Some artworks are small, others enormous. Some are centuries old, others just decades. But one thing they all have in common: each painting fascinates viewers with extraordinary painting techniques and the stories they tell.

We've gathered ten of the world's most famous paintings to explore each story, technique, and mystery behind these masterpieces that have captivated humanity for generations.

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Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

The oil painting that da Vinci painted on poplar wood in the early 16th century is one of the most famous in the world. To this day, art experts speculate about who the Mona Lisa really was. Most believe it's Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a silk merchant from Florence.

Since 1815, the artwork has hung in the royal Palais du Louvre in Paris, where it remains accessible to the public today. Before that, it decorated Napoleon Bonaparte's bedroom—imagine waking up to that enigmatic smile every morning!

But the greatest topic of conversation remains Mona Lisa's mysterious smile. In 2008, researchers discovered that da Vinci used the "sfumato" painting technique. Sfumato is a painting technique used to create the softest possible transitions, creating the subtle blur and shadow in her face. This technique involves applying multiple thin layers of translucent paint, creating an almost imperceptible gradation between colors and tones.

The painting's fame exploded after its theft in 1911 by Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia, who believed the painting should return to Italy. The theft made headlines worldwide, and when the painting was recovered two years later, it had become the most famous painting in the world.

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

The Dutch artist created over 800 paintings during his lifetime. One of his most famous is Starry Night. You can now admire this 1889 oil painting at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Did you know that the swirls in the starry sky represent one of the most complex mathematical phenomena? Turbulence. Russian scientist Kolmogorov only developed the mathematical model to represent turbulence in the 1940s. Researchers suspect that van Gogh intuitively knew how to depict turbulence with visual precision—a testament to his extraordinary observational skills.

The artist was in a psychiatric institution when he created this and other paintings. He admitted himself to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence after cutting off his left ear. Despite his troubled state, or perhaps because of it, he created some of his most emotionally powerful and technically innovative works during this period.

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The Scream by Edvard Munch

The Scream by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch is actually a series of expressionist paintings. They show the Oslofjord—a fjord in southern Norway—and a screaming figure. The painter apparently depicted himself in this anguished moment. In the summer of 1891, a blood-red sunset allegedly terrified him while he was walking. This experience drove him to spend two years sketching versions in different styles, thereby laying the foundation for Expressionism.

Munch created four versions of The Scream using different media: two pastels (1893 and 1895) and two paintings (1893 and 1910). The painting's influence extends far beyond fine art—it has become a cultural icon representing modern anxiety and existential dread.

You can see one of the paintings at the National Gallery in Oslo. Both stolen versions—one in 1994 and another in 2004—were eventually recovered and returned to the museum. The 1895 pastel version sold for nearly $120 million at auction in 2012, making it one of the most expensive paintings ever sold.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

The Dutch master painted his most famous work in 1665. Girl with a Pearl Earring became "The Girl in the Spotlight" recently when a team of scientists analyzed the painting using state-of-the-art scanners and X-ray techniques at the Mauritshuis Museum. The goal? According to Dutch museum director Emily Gordenker, they wanted to discover how it was painted and which materials Vermeer used.

The analysis revealed fascinating details: Vermeer originally painted a green curtain in the background, which he later painted over with the dark background we see today. The "pearl" may not be a pearl at all—its lack of detailed highlighting suggests it might be polished silver or tin.

Who was the girl posing for the portrait? Peter Webber's 2004 directorial debut suggests a maid working in Vermeer's house. However, Vermeer expert Benjamin Binstock claims we're looking at Vermeer's eldest daughter, Maria. The truth remains a mystery, adding to the painting's allure. What do you think?

Explore our Vermeer collection to recreate this and other Dutch Golden Age masterpieces.

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí

What do dreams feel like? Spanish painter Salvador Dalí shows us one interpretation in his world-famous masterpiece "The Persistence of Memory." He described this type of representation as hand-painted dream photographs. The oil painting has captivated visitors at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City since 1934.

The painting is populated with numerous symbols: the structure in the center of the painting is thought to show a self-image of Dalí—a distorted profile of the artist himself. The fly and the melting clocks represent decay and the fluidity of time. The ants, a recurring symbol in Dalí's work, represent decay and decomposition.

Dalí claimed the soft watches were inspired by watching Camembert cheese melt in the sun, though this surrealist explanation is likely as dreamlike as the painting itself. Are you also a bit confused when looking at it? This is exactly the reaction the artist wanted to achieve in viewers—to make them reconsider reality itself.

The painting measures just 9½ × 13 inches (24 × 33 cm), making its monumental impact on art history even more remarkable. This small canvas has influenced countless artists and entered popular culture as the definitive image of Surrealism.

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

You can now admire Leonardo da Vinci's legendary fresco again in the Renaissance church Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. The artist created the mural in the former dining hall of the adjacent monastery from 1494 to 1498. After 20 years of restoration, it's now open to the public again, though viewing is limited to small groups for preservation.

But what did Da Vinci actually serve the protagonists of his famous work? Art historians and restorers think it's fruit and fish—important Christian symbols. One theory suggests it's river eel, as they were common in the Milan area when da Vinci painted the fresco. The meal's simplicity contrasts with the dramatic emotional moment captured—Jesus announcing his betrayal.

Da Vinci's innovative technique proved problematic for preservation. Instead of traditional fresco (painting on wet plaster), he experimented with tempera on a dry wall, which began deteriorating within his lifetime. Despite numerous restoration attempts over centuries, only about 20% of the original paint remains visible today.

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo

This fresco is the oldest in our collection: Italian artist Michelangelo created it between 1508 and 1512 on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Created during the Italian High Renaissance, it's one of the most famous paintings from that period and one of the most famous of all time.

The detail in the center of the painting—the two index fingers nearly touching—has become an iconic image, inspiring countless parodies and reinterpretations. This gap between the fingers represents the moment before life enters Adam, the tension between the divine and human.

Recent analysis suggests hidden meanings: the red cloak surrounding God resembles an anatomically accurate human brain, possibly representing divine consciousness. Michelangelo, who performed dissections to study anatomy, may have embedded this "secret" deliberately. The painting required the artist to work lying on his back on scaffolding for hours, developing severe physical ailments that plagued him for the rest of his life.

Guernica by Pablo Picasso

Picasso's most famous artwork and modernism's most powerful anti-war statement measures an impressive 27 square meters (11 feet × 25.6 feet). The painter created it for the 1937 Paris World's Fair in just two weeks—an astonishing feat given its size and complexity.

The painting depicts the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Using only black, white, and various shades of gray, Picasso created a universal symbol of war's brutality. The fragmented, cubist style perfectly captures the chaos and destruction of modern warfare.

A few years ago, for Guernica's 80th anniversary, the Picasso Museum in Paris held an exhibition about the painting's creation. The painting itself, however, wasn't included. In his will, Picasso specified that the painting should only return to Spain after Franco was deposed. It now resides in Madrid's Museo Reina Sofía and may never leave Spain again—it's considered too fragile to travel.

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat

It took artist Georges Seurat two years to create his most famous work, applying dot after dot of paint to his two-by-three-meter canvas. This painting is created in the Pointillist style—consisting of individual, small dots of pure color. The unmixed colors create stronger brightness than mixed ones through optical blending in the viewer's eye.

Georges Seurat is considered the inventor of this style and the founder of Neo-Impressionism. His primary concern was harmony between contrasts, colors, and lines. This gives Neo-Impressionism precise technique while leaving it open to interpretation. The movement spread rapidly across Europe.

The painting required over 3,456,000 dots of paint. Seurat made over 60 preparatory studies, including 30 paintings, before beginning the final work. Hidden details include a woman fishing on the left (unusual for the Victorian era) and a monkey on a leash, possibly commenting on the pretensions of the bourgeoisie.

Whistler's Mother by James McNeill Whistler

American artist James McNeill Whistler spent his artistic career in London and Paris. Like Seurat, he attended the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts to further his skills. His works are characterized by their clarity and sobriety—very much in the spirit of Realist aesthetics. This is exemplified in this masterpiece, "Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1: Portrait of the Artist's Mother," or simply known as Whistler's Mother.

Although his paintings stand out for their clean lines, color harmony was always most important to James McNeill Whistler. His models for this approach were artists like Velázquez and Vermeer. The painting almost wasn't exhibited—the Royal Academy initially rejected it, only accepting it when another artist withdrew their submission.

The painting became an American icon after being purchased by the French government in 1891, making Whistler the first American artist to have work in the Louvre. During the Great Depression, it toured America, becoming a symbol of motherhood and family values. It's now housed in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Create Your Own Masterpiece

These ten paintings have shaped art history and continue to inspire millions worldwide. Now you can experience the joy of recreating these masterpieces yourself with our paint by numbers collections:

• Van Gogh Collection - Including Starry Night and Sunflowers
• Vermeer Collection - Featuring Girl with a Pearl Earring
• Famous Paintings Collection - Masterpieces from various artists
• Custom Paint by Numbers - Transform any famous painting into your personal project

Remember: Every great artist started as a beginner. These masterpieces remind us that art is not just about technical perfection but about expressing human emotion, capturing moments in time, and sharing unique perspectives with the world. Start your artistic journey today!

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