top 10 artists that change the world

1. Artist that
Change
the World

2. There are a handful of artists in
history who have managed to change
the world with their unique
approach, resolute message and
incomparable oeuvre.

3. 1. Leonardo Da Vinci
(1452–1519)

4. Renaissance painter, scientist, inventor,
and more. Da Vinci is one of most famous
painters in the world for his iconic Mona
Lisa and Last Supper.
Da Vinci is considered to be a key person
in the birth of the European Renaissance,
which saw an emergence of new ideas,
scientific discoveries and the creation of
beautiful art.

5. Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci

6. The Last Supper has been
described as one of the greatest
religious paintings. With Christ at
the centre of the picture, it
embodies great feeling and emotion
as Christ is about to announce his
imminent betrayal by Judas. The
painting is held at the Convent of
Santa Maria Delle Grazie, Milan.

7. Mona Lisa
One of the
world’s most
famous and
intriguing
pictures.

8. The Mona Lisa is a portrait of a wife
of a Florentine noble. For several
days she came to Leonardo and sat
for her portrait to be painted;
however, she refused to smile. One
day, just for a fleeting second, she
gave a faint smile, and Leonardo
was able to capture it.

9. “That smile has immortalized her,
immortalized the artist and
immortalized the art. Artist and art
have been immortalized by just a faint
smile, a smile that has an enigmatic
touch. Even now a soul-touch is
there, and that soul-touch has
conquered the heart of the world.”
- Sri Chinmoy

10. 2. Vincent Van Gogh
(1853–1890).

11. Dutch post-impressionist painter. Famous
paintings include; Sunflowers, The Starry
night, and Cafe Terrace at Night.
One of the most celebrated artists of the
twentieth century and played a key role in
the development of modern art.

12. Vase with 12 Sunflowers,
1888
Cafe Terrace at Night 1888
( Kröller-Müller Museum)

13. 3. Rembrandt (1606–1669)

14. A Dutch Master and one of
the greatest painters,
admired for his vivid
realism. Famous paintings
include The Jewish
Bride and The Storm of the
Sea of Galilee.

15. ca. 1667 Portrait of a couple as figures
from the Old Testament, known as ‘The
Jewish bride’.

16. “Christ in the
Storm on the Lake
of Galilee”
(Matthew 8:23-25)
1633

17. Following the innovation
of Caravaggio, Rembrandt incorporated the
art of chiaroscuro – a dramatic use of
lighting. He used this technique to give great
depth and emotion to the faces he painted.
Rembrandt had the ability to give an
impression of a thinking mind behind the
face.
He sought to give ‘the greatest and most
natural movement,’ movement can also
mean ’emotion and motive.

18. 4. Michelangelo (1475–1564)

19. Renaissance sculptor, painter and
architect. One of the most
influential Western artists of all
time. Famous paintings include
his epic ceiling mural on the Sistine
Chapel.

20. In 1505, Pope Julius II offered
Michelangelo a new commission to
paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The Creation of Adam from the Sistine Chapel

21. Initially, the Pope suggested scenes
from the New Testament, but
Michelangelo chose the Old Testament
with its great variety of characters and
dramatic scenes. The project took four
years to complete and involved
Michelangelo working in awkward
positions, continuing to paint although
he suffered from intense neck pain.

22. The Sistine Chapel which took
Michelangelo four years to paint.

23. But, on completion, everyone was
awestruck by the magnificence of the
work. Michelangelo gained the
reputation of the ‘divine
Michelangelo’ – a reputation he was
only too quick to encourage.
Michelangelo suffered from no false
modesty and always felt himself to
be God’s artist.

24. 5. Claude Monet (1840–1926)

25. French impressionist painter. He was
the primary inspiration for the new art
movement of impressionism. Along
with his contemporaries, he captured
the light of nature on canvas in a
unique, spontaneous and vivacious
style. Famous paintings
include Waterlilies, Women in Garden,
and Impression Sunrise.

26. Water Lilies (1916) National
Museum of Western Art, Tokyo.
One of 250 water lily paintings
created by Monet at Giverny.
Ranked among the greatest 20th
century paintings.
"Nympheas" (1915)
Neue Pinakothek, Munich.
By Claude Monet.
A beautiful example of his
Impressionist landscape painting.

27. Women in Garden

28. 6. Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

29. Spanish painter, sculptor, ceramicist
and poet. Picasso was a founder of
Cubism and one of the most influential
artists of the Twentieth Century.
Picasso was an influential peace
activist whose art touched on the
horrors of war. Famous works
include Guernica and Bird of Peace.

30. Guernica
One of Picasso’s most famous paintings was his mural of the
Guernica bombing (1937). Picasso was so enraged with
Franco that he never allowed the painting to go to Spain
during Franco’s lifetime. It eventually reached Spain in 1981.

31. The Dove of Peace by Picasso

32. Another key painting of Picasso was
his simple bird drawing a symbol of
peace. Picasso donated it the Soviet-
backed World Peace Congress of
1949. It was telling of a new phase in
Picasso’s art – the power of simplicity.
Picasso was a member of the French
Communist Party until his death.

33. 7. Raphael (1483–1520)

34. Italian painter. Raphael, da Vinci and
Michelangelo make up the high
Renaissance trinity. He was noted for
his clarity of form and ability to convey
grandeur, beauty and perfection.
Famous paintings include Mond
Crucifixion and The Wedding of the
Virgin.

35. Crocefissione
By 1501, Raphael was
held in high esteem
and he gained
important
commissions, such as
the Mond de
Crucifixion in 1503.

36. 8. Auguste Renoir (1841–1919)

37. French painter, one of the early
pioneers of impressionism. Also
influenced by Italian renaissance.
Famous works include Dance at Le
Moulin de la Galette and On the
Terrace.

38. Dance at Le Moulin
de la Galette
On the Terrace.

39. 9. Jan Vermeer (1632–1675)

40. Dutch painter who specialized in genre
painting – vivid depictions of still life. He
was obscure during his lifetime; but in the
Nineteenth Century, his work was brought
to light, and he is now regarded as one of
the greatest proponents of Baroque
painting – with his focus on simple
portraits and household scenes. Famous
paintings include View of Delft, Girl With a
Pearl Earring, and The Milkmaid.

41. City of Delft

42. Jan Vermeer suffered from the
economic downturn which hit Holland
around 1653, and in 1654, his city Delft
suffered a bad explosion. Though one
of his most famous paintings is of Delft
– choosing the half of the city not
damaged.

43. The Girl with a Pearl Earring circa 1665.

44. A Vermeer Masterpiece – after the
most recent restoration work in 1994;
the subtle colours of the portrait have
been brought to light. It is sometimes
referred to as the “Mona Lisa” of the
North.

45. 10. Paul Cezanne (1839–1906)

46. French post-impressionist painter.
Famous paintings include; The Card
Players and Still Life with a Curtain.

47. Jaz de Bouffan – 1876

48. “When I judge art, I take my
painting and put it next to a God-
made object like a tree or flower. If
it clashes, it is not art.”
– Paul Cezanne

49. Reference:
https://www.biographyonline.net/artists/t
op-10-painters.html
http://www.visual-arts-
cork.com/paintings-analysis/water-lilies-
monet.htm
https://therake.com/stories/icons/artists-
changed-world/