a high inheritance.

His first scandal picture snubs not only the audience, but also his family.

The criticism of the prevailing art system was so strong that the then Emperor Napoleon III. decided to create a parallel exhibition on which the rejected works could be issued.

After Manet's picture was rejected under the name "The Bad", he exhibited it on the salon of the rejected ("Salon des Refusés").

The masterpiece can be visited in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris today.

Édouard Manet was born in Paris on January 23, 1832 and died on April 30, 1883 in the same place. His works of art are very popular on the art market and some of his paintings were sold for millions of euros.

In recognition of his works, several streets were named after him in France, including Rue Éduard Manet in Paris and other cities.

36. "Composition VIII" by Wassily Kandinsky

The masterpiece of Wassily Kandinsky's abstract painting , "composition VIII" , is simply breathtaking. Like floating objects in the room, all elements appear on the screen.

The circular shape, which is calm in the left corner, is heated by the surrounding red and creates a contrast to the geometric shapes that give the artwork a static charisma.

Kandinsky was fascinated by the colors in early years and attributed transcendent properties to them. His research was the interrelation between sound and color in order to create a work of art similar to a composed song.

At the time of the artwork, during the Bauhaus era , Kandinsky moved from the Soviet Union to the Weimar Republic due to artistic restrictions in the Marxist-Leninist government system.

In the years he spent in Russia and his successor state and mainly devoted himself to the reform of museums and the promotion of his artistic theories, he was not productive with regard to the works of art created. Nevertheless, he returned strengthened and ready for painting.

The painting composition VIII, the eighth in an episode from 1911, was the first work of art that Kandinsky created since the outbreak of the First World War. In contrast to improvisation, it was carried out according to a specific plan. It was created in Weimar Germany in the early 1920s after the transition from a monarchy to a democratic republic.

37. "The Gleaners, 1857" by Jean-Francois Millet

The best -known work by Millet: "The Gleaners" shows a trio of women who collect the last wheat grains from a field.

Millet found the topic of women who collect the last wheat grains, an eternal topic, combined with stories from the Old Testament.

The public was taken over by the public with open contempt. In a likeable light, it presented the then lowest layers of society, which took advantage of the ancient rights to remove the last remnants of grain of the wheat harvest.

During his lifetime, this painting aroused the French upper class, which feared glorification of the lower social classes, only celebrity, and only after the artist's death grew greater popularity.

38. "The triumph of the Galatea", Fresko of Raffael

Raffael, an outstanding painter of Hochrenaissance, focused on women in some of his works of art.

"Triumph of the Galatea" painting in particular shows its impressive skills. This fresco was designed especially for the Villa Farnesina in Rome, which was once owned by Agostino Chigi, one of the richest people of his time.

The work is based on Greek mythology in which Galatea was part of a love triangle. She fell in love with the shepherds of Acis, which made the giant polypheme jealous.

This killed Acis with a huge column. Although the fresco was part of a series, it was never completely completed.

Raffael deliberately chose the scene in which Galatea is transformed into a deity after her death and can therefore linger under the gods forever.

This transformation was the reward for their earth pushing pain and exams during their lives. From deep emotions, Raffael painted the triumph of Galatea in response to his feelings for "punch per la giostra" .

Angelo Poliziano, another artist, wrote the "Stanzer Per La Giostra". This poem is considered a masterpiece of his genus from this time. The tournament in which Giuliano de Medici took part was the scene of history.

Galatea rides on a shell that is worn by two dolphins and is accompanied by two obvious amorettes that target love arrows on their heads.

Raffael deliberately decided not to paint none of the main actors in mythological history so that they would not distract from Galateas apotheosis.

39. "The lady of Shalott" by John William Waterhouse

The oil painting "The Lady of Shalott" was created in 1888 by John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) and shows a scene from the poem of the same name by Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892).

The canvas is 72 x 91 inches in size and was first exhibited at the Royal Academy Exhibition. After the work was owned by Sir Henry Tate (1819-1899), it was given to Britain in 1894 and thus part of a public collection. The painting in the Tate Britain can currently be admired.

The calm and gentle tonality of the work still enchants viewers from all over the world.

renaissance of the pregassable art style in the art scene is clearly evident Although Waterhouse only worked as the first präraffaelites decades later, he followed many of the same requests for action.

His paintings are influenced by the Italian art of Quattrocento and medieval art . Waterhouse's later works are characterized by a strong interest in a precise representation of nature and harmonize perfectly with pronfirmity through their saturated colors and the richness of detail.

The Lady of Shalott embodies an unrequited love that is reinforced by numerous symbols of death, such as swallows and dead leaves. On the boat, the crucifix symbolizes the victim that the lady is ready.

Some experts interpret the self -determined action of the lady as a comment on the low or lack of ability to act in women in Victorian England.

women were mostly limited to the home and longed for freedom and independence like Elaine.

40. "The dance class" by Edgar Degas

When Degas visited the Opéra de Paris, his interest was not only limited to the performances of the dancers on stage.

He then strived to get to know the dancers behind the scenes, to admire their discipline and grace and to observe their training by inspecting the dance halls.

Thanks to his good friend, he was lucky enough to gain access to these private moments. In one of his paintings, he portrays the teacher Jules Perrot, a small, gray man who dominates with his stick with his stick.

While the other dancers are already stretching and the hour comes to an end, the teacher talks to the ballerina in front of him, who listens to him carefully.

Degas was an extremely attentive observer, as we notice at the first look at the picture. In addition to the obvious communication in the middle of the middle, we discover numerous subtle gestures.

A young woman on the left, for example, scratches her back inconspicuously while her neighbor directed her earring. The foremost lady supports her arm into the side and fans air.

A second version of the motif shows a more lively scene. We immediately recognize Jules Perrot on the right side, which today wears a red shirt.

Together with the ballerinas and their mothers, he observes the attitude - a pose in which the dancer stands on one leg and stretches the other grace backwards.

Degas did not want to freeze movements, but rather the desire to fully exploit them in the spiritual eye. For him, the resulting liveliness was a source of the consolation.

In a letter to his friend Henri Rouart from 1886, he described how sad it would be if the leaves of the trees would not move.

41. "Lying act" by Amedeo Modigliani

In 1917, Modigliani started his grandiose series of nude paintings . The women on his screens are shown from a close perspective and mostly from above, with their stylized bodies taking the entire width of the composition.

The dark duvet cover on which you lie emphasizes the rays of your skin. However, your feet and hands are always outside the frame. Some of the models seem to sleep, but mostly, like here, they look directly at the viewer.

These works build on the tradition of representing the naked Venus , which continued from the Renaissance to the 19th century.

The oil painting "Lying Act" ("Nu Couché") from 1917 and 1918 was once one of the most scandal -prone pictures. Perhaps the most famous painting by Amedeo Modigliani was auctioned with Christie’s for the record sum of around $ 170.4 million to a private collector from China.

This makes the picture the second most expensive work of art that has ever been auctioned.

42. "Pariser Strasse, Rain Day" by Gustave Caillebotte

Inspired by academic art and shaped by his training on the renowned Ecole des Beaux-Art under the direction of Leon Bonnat (1833-1922), Gustave Caillebotte of the realistic wing of the impressionist movement.

His realistic painting gave him a natural sense of contemporary art. Similar to his predecessors Jean-François Millet (1814-75) and Gustave Courbet (1819-77), he sought to portray the world as it should be. With a gentle tonality he created unique works that his artistic vision and talent against mirrors .

In this masterpiece, Caillebotte shows an extraordinary monumental and compositional virtuosity by picking up the typical everyday scene of the impressionists.

He focuses on the bold boulevards introduced by Baron Haussmann (1809-91) and changed the cityscape of Paris. The result is a mixture of reality and fiction that skilfully choreographed and yet looks casual.

The distant figures he represents mirrors n the anonymity of the boulevards, while the selected view emphasizes the enormous extent of the architectural development and the human figures that surround it puts in the shade.

Many of the people depicted seem to have been isolated and in their own thoughts. Her facial expressions are depressed while they seem to rush rather than walking. The circumcised look and the photo -realistic effect of the image contribute to a modern look.

43. "Two women from Tahiti" by Paul Gauguin

Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) only really concentrated on his art after his marriage in 1773. Unfortunately, his new passion later led to divorce.

Agrified over the western society, he traveled around the world and finally settled in French-Polynesia. Here he created some of his most famous paintings.

The canvases that gauguin sent back to France from the South Pacific, mirrors n the freedom that he exercised in the design of pictures of indigenous women.

Here he was oriented towards classicist acts of activity and relied on gestures and facial expressions to conjure up the ideal "Tahitian Eva" , which he conjured up in his writings: "Very subtle, very knowledgeable in their naivety" and enviable "capable without pubic naked" .

The women whisper confidentialities, offer exotic flowers or (forbidden) fruits and inhabit the tropical Eden of Gauguin's invention in which his artistic vision - and his male look - prevail.

These two figures also appear in his monumental works Faa Iheihe (Tahitian Pastoral), 1898; (Tate, London) and Rupe Rupe (The Fruit Harvest), 1899; (Pushkin museum of the beautiful arts, Moscow).

44. "The shootings of May 3, 1808" by Francisco de Goya

With relentless hardness and deep melancholy, Goya illustrates the faces of people who are haunted by death and despair.

The renowned Spanish artist Goya was inspired by the violent events of the French occupation period in Spain (1808-1813) when he created this impressive work of art.

In this scene, the male figures symbolize the arbitrary execution of parts of the Madrid population. The Phalanx uniformed soldier stands opposite them, a difference that becomes clear by Goyas clever lighting.

In particular, the lantern that stands between the two groups separates it from each other and gives the unarmed man in a white shirt almost a sacred aura.

It is not possible to point out that Goya has woven Christian iconography into this work of art. This refers to the questionable ethical and moral action of an anonymous "shadow army" that is attributed to Napoleon.

The incident that is being played occurred six years before the work was created. At that time, Spanish troops resisted Napoleon's submission, which led to an escalation of the situation and numerous shootings by Spanish citizens. At night that is shown in the representation, about 45 insurgents were killed.

Created in 1814, the painting was painted with oil paints on canvas and is an impressive three and a half meters wide.

45. "Breezing up (a nice wind)" by Winslow Homer

Homer developed this painting using sketches and watercolors, which he made in 1873 during a visit to Gloucester, Massachusett. He completed it in 1876, just when the nation celebrated its hundred years.

Over the course of three years, Homer refined the composition and strengthened their optimistic symbolism by giving control over the helm (instead of the man) (instead of the man) and attaching an anchor to the bug who symbolized security and hope.

When the painting was first presented at the National Academy of Design in New York in 1876, it was recognized as a positive expression of the future of the country, an idea that is underlined by the original title "A Fair Wind" and suggested a smooth way to the future.

"Breezing Up" is an early example of an motif that Homer should fascinate in the course of his entire career - that of the men at sea - from his happy beginnings in the 1870s to darker scenes such as "The Gulf Stream" decades later.

The finished work indicates that the significant influence of Japanese art on western painters in the 19th century also touched Homer, especially in the compositional balance between the left (active) and the right (sparse) half. Homer visited France in 1866 and 1867, and the influence of the marine scenes of the French painters Gustave Courbet and Claude Monet can also be clearly seen.

46. ​​"Olympia" by Édouard Manet

The nude model Victorine Meurent rests on lush blankets and looks at the viewer directly and challenging. Only a year earlier, Manet met the young girl and quickly made one of his preferred models.

Other artists were also inspired by her. But little is known about the mysterious beauty. She tried herself as a painter, learned the guitar game and later crashed into alcoholism.

Manet, on the other hand, shows her in her full splendor - as a blooming muse that captivates the viewer with her gaze.

Manet came from a wealthy family and was considered charming, cultivated and talented. His painting "The Breakfast in the Green" already caused a scandal, but with "Olympia" he continued this tradition.

The motive of the lying woman is reminiscent of works such as Tizian or Goyas Venus, but also known to Giorgione's work “The sleeping Venus” .

However, the woman depicted is not a goddess here, but a prostitute. The name "Olympia" has no iconographic meaning, but sounds phonetically similar to ancient god legends.

Manet sought to broke into the ranks of the old masters and interpreted an old image topic in a new way. Unfortunately, his creative vision was not understood and valued by everyone. These constant rejections finally led him to suffer a nervous breakdown in 1871.

He could not sell the work in his lifetime, and even after his death there was no buyer. It was only through the help of Sargent and Monet who asked for donations that the work was finally acquired Louvre

47. "The milk maid" by Jan Vermeer van Delft

Almost everyone is familiar with the scenery: a girl is at the table with a milk jug in her hand.

Behind her is Vermeer's known window, which dominates the room with the typical colors blue and yellow. It is also known that Jan Vermeer van Delft was of little interest in painting prominent personalities in his hometown because they offered little artistic charm for him.

But to feed his family, he finally had to meet her demands. He fought hard for his style, the proportions and the composition of his works. In months of laborious work, he did only two paintings a year.

Fortunately, however, he let himself be carried away into a masterpiece like the milk maid. The composition is masterful and the viewer can discover a variety of objects in the picture.

Fold on the sleeves and skirts, blue and white Delft tiles on the floor strip, light reflexes on the bread and a play of colors out of the ton jug-there is so much to admire.

48. "The fighting Temeraire" by Joseph Mallord William Turner

The 98-canon ship Temeraire played an important role in the triumph of the British about Napoleon in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

The painting should symbolize the decline of the British naval power. Since some of Turner's paintings were not properly understood by his contemporaries, his current critics regarded the fighting Temeraire as one of his most outstanding works of art.

The fighting Temeraire is a masterpiece that captivates the viewer. Turner succeeds in an impressive way to capture the mood and atmosphere of the Battle of Trafalgar. The painting radiates a certain melancholy, while the victory over Napoleon is celebrated.

Turner deliberately selects the moment after the fight for his work. The Temeraire is in the foreground of the picture, majestic and proud despite its serious damage. In the background, the sun rises behind a cloud formation - a symbol of hope and a new day.

The artist skilfully plays with light and shadow effects and color contrasts to create depth and drama. The warm orange tones of the sky horizon are contrasting to the cool blue of the water and thus intensify the tension between life and death.

Another fascinating element are the smoke swaths on the horizon -the remains of the bitter naval battle -which enliven the painting. The viewer can literally perceive the smell of powder steam.

But this artwork is not only outstanding: it also conveys a deep emotional effect on the viewer. You can literally feel the heroic spirit of that time - brave men on the high seas fight against all adversities for their country.

“The Fighting Temeraire” shows Turner's extraordinary talent and his ability to bring history to life in pictures.

The painting is a milestone of romance and is still considered one of the most important works by the artist.

49. "The Boulevard Montmartre on a winter morning" by Camille Jacob Pissarro

At first glance into the almost square artwork, which has a size of about 65 by 81 centimeters, the viewer moves into the world of Paris .

Camille-Jacob-Pissarro is assigned to both Impressionism and Pointillism . Although initially controversial, Impressionism lost none of its attraction, as Pissarro's painting illustrates in an impressive way.

Because his painting manages to express the entire fascination of the Paris metropolis of the late nineteenth century. Winter is also clearly noticeable, a delicate, cold fog seems to be in the air.

The individual people, trees and buildings are rather outlined than carefully painted with the intention of creating a special mood in the picture instead of providing a photographic representation.

The colors are alive and yet blurred, which gives the painting a certain blurring. It is almost as if the time itself had gone over the picture and had left its mark.

The viewer can literally feel the city's pulse of the city - the hustle and bustle on the streets, the people in their elegant clothes, the carriages and horse areas. But at the same time, you become aware that all of this is transient. The technology is progressing and with it the cityscape of Paris also changes.

Pissarro catches this transience through his choice of motif: a busy intersection in the heart of Paris. Here old traditions meet modern achievements such as electrical light or steam locomotives.

The interaction of these elements creates a tension in the picture - on the one hand the progress and on the other hand the melancholy of the past .

It is precisely this ambivalence between movement and standstill , between the old and the new, which gives the painting its charm. The change of time is made visible here - not only in terms of architecture or technology, but also in terms of social changes.

The work invites you to think about how fast -moving our world has become - how we constantly develop but often forget to pause to reflect where we come from.

50. "The two Fridas" by Frida Kahlo

OT: The Two Fridas | Year: 1939 | Medium: oil on canvas | Dimensions: 173.5 cm × 173 cm | Styles: naive painting , surrealism | Location: Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City

The painting "The two Fridas" was created in 1939, shortly after the divorce by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The oil painting shows the two sides of their personality.

On one side there is a version with a broken heart that is dressed in traditional clothing, while the version that sits next to it is represented as modern and independent.

The origins of inspiration for the painting can be traced back to her childhood when Kahlo wrote in her diary that the picture was based on her memories of an imaginary friend.

However, she would later disclose that it was the loneliness and separation that she felt after the separation.

The two figures sit in this oil painting portrait and hold on the hands. Both hearts of the figures are clearly recognizable, with the traditional version of Kahlo on the left heart shown as torn.

She keeps the end of a side of the main artery on her lap, which is closed with a pliers, but it still bones heavily on her lap. Her inner unrest mirrors tons in the stormy sky.

The National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico City acquired the painting in 1947 for 4,000 pesos, the highest price that the artist had ever received for her work.

“The two Fridas” is a powerful work that not only expresses the artist's personal pain, but also touches universal topics such as love , separation and identity.

It shows the ability of art to touch us deeply and express our emotions - a property that Frida Kahlos works so timeless.