This list of renowned landscape painters was compiled by our editor Neil Collins, MA and LLB. He presents his personal opinion about the ten best representatives of genre art. Like any such compilation, it reveals the personal tastes of the compiler more than the place of landscape painters. So a dozen the best landscape painters and their landscapes.

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No.10 Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and Frederick Edwin Church (1826-1900)

In tenth place are two American artists.

Thomas Cole: The Greatest American landscape painter early XIX century and founder of the Hudson River School, Thomas Cole was born in England, where he worked as an apprentice engraver before emigrating to the United States in 1818, where he quickly gained recognition as a landscape painter, settling in the Catskill village in the Hudson Valley. As an admirer of Claude Lorraine and Turner, he visited England and Italy in 1829-1832, after which (thanks in part to the support he received from John Martin and Turner), he began to focus less on the image natural landscapes and more on grandiose allegorical and historical themes. Largely impressed by the natural beauty of the American landscape, Cole filled most his landscape art with great feeling and obvious romantic splendor.

Famous landscapes of Thomas Cole:

- "View of the Catskill - Early Autumn" (1837), oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum, New York

- "American Lake" (1844), oil on canvas, Detroit Institute of the Arts

Frederick Edwin Church

- "Niagara Falls" (1857), Corcoran, Washington

- "Heart of the Andes" (1859), Metropolitan Museum, New York

- "Cotopaxi" (1862), Detroit Institute of the Arts

No. 9 Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840)

Thoughtful, melancholic and somewhat reclusive, Caspar David Friedrich - greatest artist-landscapeist romantic tradition... Born near the Baltic Sea, he settled in Dresden, where he focused exclusively on spiritual connections and the meaning of the landscape, inspired by the silent silence of the forest, as well as the light (sunrise, sunset, Moonlight) and seasons. His genius was the ability to capture a still unknown spiritual dimension in nature, which gives the landscape an emotionality, with nothing and never incomparable mysticism.

Famous landscapes by Caspar David Friedrich:

- "Winter Landscape" (1811), oil on canvas, National Gallery, London

- "Landscape in Riesengebirge" (1830), oil on canvas, Pushkin Museum, Moscow

- "Man and Woman Looking at the Moon" (1830-1835), oil, National Gallery, Berlin

# 8 Alfred Sisley (1839-1899)

Often referred to as the "Forgotten Impressionist", the Anglo-French Alfred Sisley was second only to Monet in his devotion to spontaneous plein air: he was the only Impressionist who devoted himself exclusively to landscape painting... His seriously underestimated reputation is based on his ability to capture the unique effects of light and seasons in expansive landscapes, sea and river scenes. His portrayal of dawn and an unclear day is especially memorable. Nowadays, he is not very popular, but is still considered one of the greatest representatives of Impressionist landscape painting. It could well be overrated, because, unlike Monet, his work has never suffered from a lack of form.

Famous landscapes by Alfred Sisley:

- « Foggy morning"(1874), oil on canvas, Musée d'Orsay

- "Snow in Louveciennes" (1878), oil on canvas, Musée d'Orsay, Paris

- "Morette Bridge in the Rays of the Sun" (1892), oil on canvas, private collection

# 7 Albert Kuyp (1620-1691)

Dutch realist painter, Albert Kuip is one of the most famous Dutch landscape painters. Its splendid scenic views, river scenes and landscapes with placid cattle show a stately serenity and masterful handling of bright light ( early morning or evening sun) in the Italian style is a sign of the great influence of Klodeev. This golden light often only catches the sides and edges of plants, clouds, or animals through impasto lighting effects. Thus, Kuyp turned his native Dordrecht into a fictional world, reflecting it at the beginning or end perfect day, with an all-encompassing sense of immobility and security, and the harmony of everything with nature. Popular in Holland, it was highly regarded and collected in England.

Famous landscapes of Albert Kuyp:

- "View of Dordrecht from the North" (1650), oil on canvas, collection of Anthony de Rothschild

- "River Landscape with a Horseman and Peasants" (1658), oil, National Gallery, London

# 6 Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (1796-1875)

Jean-Baptiste Corot, one of the greatest landscape painters romantic style, famous for its unforgettable picturesque depiction of nature. His particularly subtle approach to distance, light and form depended on tone rather than painting and color, giving the finished composition an atmosphere of an endless romance. Less constrained by pictorial theory, Korot's works are nevertheless among the most popular landscapes in the world. As a permanent member of the Paris Salon since 1827 and a member of the Barbizon School led by Theodore Rousseau (1812-1867), he provided a huge impact on other plein air painters such as Charles-François Doubigny (1817-1878), Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) and Alfred Sisley (1839-1899). He was also an unusually generous man who spent most of his money on artists in need.

Famous landscapes of Jean-Baptiste Corot:

- "Bridge to Narni" (1826), oil on canvas, Louvre

- "Ville d" Avrey "(approx. 1867), oil on canvas, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

- « Rural landscape"(1875), oil on canvas, Museum of Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi, France

# 5 Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-1682)

- "Mill in Wijk near Duarstead" (1670), oil on canvas, Rijksmuseum

- "Jewish Cemetery in Ouderkerk" (1670), Gallery of Old Masters, Dresden

# 4 Claude Lorrain (1600-1682)

French painter, draftsman and printmaker active in Rome who is regarded by many art critics as the greatest painter idyllic landscape in the history of art. Since in a pure (that is, secular and non-classical) landscape, as in an ordinary still life or genre painting, there was (in the 17th century in Rome) a lack of moral severity, Claude Lorrain introduced the classical elements and mythological themes into their compositions, including gods, heroes and saints. Moreover, his chosen environment, countryside around Rome, was rich in ancient ruins. These classic Italian pastoral landscapes were also filled with poetic light, which represents his unique contribution to the art of landscape painting. Claude Lorraine especially influenced English artists both during his lifetime and for two centuries after it: John Constable called him "the most beautiful landscape painter the world has ever seen."

Famous landscapes of Claude Lorrain:

- "Modern Rome - Campo Vaccino" (1636), oil on canvas, Louvre

- "Landscape with the Wedding of Isaac and Rebecca" (1648), oil, National Gallery

- "Landscape with Tobias and the Angel" (1663), oil, Hermitage, St. Petersburg

- "Building a Boat at Flatward" (1815), oil, Victoria and Albert Museum, London

- "Hay Cart" (1821), oil on canvas, National Gallery, London

# 2 Claude Monet (1840-1926)

Greatest modern landscape painter and giant french painting Monet was a leading figure in an incredibly influential impressionist movement, to whose principles of spontaneous plein air painting he remained true for the rest of his life. A close friend of the impressionist painters Renoir and Pissarro, his desire for optical truth, primarily in the depiction of light, is represented by a series of canvases depicting the same object in different conditions lighting, and in different time days, such as Haystacks (1888), Poplars (1891), Rouen Cathedral (1892) and River Thames (1899). This method culminated in the famous Water Lilies series (among all the most famous landscapes), created since 1883 in his garden at Giverny. His last series monumental drawings of water lilies with shimmering flowers has been interpreted by several art historians and painters as an important predecessor abstract art and others as the supreme example of Monet's search for spontaneous naturalism.

There are works of art that seem to hit the viewer on the head, dumbfounded and amazed. Others drag you into thought and in search of semantic layers, secret symbolism. Some paintings are covered with secrets and mystical riddles, while others surprise with an exorbitant price.

We carefully reviewed all the main achievements in world painting and selected from them two dozen of the most strange pictures... Salvador Dali, whose works completely fall into the format of this material and are the first to come to mind, were not included in this collection on purpose.

It is clear that “strangeness” is a rather subjective concept, and each has its own amazing pictures that stand out from a number of other works of art. We will be glad if you share them in the comments and tell us a little about them.

"Scream"

Edvard Munch. 1893, cardboard, oil, tempera, pastel.
National Gallery, Oslo.

The Scream is considered a landmark event in Expressionism and one of the most famous paintings in the world.

There are two interpretations of what is depicted: it is the hero himself who is seized with horror and silently screams, pressing his hands to his ears; or the hero closes his ears from the cry of peace and nature sounding around. Munch wrote four versions of The Scream, and there is a version that this picture is the fruit of a manic-depressive psychosis from which the artist suffered. After a course of treatment at the clinic, Munch did not return to work on the canvas.

“I was walking along the path with two friends. The sun was setting - suddenly the sky turned blood red, I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned against the fence - I looked at the blood and flames over the bluish-black fjord and the city. My friends went further, and I stood, trembling with excitement, feeling an endless cry piercing nature, ”Edvard Munch said about the history of the painting.

Where did we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?"

Paul Gauguin. 1897-1898, oil on canvas.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

At the direction of Gauguin himself, the painting should be read from right to left - three main groups of figures illustrate the questions posed in the title.

Three women with a child represent the beginning of life; middle group symbolizes the daily existence of maturity; in final group, as conceived by the artist, “ old woman, approaching death, seems reconciled and devoted to her reflections ", at her feet" a strange White bird... represents the uselessness of words. "

A deeply philosophical picture of the post-impressionist Paul Gauguin was painted by him in Tahiti, where he fled from Paris. Upon completion of the work, he even wanted to commit suicide: "I believe that this canvas is superior to all my previous ones and that I will never create something better or even similar." He lived for another five years, and so it happened.

"Guernica"

Pablo Picasso. 1937, canvas, oil.
Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid.

Guernica presents scenes of death, violence, atrocity, suffering and helplessness, without specifying their immediate causes, but they are obvious. It is said that in 1940, Pablo Picasso was summoned to the Gestapo in Paris. Speech immediately turned to the picture. "Did you do this?" - "No, you did it."

A huge painting-fresco "Guernica", painted by Picasso in 1937, tells about the raid of a volunteer unit of the Luftwaffe on the city of Guernica, as a result of which the six thousandth city was completely destroyed. The painting was completed literally in a month - the first days of work on the painting, Picasso worked for 10-12 hours, and already in the first sketches one could see the main idea. This is one of best illustrations the nightmare of fascism, as well as human cruelty and grief.

"Portrait of the Arnolfini couple"

Jan van Eyck. 1434, wood, oil.
London National Gallery, London.

The famous painting is completely and completely filled with symbols, allegories and various references - right up to the signature "Jan van Eyck was here", which turned the picture not just into a work of art, but into a historical document confirming the reality of the event at which the artist was present.

The portrait presumably of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife is one of the most complex works Western school of painting of the Northern Renaissance.

In Russia, in the past few years, the painting has gained great popularity due to the portrait resemblance of Arnolfini to Vladimir Putin.

"Demon sitting"

Mikhail Vrubel. 1890, canvas, oil.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

"Hands resist him"

Bill Stoneham. 1972.

This work, of course, cannot be counted among the masterpieces of world painting, but the fact that it is strange is a fact.

There are legends around the painting with a boy, a doll and palms pressed against the glass. From "they die because of this picture" to "children on it are alive." The picture looks really creepy, which gives rise to a lot of fears and conjectures in people with a weak psyche.

The artist insisted that the painting depicts himself at the age of five, that the door is a performance dividing line between the real world and the world of dreams, and the doll is a guide who can guide the boy through this world. Hands represent alternative lives or opportunities.

The painting gained notoriety in February 2000 when it was put up for sale on eBay with a backstory telling it that the painting was "haunted." "Hands Resist Him" ​​was bought for $ 1,025 by Kim Smith, who was then simply inundated with letters with creepy stories and demands to burn the picture.

). However, within the framework of this article, we will only consider object art.

Historically, all genres were divided into high and low. TO high genre or historical painting referred to works of a monumental nature that carry some kind of morality, a significant idea that demonstrates historical, military events associated with religion, mythology or fiction.

TO low genre included everything related to everyday life. These are still lifes, portraits, everyday painting, landscapes, animalism, images of naked people, and so on.

Animalism (lat.animal - animal)

The animalistic genre originated in antiquity, when the first people painted predatory animals on the rocks. Gradually, this direction has grown into an independent genre, implying an expressive image of any animals. Animalists usually show a great interest in the animal kingdom, for example, they can be excellent riders, keep pets, or simply study their habits for a long time. As a result of the artist's intention, animals can appear realistic or in the form of artistic images.

Among Russian artists, many were well versed in horses, for example, and. So, in the famous painting by Vasnetsov "Heroes", heroic horses are depicted with the greatest skill: the suits, behavior of animals, bridles and their connection with riders are carefully thought out. Serov disliked people and considered the horse in many ways better than human, which is why he often portrayed her in a variety of scenes. although he painted animals, he did not consider himself an animalist, therefore the bears in his famous painting "Morning in pine forest"Created by the animal painter K. Savitsky.

In tsarist times, portraits with pets, which were dear to man, became especially popular. For example, in the painting, Empress Catherine II appeared with her beloved dog. Animals were also present in portraits of other Russian artists.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the genre

Historical painting

This genre implies monumental paintings that are designed to convey to society a grandiose plan, any truth, morality or demonstrate significant events... It includes works on historical, mythological, religious themes, folklore, as well as war scenes.

In ancient states, myths and legends have long been considered events of the past, so they were often depicted on frescoes or vases. Later, artists began to separate the events from fiction, which was expressed primarily in the depiction of battle scenes. IN Ancient rome, Egypt and Greece on the shields of victorious warriors often depicted scenes of heroic battles in order to demonstrate their triumph over the enemy.

In the Middle Ages, due to the dominance of church dogmas, religious themes prevailed; in the Renaissance, society turned to the past mainly in order to glorify its states and rulers, and from the 18th century this genre was often turned to to educate young people. In Russia, the genre received mass distribution in the 19th century, when artists often tried to analyze the life of Russian society.

In the works of Russian artists, battle painting was presented, for example, and. He touched upon mythological and religious subjects in his paintings. Historical painting prevailed at, folklore - at.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the genre of historical painting

Still life (fr. Nature - nature and morte - dead)

This genre of painting is associated with the image inanimate objects... They can be flowers, fruits, dishes, game, kitchen utensils and other objects, of which the artist often composes a composition according to his intention.

The first still lifes appeared in ancient countries. IN Ancient egypt it was customary to represent offerings to the gods in the form of various foods. At the same time, the recognition of the subject was in the first place, therefore, the ancient artists did not particularly care about chiaroscuro or the texture of still life objects. In Ancient Greece and Rome, flowers and fruits were found in paintings and in houses to decorate the interior, so that they were portrayed more authentically and picturesquely. The formation and flowering of this genre falls on the 16th and 17th centuries, when still lifes began to contain hidden religious and other meanings. At the same time, many varieties of them appeared, depending on the subject of the image (floral, fruit, scientist, etc.).

In Russia, still life flourished only in the 20th century, since before that it was used mainly for educational purposes. But this development was rapid and captured, including abstractionism with all its directions. For example, he created beautiful flower compositions in, preferred, worked in and often "revived" his still lifes, giving the viewer the impression that the dishes are about to fall off the table or all objects will now begin to rotate.

The objects depicted by the artists were certainly influenced by their theoretical views or worldview, state of mind... So, these were objects depicted according to the principle of spherical perspective discovered by him, and expressionist still lifes were striking in their drama.

Many Russian artists used still life mainly for educational purposes. So, he not only honed his artistic skills, but also conducted many experiments, laying out objects in different ways, working with light and color. experimented with the shape and color of the line, then moving away from realism to pure primitivism, then mixing both styles.

Some artists combined in still lifes what they had depicted earlier and their favorite things. For example, in the paintings you can find his favorite vase, notes and the portrait of his wife he created before, and depicted flowers that he loved from childhood.

Many other Russian artists, for example, others, also worked in the same genre.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the genre of still life

Nu (fr.nudite - nudity, abbreviated nu)

This genre is intended to depict the beauty of the naked body and appeared before our era. IN ancient world paid great attention physical development, since the survival of the entire human race depended on it. So, in ancient Greece, athletes traditionally competed naked so that boys and young men could see them perfectly developed bodies and strived for the same physical perfection. Around the 7th-6th centuries. BC NS. nude male statues appeared, personifying the physical strength of a man. Female figures, on the other hand, always appeared in front of the audience in robes, as to bare female body was not accepted.

In subsequent eras, the attitude towards naked bodies changed. So, in the days of Hellenism (from the end of the 6th century BC), endurance faded into the background, giving way to admiring the male figure. At the same time, the first female nude figures began to appear. In the Baroque era, women with magnificent forms were considered ideal, during the Rococo era, sensuality became paramount, and in XIX-XX centuries paintings or sculptures with naked bodies (especially men) were often banned.

Russian artists have repeatedly turned to the nude genre in their works. So, these are dancers with theatrical attributes, they are posing girls or women in the center of monumental plots. It has a lot of sensual women, including in pairs, it has a whole series of paintings depicting naked women in different activities, and it has girls full of innocence. Some, for example, depicted completely naked men, although such pictures were not welcomed by the society of their time.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the nude genre

Landscape (fr.Paysage, from pays - area)

In this genre, the priority is the image of the natural or man-made environment: natural corners, views of cities, villages, monuments, etc. Depending on the chosen object, natural, industrial, sea, rural, lyrical and other landscapes are distinguished.

The first landscapes of ancient artists were discovered in rock art the Neolithic era and represented images of trees, rivers or lakes. Later, the natural motif was used to decorate the home. In the Middle Ages, the landscape was almost completely replaced by religious themes, and in the Renaissance, on the contrary, they came to the fore harmonious relationship man and nature.

In Russia, landscape painting has developed since the 18th century and was initially limited (landscapes were created in this style, for example, and), but later a whole galaxy of talented Russian artists enriched this genre with techniques from different styles and directions. created the so-called inconspicuous landscape, that is, instead of chasing spectacular views, he depicted the most intimate moments in Russian nature. and came to a lyrical landscape that amazed the audience with a subtly conveyed mood.

And this is an epic landscape, when the viewer is shown all the grandeur of the surrounding world. endlessly turned to antiquity, E. Volkov knew how to turn any discreet landscape into poetic picture, amazed the viewer with his wondrous light in landscapes, but could endlessly admire forest corners, parks, sunsets and convey this love to the viewer.

Each of the landscape painters focused on such a landscape that fascinated him especially strongly. Many artists could not pass by large-scale construction projects and painted many industrial and urban landscapes. Among them are works,

Magnificent works the arts of the hands of great masters are able to surprise even people for whom art means little. That is why world-renowned museums are among the most popular attractions, attracting millions of visitors a year.

To stand out from the huge number of paintings written in the entire history of art, an artist needs not only talent, but also the ability to express a unique plot in an unusual and very relevant way for his time.

The paintings presented below loudly declare not only the talent of their authors, but also the numerous cultural trends that have appeared and disappeared, and the most important historical events that have always been reflected in art.

"The Birth of Venus"

This painting, painted by the great master of the Renaissance Sandro Botticelli, depicts the moment of the appearance of the beautiful Venus from sea ​​foam... One of the most compelling aspects of the painting is the goddess's modest posture and her simple yet beautiful face.

"Dogs Playing Poker"

Written by Cassius Coolidge in 1903, a series of 16 paintings depicts dogs gathered at a poker game around a coffee table or gambling table. Many critics recognize these paintings as canonical depictions of the Americans of that era.

Portrait of Madame Recamier

This portrait, painted Jacques-Louis David depicts a brilliant socialite in a contrastingly minimalist and simple setting, dressed in a simple White dress without sleeves. This is a prime example of neoclassicism in portraiture.

№5

This famous painting by Jackson Pollock is his most iconic and vividly depicts all the chaos that raged in Pollock's soul and mind. This is one of the most expensive work ever sold by an American artist.

"Son of man"

The Son of Man, painted by Rene Magritte, is a kind of self-portrait depicting the artist himself in a black suit, but with an apple instead of a face.

"Number 1" ("Royal Red and Blue")

It's pretty fresh work written by Mark Rothko - no more than three strokes different shades on handmade canvas. The painting is currently on display at the Art Institute in Chicago.

"Beating the Innocent"

Based on the biblical story of the murder of innocent babies in Bethlehem, Peter Paul Rubens created this terrible and cruel picture that affects the emotions of everyone who looks at it.

"Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte"

Created by Georges Seurat, this unique and very popular painting depicts the relaxed atmosphere of a weekend in big city... This painting is an excellent example of pointillism, which combines many points into one whole.

"Dance"

"Dance" by Henri Matisse is an example of a style called Fauvism, which is distinguished by bright, almost unnatural colors and shapes and high dynamics.

"American Gothic"

American Gothic is a work of art that perfectly symbolizes the image of Americans during the Great Depression. In this painting, Grant Wood depicted a stern, probably religious couple standing in the background simple house with windows in the Gothic style.

"Loader of flowers"

This painting by the most popular Mexican painter of the 20th century, Diego Rivera, depicts a man struggling to carry a basket overloaded with bright tropical flowers on his back.

"Whistler's Mother"

Also known as "Arrangement in Gray and Black. The Artist's Mother", this is one of the most famous paintings American artist James Whistler. In this painting, Whistler depicted his mother sitting on a chair against a gray wall. The painting uses only black and gray shades.

"The Persistence of Memory"

This is a cult work of the no less iconic Salvador Dali, the world famous Spanish surrealist, who brought this movement to the forefront of art.

Portrait of Dora Maar

Pablo Picasso is one of the most popular and influential Spanish painters... He is the founder of the sensational style at the time, called Cubism, which seeks to crush any object and convey it with clear geometric shapes. This painting is the first portrait in the style of Cubism.

"Portrait of an artist without a beard"

This painting by Van Gogh is a self-portrait, and unique, as it depicts the painter without the beard familiar to everyone. It is also one of the few paintings by Van Gogh that have been sold to private collections.

"Night cafe terrace"

Painted by Vincent van Gogh, this painting depicts the familiar sight in a completely new way, using surprisingly bright colors and unusual shapes.

"Composition VIII"

Wassily Kandinsky is recognized as the founder of abstract art - a style that uses shapes and symbols instead of familiar objects and people. "Composition VIII" is one of the first paintings by the artist, executed exclusively in this style.

"Kiss"

One of the first works of art in the Art Nouveau style, this painting is almost entirely done in gold tones. Painting by Gustav Klimt is one of the most striking works of the style.

"Ball at the Moulin de la Galette"

The painting by Pierre Auguste Renoir is a vivid and dynamic depiction of urban life. It is also one of the most expensive paintings in the world.

"Olympia"

In the film Olympia, Edouard Manet created a real contradiction, almost a scandal, since a naked woman with a gaze is clearly a mistress, not veiled by the myths of the classical period. This one of early works in the style of realism.

"Third May 1808 in Madrid"

In this work, Francisco Goya depicted Napoleon's attack on the Spaniards. This is one of the first Spanish paintings who paint the war in a negative light.

"Meninas"

The most famous painting by Diego Velazquez depicts the five-year-old Infanta Margarita against the background of Velazquez's portrait of her parents.

"Portrait of the Arnolfini couple"

This painting is one of the oldest paintings. It was written by Jan van Eyck and depicts the Italian businessman Giovanni Arnolfini and his pregnant wife at their home in Bruges.

"Scream"

The painting by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch depicts a man's face distorted by fear against the backdrop of a blood-red sky. The landscape in the background adds a dark charm to this painting. In addition, The Scream is one of the first paintings to be done in the Expressionist style, where realism is minimized to provide more freedom for emotion.

"Water lilies"

"Water Lilies" by Claude Monet is part of a series of 250 paintings depicting elements of the artist's own garden. These paintings are exhibited in various art museums the world.

"Starlight Night"

Van Gogh's "Starry Night" is one of the most famous images in modern culture... She is currently on display at the Museum contemporary art in NYC.

"The Fall of Icarus"

This picture painted Dutch artist Peter Bruegel, shows a person's indifference to the suffering of his fellow men. Strong social theme shown here pretty in a simple way, using the image of Icarus drowning under water, and people who ignore his suffering.

"Creation of Adam"

The Creation of Adam is one of several magnificent Michelangelo frescoes that adorn the ceiling Sistine Chapel in the Vatican palace. It depicts the creation of Adam. In addition to depicting ideal human forms, the fresco is one of the first attempts in the history of art to depict God.

"The Last Supper"

This fresco by the great Leonardo depicts Jesus' last supper before his betrayal, arrest and death. In addition to composition, shapes and colors, the discussion of this fresco is replete with theories about hidden symbols and the presence of Mary Magdalene next to Jesus.

"Guernica"

"Guernica" by Picasso depicts the explosion of the Spanish city of the same name during the Spanish Civil War. This is a black and white painting depicting fascism, Nazism and their ideas in a negative way.

"Girl with a Pearl Earring"

This painting by Johannes Vermeer is often called the Dutch Mona Lisa, not only because of its extraordinary popularity, but also because the expression on the girl's face is difficult to capture and explain.

"The Beheading of John the Baptist"

The painting by Caravaggio very realistically depicts the moment of the murder of John the Baptist in prison. The semi-darkness of the painting and the expressions on the faces of her characters make her a true classic masterpiece.

"The night Watch"

"Night Watch" is one of the most famous paintings by Rembrandt. It shows a group portrait of a rifle company led by its officers. A unique aspect of the painting is the semi-darkness, which gives the impression of a night scene.

"School of Athens"

Painted by Raphael in his early Roman period, this mural depicts famous Greek philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Socrates, Pythagoras and others. Many philosophers are depicted as contemporaries of Raphael, for example, Plato - Leonardo da Vinci, Heraclitus - Michelangelo, Euclid - Bramante.

"Mona Lisa"

Probably the most famous painting in the world is the "La Gioconda" by Leonardo da Vinci, better known as "Mona Lisa". This canvas is a portrait of Madame Gherardini, who attracts attention with a mysterious expression on her face.

In the 17th century, the division of painting genres into "high" and "low" was introduced. The first included the historical, battle and mythological genres. The second included mundane genres of painting from Everyday life, For example, everyday genre, still life, animal painting, portrait, nude, landscape.

Historical genre

The historical genre in painting does not depict a specific object or person, but a certain moment or an event that took place in the history of past eras. It is included in the main painting genres in art. Portrait, battle, everyday and mythological genres are often closely intertwined with the historical.

"The conquest of Siberia by Yermak" (1891-1895)
Vasily Surikov

Painters Nicolas Poussin, Tintoretto, Eugene Delacroix, Peter Rubens, Vasily Ivanovich Surikov, Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev and many others wrote their paintings in the historical genre.

Mythological genre

Legends, ancient legends and myths, folklore- the image of these plots, heroes and events has found its place in the mythological genre of painting. Perhaps it can be distinguished in the painting of any nation, because the history of each ethnic group is full of legends and traditions. For example, such a plot of Greek mythology as secret romance the god of war Ares and the goddess of beauty Aphrodite depicts the painting "Parnassus" Italian artist named Andrea Mantegna.

Parnassus (1497)
Andrea Mantegna

Finally, mythology in painting was formed during the Renaissance. In addition to Andrea Mantegna, representatives of this genre are Rafael Santi, Giorgione, Lucas Cranach, Sandro Botticelli, Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov and others.

Battle genre

Battle painting describes scenes from military life. Most often, various military campaigns, as well as sea and land battles are illustrated. And since these fights are often taken from real story, then battle and historical genres find their point of intersection here.

Fragment of the panorama "Battle of Borodino" (1912)
Franz Roubaud

Battle painting took shape at the time Italian Renaissance in the works of the artists Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, and then Theodore Gericault, Francisco Goya, Franz Alekseevich Roubaud, Mitrofan Borisovich Grekov and many other painters.

Household genre

Scenes from everyday, social or privacy ordinary people, whether urban or peasant life, depicts a genre in painting. Like many others painting genres, everyday paintings are rarely found in independent form, becoming part of the portrait or landscape genre.

"The seller of musical instruments" (1652)
Karel Fabricius

The origin of everyday painting took place in the 10th century in the East, and it moved to Europe and Russia only in XVII-XVIII centuries... Jan Vermeer, Karel Fabricius and Gabriel Metsu, Mikhail Shibanov and Ivan Alekseevich Ermenev are the most famous artists of everyday paintings of that period.

Animalistic genre

Main objects animalistic genre are animals and birds, both wild and domestic, and in general all representatives of the animal world. Initially, animal painting was included in the genres chinese painting, since it first appeared in China in the VIII century. In Europe, animalism was formed only in the Renaissance - animals at that time were portrayed as the embodiment of human vices and virtues.

"Horses in the meadow" (1649)
Paulus Potter

Antonio Pisanello, Paulus Potter, Albrecht Durer, Frans Snyders, Albert Cape are the main representatives of animalism in fine arts.

Still life

In the genre of still life, objects are depicted that surround a person in life. These are inanimate objects combined into one group. Such objects can belong to the same genus (for example, only fruits are shown in the picture), or they can be heterogeneous (fruits, dishes, musical instruments, flowers, etc.).

"Flowers in a basket, a butterfly and a dragonfly" (1614)
Ambrosius Bosshart the Elder

Still life as an independent genre took shape in the 17th century. The Flemish and Dutch schools of still life are especially distinguished. Representatives of various styles, from realism to cubism, painted their paintings in this genre. Some of the most famous still lifes painted by the painters Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, Albertus Iona Brandt, Paul Cezanne, Vincent Van Gogh, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Willem Claesz Heda.

Portrait

Portrait is a painting genre that is one of the most widespread in the visual arts. The purpose of a portrait in painting is to depict a person, but not just him appearance, and also convey the inner feelings and mood of the person being portrayed.

Portraits can be single, paired, group, as well as self-portrait, which is sometimes highlighted a separate genre... And the most famous portrait of all time, perhaps, is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci called "Portrait of Madame Lisa del Giocondo", known to all as "Mona Lisa".

Mona Lisa (1503-1506)
Leonardo da Vinci

The first portraits appeared thousands of years ago in Ancient Egypt - they were images of pharaohs. Since then, most artists of all time have dabbled in this genre in one way or another. Portrait and historical genres of painting can also overlap: the image of a great historical figure will be considered a work historical genre, although at the same time it will convey the appearance and character of this person as a portrait.

Nude

The purpose of the nude genre is to depict the naked body of a person. The Renaissance period is considered the moment of the emergence and development of this type of painting, and the main object of painting then most often became the female body, which embodied the beauty of the era.

"Country Concert" (1510)
Titian

Titian, Amedeo Modigliani, Antonio da Correggio, Giorgione, Pablo Picasso are the most famous artists who painted pictures in the nude genre.

Scenery

The main theme of the landscape genre is nature, environment- city, countryside or wilderness. The first landscapes appeared in ancient times when painting palaces and temples, creating miniatures and icons. As an independent genre, the landscape was formed already in the 16th century and since then has been one of the most popular painting genres.

He is present in the work of many painters, starting with Peter Rubens, Alexei Kondratyevich Savrasov, Edouard Manet, continuing with Isaac Ilyich Levitan, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and ending with many contemporary artists of the 21st century.

« Golden autumn"(1895)
Isaac Levitan

Among landscape painting, one can distinguish such genres as sea and city landscapes.

Veduta

Veduta is a landscape, the purpose of which is to depict the view of an urban area and convey its beauty and flavor. Later, with the development of industry, the urban landscape turns into an industrial landscape.

"St. Mark's Square" (1730)
Canaletto

You can appreciate the city landscapes by looking at the works of Canaletto, Pieter Bruegel, Fyodor Yakovlevich Alekseev, Sylvester Feodosievich Shchedrin.

Marina

Seascape, or seascape depicts nature sea ​​elements, her greatness. The most famous marine painter in the world is perhaps Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, whose painting "The Ninth Wave" can be called a masterpiece of Russian painting. The heyday of the marina took place simultaneously with the development of the landscape as such.

"Sailboat during a storm" (1886)
James Buttersworth

By their seascapes also known are Katsushika Hokusai, James Edward Buttersworth, Alexey Petrovich Bogolyubov, Lev Feliksovich Lagorio and Raphael Monleon Torres.

If you want to know even more about how the genres of painting in art originated and developed, watch the following video:

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